Whether you plan to get a roofer in Plymouth MA or you plan to make it a DIY project, a leaky and damaged roof must be repaired immediately. When left unrepaired for long the damage can spread to a larger area and your heating and cooling cost will climb up. If you have assessed the damage to be localized to one or few shingles then you can probably do your own repairs. Keep in mind that climbing on the roof with a steep pitch can be unsafe, dangerous and is a job best left for a professional roofer.
Plan for the roof shingles repair with your roofer in Plymouth MA
Keep following things in mind as you plan for the roof repair:
Pick a sunny day when the roof is dry. Use safety ropes and rubber soled shoes for traction.
Identify and keep away from the power lines
Trim any overhanging branches and trees
Keep the following tools ready for shingle replacement: Pry bar, utility knife and scraper, hammer, trowel, roofing nails, Asphalt roof cement and replacement shingles.
Keep a professional roofer contact as a backup in case the repair is not successful
Repair curled-back shingle roofs with your roofer in Plymouth MA
Check the shingles at the leaky point. You will probably spot a damaged, curled or missing shingle. Another reason for leak could be breaks in flashing or caulking. Repairing a shingle is a simpler job but get a roofer if you are not comfortable climbing on the roof.
If you spot a shingle that is curved back, use asphalt roof cement to reattach it. Straightening and re-attaching the curled-back shingle in warmer weather is easy. If the shingle is brittle due to cold you will need to soften it first.
To soften the brittle shingle, you will need to warm it with the help of a propane torch. Apply the flame to the curled edges and press it to flatten it as the edges get warmed up. Don’t make it too hot or the shingles can catch fire.
Apply roof cement on the bottom and press the shingle to reattach it.
Replace damaged shingles with your roofer in Plymouth MA
Lift the edges of the shingles surrounding the damaged shingle. Remove nails using the pry bar. Slide out the old shingle and scrape off the area under it. Use the utility knife to slightly round the edges of the new shingle to ease the sliding in. As you slide the shingle in keep an eye out for the edge alignments. Lift the corners of the overlapping shingles and secure the new shingle with the nails on the corners. Use the roof cement to cover the nails and lastly let the overlapping edges back in place. Visit Watermanbuilders.com for more details.
