how to lay shingles

When installing shingles, start by laying a narrow row of shingles at the bottom of the roof along the edge. Next, lay the first full row of shingles so they’re directly covering the starter row. Continue laying your shingles horizontally up the roof.

Do you overlap the first row of shingles?

Trim one-third off your first shingle, so the joints will be staggered, then lay your first course over that, with tabs down. Form a pyramid of overlapping shingles, trimming each by six inches so that all rows will have overlapping joints. Then continue to lay rows from bottom to top, using whole shingles.

How do I stagger shingles?

When installing a roof, the contractor just cut about 6 inches off the edge of the starter of each row of shingles, creating a simple stagger. When there are three-tab shingles on a roof, you can easily see the alignment of the tabs/slots and the edges of the shingles. This makes it easy to check the stagger.

How many nails should be used per shingle?

In most cases, 4 nails are adequate. Position the nails appropriately according to the shingle installation instructions. Align shingles properly to avoid nail exposure.

How far should shingles hang over drip edge?

Shingles should be installed over the drip edge a minimum of 3/8” (9 mm) at both the eave edge and the rake edge. If the drip edge extends… out from the rakes and eaves (typically called DL Style or D Type), the shingles may be installed flush with the drip edge.

Do you remove the plastic strip on shingles?

Because the cellophane strips have no effect on the performance of asphalt shingles, it’s fine to leave them in place as you install the shingles. In fact, the effort to remove them is unnecessary and just adds an extra step for the contractor.

How much should shingles overhang gutters?

Most shingle manufacturers recommend a 1/4 to 3/8 inch overhang over your eave, which is where your roof ends by your gutter. In many cases, and particularly as the home ages and settles, the roof edge at the eave edge can wave in and out by more than this amount.

How do you install the last row of shingles?

How to Finish the Top Edge of a Shed Roof
For the final row, cut shingles into strips.Ensure strips are wide enough to cover nails.Install your strips.Apply sealant over exposed nails on the last strip.Use more sealant along the top edges of all shingle strips.

Do starter shingles go up the rake?

Starter shingles should always overhang the eave and rake edges of the roof by about 1/4″-3/4″ to ensure adequate rain water drainage. It is also important that the seal strip is placed facing up and close to the edge of your roof; otherwise, your roofing system won’t seal properly.

Do shingles need to be staggered?

Known in the trade as “vertical racking” or “staggering,” this how to lay shingles method enables the roofer to install a single column of shingles all the way to the peak, without the wasted back-and-forth motion necessary to fill several rows of stair steps.

Should roof shingles be staggered?

Call it whatever you want, you should be looking at roof shingle stagger. Stagger is important because, if the spacing is less than 4 inches, water can travel from joint to joint under the shingles and create a leak in the roof.

Is it better to hand nail shingles?

Hand driving nails into shingles allows for the roofer to place the nail on the proper nail line and then drive the nail in. Ensuring that the nails are properly placed each and every time because the head of the hammer stops flush on top of the shingles.

Can I Staple shingles?

The type of fastener used to fasten the shingles is especially important in resisting wind uplift and pull-through. Fasteners for asphalt shingles should be roofing nails or staples. The head of a roofing nail or the crown of a staple is what actually holds a shingle in place.