Putting shingles on my garage

[cperky]

I have been building a garage for my home. I have the roof decking and Tar paper in place and am going to start the shingles. I have never installed shingles before. Does any one know how to get started ? And other steps I need to know? Thanks in advance for the great advice I hope to get

Other Info about the Garage:

I will be installing vinyl siding, I have installed the facia boards, The roof is a 4/12 pitch with one foot overhang all the way around I also have two roof vents to install and also have metal drip guards to install. The garage was framed on 16'' centers The pre made trusses are on 24" Centers

 

[dummy]

Put down the drip guard (edge) and install the vents first. Directions for the shingles are on the back of each bundle. Reverse the first course. I like using lots of chalk lines on the roof to keep me (and the shingles) straight, about every 5 courses. If you built the rest, it's not hard to do, just takes time. Good luck and where's the pic's?

 

[beenthere]

Put on a drip edge, then follow the directions usually printed on the roofing package. One starter row of shingles 'upside down' to get an edge, then a second row with tabs down and tabs at the roof edge. Nail above the slots per the instructions. I then snap a chalk line to get the second row in a straight line after figuring out how much shingle will be to the weather. If 5 inches, then put in a coarse every 5 inches figuring out if the roof is square and adjusting the exposure to balance the rows with the ridge. Keeping the tabs lined up from bottom to top will make a neater roofing job. New shingles sometimes have a random pattern which makes this less important.
I usually do an entire row across the roof, which allows the cut-off shingle on the end to be used as the starter on the next row up.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[shvl73]

It's a good idea to cut the tabs off your starter course. This puts the glue line at the edge for the first full course of shingle tabs to stick to. Prevents wind lift.

 

[ByronBob]

Do you know anyone who's done this before? I'm not saying you can't do it but boy would I feel a lot better with someone who did.

When I did my house I paid a guy who I knew that did it on the side. He ran the show, I learned and the house didn't leak

 

[jim_wilson]

I added a second floor to my house a couple of years ago and the whole roof was done over with the architectural style shingles. I learned all I needed to know by going to the Journal of Light Construction website. The previous responses to this thread were all correct - the shingles that you buy should have the proper application procedures detailed right on the package.

 

[BobReeves]

When I did the roof on a 16x20 shed I just went to the lumber yard and read the shingle package, it told me how many I needed and how to put them on. That was 10 years ago and the roof still looks great and doesn't leak.

Can't say the same for a smaller storage building I bought prebuilt at about the same time. The shingles on it are starting to curl and have a leak that is running down the inside of one wall. Tells me there is a difference in the quality and longevity of shingles.

 

[boustany]

I reshingled the roof on my prior house, and shingled the 5000 + square foot roof on my new house I just built. No leaks ever.

Why'd I do it myself? I paid one contractor to do the roof of my first house (it leaked) /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif and the year after he finished it leaked again. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif and the roof on my prior house was finished after only 10 years because the contractor who did that managed to violate all 3 cardinal rules of roofing. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

This is not rocket science. Dummy's instructions are correct.

Generally
1) make sure the roof is well ventilated (preferably ridge vents) don't forget soffits!
2) Ice & Water shield all valleys and at least 3' (I do 6) up the edge.
3) tar paper everywhere else where there is no Ice & water shield (otherwise yer warranty is void )
4) flash all valleys
5) install drip edge
6) either reverse the first course, or trim the tabs
7) nail the shingles properly (just above the slots)
8) properly flash all horizontal to vertical surfaces (too hard to explain)
9) use new flashing for penetrations like vent stacks.
10) cap all ridges

I think that covers it.

Oh yeah and rent a nail gun. It speeds things up considerable.

 

[MicroPilot]

I'll second the nail gun rental, makes a hard job almost /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif easy!!!

Plan on wearing out the knees and behind of whatever pants you are wearing, take it easy and it will be good.

 

[BubbaJr]

And make sure you have a pair of shoes with good non-slip soles. And most important, work safely. Falling off the roof is pretty painful, I know!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[timb]

How come no one included the requisite tractor tie-in to this thread? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Don't forget to use the FEL to lift the shingles to roof level. Beats carrying those bundles up a ladder any day!

Last time we did a roof we used a (hay) elevator. Worked out just fine. Don't forget the sunscreen.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

If you garage is a gable ended garage, roofing is simple and reading the package and doing what makes sense will be enough. If you've got a more interesting roof, you may need a little help on the flashing or where the capping joins (as on a hip roof.)

Cliff

 

[johnday]

cperky; Only a couple things. Use starter strip instead of wasting time and materials cutting the tabs off the strips. Also another labor saver is to have the bundles delivered to the roof. Most big time roofing suppliers have trucks with lifts of one kind or another. One more thing, PLEASE don't get your roofing at a bigbox store, if you need advice, you'll most likely get it from a supplier. He should also be able to refer you to some additional help as in labor if you need it. Around here my supplier will at least met the box store price.

I absolutely HATE doing roofing, I'll sub it out at every opportunity, but I know what works and I hold the sub to do it my way, unless he can show me his way really is better. And better doesn't mean cheaper. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You've got some guys here on this thread that know what they're talking. Thats a breath of fresh air. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BIGUN]

Shingles I have bought in the past have installation instructions printed right on the package the bundle comes in. Read and follow the directions. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[dummy]

<font color="blue"> 2) Ice & Water shield all valleys and at least 3' (I do 6) up the edge. </font> That's a thing you northern guys do /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif South of the Mason/Dixon line, ice damming isn't as big of an issue.
<font color="red">Oh yeah and rent a nail gun. It speeds things up considerable. </font> Now why did you have to go there. All newbies have to use a hammer and nails to learn the proper appreciation of power tools, don't they? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[boustany]

Well, the ICE part is a pretty big deal up north, yes (actually, ice dams are a issue mostly with a poorly ventilated roof).

I thought water was a big deal down south, with the huricanes & tornados and stuff (?)

Hammer & nail is ok, unless you got big hands & thick fingers. I swear I smack my fingers as often as roofing nails ....

Its probably a good time to mention that a proper body harness is a good idea. Most roofs are up in the air and falling can be hazardous to your health.

 

[dummy]

for roof valleys, i always use flashing under the shingles. I was thinking more of the edges where up north they tend to place flashing along the front and rear edges to help melt off ice/snow.

 

[cperky]

Thanks for all the advice so far. Sorry that I have no pictures to post I broke my little camera and haven't had time to replace it yet . I have been very busy framing and decking and so forth.

To answer another question I have already purchased an air roofing nailer. Good thing about doing the labor yourself is that the wife lets me buy new tools to do the job right!

After reading the threads it looks like I can maybe get this done this weekend. My Garage is going to be 24' by 28' so maybe a one or two day roofing job.

I do have a couple of buddies in the roofing buisness that I will ask for advice as suggested also.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

cperky, Go Here and click on roofing manual.

 

[mrcaptainbob]

If you can get those shingles delivered to the roof, great. If not, rent the elevator from the local box store. HD has that ladder for rent at a great price. Great price as in saving the cost of an aching back!