Need some advice on re-roofing!

[tesseract]

Just stumbled across this site a week or so ago and have been reading it voraciously - lots of good info and quality people here, it seems.

2 of the 3 hurricanes that passed through central Fl this summer came through Tampa so my roof took some damage just like pretty much everyone else's. To make a long story short, roofing companies are charging double what they were 6 months ago, insurance companies don't aren't paying out anymore anyway, and every roofing supply place I've called is out of every color of shingle except for charcoal (uhhh... who would put black shingles on a roof in Florida???). So, I'm bound and determined to do the re-roofing myself. It's too late to talk me out of it because while I was at Home Despot last night returning a sewer snake (something crawled into a vent pipe and had the audacity to die there... real pleasant!) I saw that they, lo-and-behold, had 3 pallets of golden cedar shingles, so I bought almost all of them after the guy at the pro desk said they probably would be gone before Sunday (and I believe him since the roofing aisles have been pretty bare at all of the Despots around here the last few months). At any rate, I've bought a couple books on construction and roofing, I've got more tools than you can shake a stick out (including framing nailers) and I've got the bliss that only those ignorant of what they are about to do have. Questions:

1. When you remove the old shingles, do you also remove the nails that fastened them or do you leave them be?

2. What is the typical amount of square footage of roofing a person can remove per hour.

3. Is there a powered version of the venerable roofing shovel or will removing the shingles be a strictly elbow-greased affair?

Thanks for any help you all can provide!

[doyle]

1. Remove the old nails completely. Get the roof deck looking as new as possible.

2. Depends on how fast you can work...lol

3. Elbow grease works the best. You'll be able to peel away several shingles at once. The newer agressive-style roofing shovels really do work well.

4. Be careful up there on the roof!!

[grumpydasmurf]

You don't have to remove all the old nails, just pound em all the way in. Faster and easier and I see no benefit to taking the time to pull all the thousands of old nails out.

Use a pitch fork for tearing off the roof. All the powered or specialty toos are either gimicks or intended for large flat roofs.

I am not an advocate of DIY roofing.

[tesseract]

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

Grumpy, I hear ya - I'm not a big fan of DIY roofing, either, but I'm not kidding about roofers around here charging double or more as compared to pre-hurricanes. My roof is 33 square and the cheapest bid I got was $7982. Insurance will pay me $8100, which would be more than enough if it weren't also for replacing 400 s.f. of water-damaged (and now rotting) tongue-and-groove wood ceiling in one room. Now don't get me wrong, if the market is willing to pay $242 per square for a simple re-roof job then I don't blame the roofers one bit for charging that amount, but I can't afford it!

At any rate, the roof is a 4/12 pitch gable in a "C" shape and the house is single story so I don't think it's an insurmountable task for someone who is pretty handy. There do seem to be some thorny logistical problems (like: get a dumpster or haul the shingles to the dump on a trailer) but the process itself seems fairly straightforward. Any tips would be more that appreciated, of course, and I will keep you all posted for your entertainment, if nothing else ;)

[Dragon]

The absolute best thing you can do is read the instructions on the package and follow them to the letter.

[grumpydasmurf]

but I'm not kidding about roofers around here charging double or more as compared to pre-hurricanes. My roof is 33 square and the cheapest bid I got was $7982.

IMO that's a fair quote, if it's a reputaable company with roofing knowledge. Double a normal charge? Hardly. That's abotu what I'd charge and I am in hurricane safe Chicago. I know a few roofers in Flordida and I know they are charging more than that. INfact that's about what they were charging BEFORE the hurricanes.

[dhill]

tesseract,
If you're gonna shingle your house, there's some things you need to consider. When you peel off all that old roofing material, you're going to be exposing your entire house to the elements. That means that if you don't cover it, and it rains, well .... You might consider working in sections. Clean a portion, install new paper, then clean a little more. Some people keep the old paper when they tear off roof, but I would recommend replacing it all. Once the roof sheathing is exposed, go over it carefully to look for any nails that are sticking up and drive them back in. If you've never done this before, I'd ask around and see if anyone you know has any experience so they can walk you through the job as you go. It's not a simple task, and reading all the instructions isn't going to provide you with anywhere near the knowledge experience can provide you with. Also, since you've already bought the shingles, (did you buy the felt too?) you might consider stripping the old roofing and then hiring someone to come lay the shingles for you. You can at least save some money that way and you might break even on the job. Of course, you still might likely have problems finding someone to do the job. And you're right about costs going up, though I don't know how much of an increase. But demand effects price. I had a good friend roofing contractor from here in n Tx go to Fl after the hurricane because he could make much more money. And he was booked solid here. Good luck.

[tesseract]

Grumpy, $242 a square might be a fair quote in Chicago, where the cost of living is much higher, but down here that is way too much. And this ins't just a feeling I have, either. My uncle had his 1800 s.f. home completely re-roofed in May of this year. He lives in the part of central Florida where all three hurricanes passed through (Charley, Frances & Jeanne) so, naturally, his brand new roof was beat up pretty badly. The price he paid in May was $2500; the price he paid in October was $4700.

At any rate, I posted in the DIY forum, not the one geared towards professional roofers, because I am DIY'ing it and I'm not a professional roofer. I am self-employed as a professional "handyman", though, for lack of a better name, and I work pretty much exclusively for condo and homeowner associations. I'm used to doing big projects by myself and have a diverse range of skills. If I said no every time I was asked to do something I had never done before then I'd be broke! Sure, being experienced helps tasks go smoother and faster (assuming one has learned from their mistakes!) but everyone started from a state of complete ignorance at some point in their careers!

Dhill, I was planning on doing the house in sections. Winter is our dry season, but when it does rain it tends to drizzle all day long. I bought a big tarp for just such an event and nailed a couple of 1x1's to one end so I can unroll it over a section that hasn't been dried in if I need to. I am buying new 30# felt, valley roll, flashings and drip edge, too - they aren't in short supply for some reason, just the shingles themselves. I wouldn't think of attempting to re-use the existing roofing felt if for no other reason than I can't see how you could remove the shingles without ripping the hell out of the felt in the process!

One other "big" question: what is the preferred/best way to put flashing or valley roll where one lower gable roof intersects another at a right angle. Do you cut a V shaped piece of valley roll to sit at the peak of the lower gable or what?

[grumpydasmurf]

Grumpy, $242 a square might be a fair quote in Chicago, where the cost of living is much higher, but down here that is way too much.

Please read my above post again. I said that I know guys in florida who have been in florida for decades. I have known these guys since before the hurricanes hit this year and I KNOW they charge more than $240 a square now and I KNOW they charged more than $240 a square BEFORE the hurricanes.

There are guys in my area that charge $150 for a square of roofing. These guys are uninsured, usually unliscenced, and generally don't know what they are doing. I fix their work all the time. They re-use flashings. Reuse roofing felt. Don't use enough nails. High nail. Don't install ventilation... the list goes on and on.

This is a common problem. Home owners price out the materials for a job and say "Wow the shingles and other materials only cast $1000 but my roofer is asking nearly $5,000. I must be getting ripped off." Most home owners don't understand the cost of roofing is in the labor. The labor is big time. Also don't forget disposal of debris. Don't forget the overhead it takes to run a legitimate company (insurance etc...). Also don't forget that the company needs to make a profit or it goes out of business.

Also just to show you that my price of $240 isn't too high... I know that Home Depot charges about $450 a square to install roofing.

A good roof is NOT cheap.

[tesseract]

To everyone that had a positive contribution to make, I truly thank you.

That said, I must tell you, grumpydasmurf, that I got a chuckle out of your last post. Let's just say I wasn't too surprised that a professional roofer would try to talk a DIY'er out of re-roofing his own house.

I've already started by removing the roll roofing that peeled halfway off the flat roof over an addition added on by the previous owner. Just to make things really interesting, I've decided to convert the flat roof into a gable. This is partly because the existing flat roof has no pitch whatsoever, partly because the roll roofing has come off twice before in strong storms (professionally installed, I might add, and not by the lowest bidder, either), and partly because SBS roll roofing seems to cost about 3x more per square in materials than shingles. So, things have gotten quite a bit more interesting, but now I've got a good excuse to break out my big, bad Porter-Cable FR350A framing nailer :twisted:

[Tom R]

Tess,

I don't think Grumpy meant to aim his comments directly at you, - - he's making a broad and general (and I might add accurate) statement about 'weekend warrior' types who 'think' roofing must be easy, - - and 'think' there's no technical knowledge involved, - - and 'think' they know how to be handy, - - and 'think' they know how to be safe. Obviously, you don't fall in this category. No harm, no foul. :wink: Good luck with the roof, - - let us know how it went.

[Cole]

$450 a square you have to be kidding me[/b]

Rich I cant bold ur underline anything!!! Got any help? :D

[Rich]

Like this

[Rich]

And this

[Cole]

YES :lol:

[grumpydasmurf]

Tess,

I don't think Grumpy meant to aim his comments directly at you, - - he's making a broad and general (and I might add accurate) statement about 'weekend warrior' types who 'think' roofing must be easy,

Actually Tom. I was doing both. First I am pointing a finger at Tess for juding an honest contractor's price by a fly by night's price and trying to compare the two... and thinking they are on an even playing field.

The rest of my comments were broad and general.

Tess, I think I am brining something positive to the conversation. A) I am warning you, and everyone else, that roofing isn't as easy as most people think. B) I am educating you, and everyone else, that when you hire a contactor IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO COMPARE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING, AND NOT WHAT YOU ARE PAYING.

Good luck with your DIY project. I've fixed quite a few of those in my short career.

Cole, I am not kidding you. That's their STARTING price. I love when I get to bid against home dpeot.

[Cole]

[quote=Tom R]
Cole, I am not kidding you. That's their STARTING price. I love when I get to bid against home dpeot.

Grumpy, hell i would love to bid against them too.

They are just f**cking crazy, I had a call to install a exterior door and she got a bid from Home Depot for $600 just to install :shock:

[grumpydasmurf]

Cole you have to understand thgat home depot has two divisions for their install services. Their roofign siding windows are run by one division and they use high price high rpessure sales. Their other division which does carpets flooring etc... operate low key.

[Cole]

Oh ok, I thought that. Thanks!!!!

[tesseract]

Actually Tom. I was doing both. First I am pointing a finger at Tess for juding an honest contractor's price by a fly by night's price and trying to compare the two... and thinking they are on an even playing field.

....

Good luck with your DIY project. I've fixed quite a few of those in my short career.

Wow... I didn't realize I was so incompetent, or that all of those drooling idiots I normally see up on roofs laying shingles were really of the genius caliber intelligence it must require to install them... :roll:

You imply to the point of flat out stating that I will botch the whole job and some "professional" will have to come in behind me to rectify the mess. Like I mentioned before, I a professional property maintenance man that provides a diverse range of services to homeowners and condo associations. You state how you have quite a few DIY'ers roofs well, that's funny, because pretty much every major repair I've ever done was to correct a botched professional's job! Here's just one of the stupid things I've seen "professionals" do in just the last month:

A 12' wide vinyl covered aluminum "fire dept access gate" to a subdivision was noticed to be sagging against the road when the fire marshal did an inspection of the place. The approx. 700 lb gate was supported by two hinges and the professional contractor that installed it put the bolts holding the hinge to the gate on top of the gate's vinyl covering. Duh.. the vinyl crushed over time, the bolts then loosened up and the gate dropped to the ground. The original contractor was called out first by the homeowner's association to diagnose the problem and give them an estimate for repairing it. He said the hinge pins must have bent and it would cost $1200 to replace them. After looking at the gate myself I told the homeowner's association I could fix the problem for $100, and, as usual, there would be no charge if they weren't 100% satisfied with the results. They agreed, of course, and I fixed the problem in less than hour by cutting out the vinyl covering under each bolt then leveling the gate with a hydraulic jack and re-tightening all of the bolts with an impact wrench.

So, not only did the original contractor botch the installation by not cutting holes through the vinyl in the first place, the jerk then had the audacity to tell the homeowner's association that the 1" diameter hinge pins were bent so the hinges needed to be replaced. Fortunately, the association decided to sue him, not hire him, after I proved that my $100 fix solved the problem.

Everyday I make my living fixing the lazy, careless or otherwise plain stupid mistakes made by professionals, grumpy. My point is not to disparage all professionals, as you have disparaged all DIYers, but to say that there can be found examples of poor workmanship from both.

And your implication that I am too cheap (among other things) that I'm too cheap to have my roof re-done professionally was too outrageous for me to even take personally! Had any of the companies come in under $7000 they would have gotten the job right then and there. As I stated before, insurance paid out $8600 to replace the roof and the t&g ceiling damaged by water in one room. The t&g wood, alone, costs $1300 and we haven't even gotten to the labor for removing the old wood then staining and installing the new wood!

But I didn't join this forum to argue with you, and I think I showed the proper respect to your profession by not posting my DIYer's questions in the roofing forum; now show me the proper respect by not telling me to hire a professional in the DIY forum!

[Cole]

Wow, Im going to sit back on this one. :D

[Dragon]

Oh heck I won't.

It is true that many so-called professionals are anything but. It is also true that some things are learned by experience, and aren't as easy as they seem.

And it is also true that Home Depot (and Lowes) makes millions by sticking it to DIY'ers. They aren't really in the business of catering to professionals.

I did a stint as a roofer in Eureka Springs Arkansas. There are a lot of old victorian homes there that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. I hadn't been in business long before the established companies informed me that I was hurting their business because I was fixing leaks like they should be fixed and not so that they would fail in 3 years. To date I have the distinction of being the only roofer to ever actually stop a leak on The Crescent Hotel.

Professional or DIY'er, it has to do with attitude. If you don't care about what you are doing then odds are it isn't going to come out like it should.

[Tom R]

Wow, Im going to sit back on this one. :D

Luckily, Tampa and Chigago are probably about 1,000 miles apart (with lots of roofs in between)! :wink:

[Cole]

Wow, Im going to sit back on this one. :D

Luckily, Tampa and Chigago are probably about 1,000 miles apart (with lots of roofs in between)! :wink:

:D :P

[grumpydasmurf]

Wow... I didn't realize I was so incompetent... I'm always glad to help people realize the obvious. :)

well, that's funny, because pretty much every major repair I've ever done was to correct a botched professional's job! Who said they were professional? Being a roofer doesn't make you a professional roofer. Being a professional takes A) the desire to do the job right and B) the skill to do it right. Everything on a roof looks easy until you start tearing it off.

I have found that these handyman do it all types can do the easy stuff no problem. It's when the flashing starts that the mistakes are made. It's when the tie-ins need to be done that mistakes are made. Can you do it? Truthfully I can't answer that. I don't know your level of ability.

Tesseract, Really I am not disgruntled about you wanting to do your own roof. I admire the desire to take on a challenge. I am highly disgruntled because you have a flawed concept that your quote is too high. Labor+Material does not = price.

There is much more involved to installing a roof than just installing the roof. What about permits? What about getting the material to the job, the dumpster, the crews? What about the depreciation of the equipment necessary to install the roof? What about workmans comp? What about general liability? What about continued education and training for the workman? What about paying for a job well done?

I don't care if you get a quote for $1,800, I bet if you look long enough you will find someone to do it for $1,500. I also bet at those prices you will have a real roofer replacing the roof 2 years later.

It's not what you pay. It's what you get that really matters.

[tesseract]

Well, grumpydasmurf, I think you should pause before you type your next nastygram and consider just what sort of impression you are making here. You are a moderator, but not the site administrator, which generally means you are expected to be positive and friendly to new members unless their behavior warrants otherwise. If that seems too much to ask, then how about simply treating other people you would like them to treat you. Yes, the good ol' Golden Rule. It's an oldie, but a goodie, I'll admit, but it is pretty obvious that the world would be a far more pleasant and efficient place to live in if only it were followed by all.

[Tom R]

All things considered, - - I would greatly appreciate if you would both consider each of your last posts your 'final' say (on this matter only, of course). At this point, I don't think I or anyone else should interject any opinions, - - though we all have our own opinions and thought processes, - - I'm sure we all notice they never seem to go against our own 'grain'. It's at this point we are all subject to our own pre-conceived biases, - - impossible as it may seem. You've both stated what you each consider your 'valid points' well. This case is closed.

[Rich]

Well said Tom - I second that.

[grumpydasmurf]

Unfortunately being the grumpy one, I do not have the self control to promise that. I do however have the good fait to give the effort to try.

And in the spirit of good faith...

1) You might not need to remove all the nails, but if you don't remove them all make sure to hammer them down ncie and tight.

2) I can tear off 3 squares in an hour and I am out of shape. You will have to setup tarps and then clean up fallen debris also.

3) elbow grease works best with a pitchfork and a shovel.

Roplled roofing? Do you mean modified bitumen> Are you planning to torch apply, self adhesive, cold mopped? I feel torch applied is the best method however very risky if you've never used it before.

[tesseract]

Thanks for the good info, grumpy.

A removal rate of 3 sq./hour is faster than I expected, but something tells me that rate can only be sustained if you aren't the only one up there doing the removing and you've got 33 sq. to do!

Roplled roofing? Do you mean modified bitumen> Are you planning to torch apply, self adhesive, cold mopped? I feel torch applied is the best method however very risky if you've never used it before.

Yep, I did mean modified bitumen. Rolled roofing on a flat roof would be a disaster waiting to happen, of course, but the single membrane roofing didn't perform much better in this case. I think this was because particle board was put in between the t&g ceiling/decking and the base sheet for the single membrane roof. I can only guess this was done because the t&g planks foriming the ceiling and roof deck are 3/4" thick while the shortest roofing nails that seem to be commonly available are 1" long. Obviously, the nails don't hold all that well in the particle board which is why I'm surprised only that the whole roof didn't peel off during the last hurricane, rather than just half of it :shock:

I don't think I could do a good job of installing a new single membrane roof, though, and certainly not the torch-applied stuff, so I've decided to convert the flat roof to a 4/12 pitch gable. All things considered, this seemed the best way to ensure watertightness and ease of future replacement. I've already set the 2x8 ridge board and installed 4 of the 26 2x6 rafters in less time than it took to remove 6 planks of the t&g ceiling/decking. I'll post pictures of the progress if anyone is interested and site bandwidth permits (I can host the pictures on my own website if that is better??)

[grumpydasmurf]

I was figuring 3 squares per workman per hour so 3 workman would be 9 squares.

Around here we can get 7/8 nails. It's always best that the nails sink all the way through the substrate, in this case the T&G deck, which is probably a ceiling; and youw ouldn't want to see nail tips in a ceiling.

To be honest single ply membranes like EPDM are easy to install. Except for the adhesives. WOW... If you want a buzz go install an EPDM roof.

[tinner666]

Yes, remove all old nails. AND re-nail all wood with new 8cc where the nails are loose. A 8cc is 2 1/4" long which mean that 1 1/2 was in rafter doing the holding. If it's loose, knocking it down MAY give 1/16" of holding power. I re-nail so nails are beside old nails at 45degree angle from old. (As regards the grain of wood in rafter and sheathing.) 2 nails side by side along same grain of wood don't have as much holding power.
AND I would keep any felted areas tarped to protect felt from absorbing rain or dew. It will wrinkle, pull nails, and can cause mold if roofed over while damp.
Check the shingle package, Burke and Weatherford from GAF said that 30# felt will burn shingles up in only a few years on shingles that were speced for 15# felt.





http://tinsmith.freeyellow.com/

[tesseract]

Interesting points you raised, tinner666. I assumed that if 15# felt was "acceptable" that 30# felt would be even better. I'll have to look into that some more and if it means lugging back all the 30# felt I already bought then so be it (also, I won't exactly be complaining about only having to spend half as much on felt :wink: )

Whether to remove all the nails or not has become a moot question... no nails were used to install either the felt or the shingles on my roof!!! In fact, only two 1" crown staples were used to hold down each 3-tab shingle and NO tin caps were used with the staples holding down the felt?!?! So, the pitchfork I bought to remove the shingles is absurdly over-qualified for the job as I can remove huge chunks of shingling just as fast by pulling them up with my hands.

Now, I am not trying to restart the whole contractor vs. DIY argument, but this is precisely the sort of shoddy workmanship I didn't feel like paying through the nose for (nor, for that matter, even paying a low price for!)

One thing that I have not found clearly illustrated or explained is how to do the flashing at the peak where a lower gable intersects a higher one. The general rule that all seams should overlap and point downhill seems difficult to enforce in this situation. I will probably weave the shingles along the valley itself, if that makes any difference, unless the open valley technique (exposed metal flashing in the valley, that is) is better at resisting water intrusion. I just finished framing the new gable roof to replace the flat one that was over the addition and will be putting up the sheathing/felt today so any tips would be most welcome.

[steeve]

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/h00135_04.asp

if you hav'n seen it yet...

[grumpydasmurf]

Check the shingle package, Burke and Weatherford from GAF said that 30# felt will burn shingles up in only a few years on shingles that were speced for 15# felt.

I've never heard that before, nor have I ever seen a spec on a shingle wrapper for a specific felt type.

I sent an email to GAF for verification.

[grumpydasmurf]

Here are GAF's comments on the 15lb vs 30lb subject:

"no! either one will be fine. GAF recommends a breather type felt but 30 does not cause your roof to fail.

John Wheeler
Senior Technical Service Representative
GAF Materials Corporation / US INTEC"

[Tom R]

I never heard of that one either, but would be interested to know more.

[Tom R]

Tess, I like weaving the valleys best, myself. First of all, for extra protection, run a 'width' of rolled -roofing, flashing, or ice shield down your valley first (minimum 18" wide). Then, make sure your 'underlapping' shingles run at least 12" past your valley intersection, with your nailing no closer than 6" from it. Also, make sure as your shingles make the 'turn', they're 'formed' (lightly pushed) into the valley. Although weaving takes longer, I feel it looks best and is the best method. IMO, from the 'visual/design' sense, - - a flashed valley creates an unwanted 'focal point', - - whereas a weaved valley 'disappears' into the roof, - - allowing you to focus on 'front' lines instead of seam lines.

[tinner666]

Must have been 10 years ago during a conversation at our shop. I was complaining about the #15 felt being sold and how it would slide off roof. I said I was switching to #30 since ul 15# was impossible to get a that time. I switched back to slate and metal since then and haven't looked back.

No shingle joints with-in 12" of woven valley! If a joint is going to be close to valley, use single tabs or remove single tabs so ALL joints are about 18" from valley. Full weaves work best in hurricane country.

[tinner666]

Just for the record, any re-driven nail can come back to haunt you.
http://community.webshots.com/album/232196163kJWanW?945

[tesseract]

Well, I'm a day late and a few dollars short, but I finally finished the decking on the roof this evening. Let's just say that doing the area where the new gable meets the existing one was "challenging".

steeve: thanks for the website link; that Long Island valley method looks promising.

Tom R: what I haven't yet figured out is how to best do the underlayment and/or flashing at the point where the ridge of the lower gable roof intersects the plane of the higher gable roof. Basically, it just doesn't look like the 30# felt (nor the 90# roll roofing!) will want to bend into the shape of a saddle at the juncture of the two roofs, but that's what it will have to do to provide effective waterproofing (as far as I can tell). I understand how to do the valleys, themselves, but not the peak where they meet! I intended to figure this out by "reverse engineering" one of the other intersections on my roof but ever since the two staples per shingle discovery I decided it might not be so smart to copy what was done in the previous roofing installation...

[Tom R]

Basically, that's exactly what you're doing, - - molding a 'saddle'. Ice Shield will mold into shape easier than the others. It's thin and flexible.

[tesseract]

I've seen the stuff you are talking about, course down here it's usually only referred to as water shield :lol:

Just to make sure, am I on the right track wanting to form a saddle at the intersection, or are there other ways of ensuring the peak is watertight that I'm missing here?

[Tom R]

Yup, - - that's how I've always done it. I don't know of any other (recommended?) procedures, maybe someone else does. The saddle method always works for me.

[tinner666]

Run one side of vally and extend over ridge, make 1 cut horizonally from excess to apex of valley point and main roof. Do other side same way.If cuts are right, Should be virtually waterproof right then. Just add a 1'x1' patch at that peak. DO same with valleys. and scissor-lock them together. Metal cut will be on a line with opposing valley instead of horizonal.

Scissor-lock means to lap one flap of metal under the other while other flap goes over. Done tightly, there is no hole for water to get into and no need for caulk.

[tesseract]

Cutting horizontally at the apex makes sense, tinner666. I assume you are referring to metal flashing here, but it seems the same technique would apply to felt or roll roofing as well. I still haven't decided what I will use to flash the valleys, but I'll have to today as rain is in the forecast for tomorrow... :shock:

My other headscratcher is how to do the (step?) flashing at the junction shown below:

[Tom R]

Kind of hard to explain, but just step-flash as you shingle, - - and cut the left side of each piece of your step-flashing at the angle necessary, - - so it stays as long and wide as possible, - - but 'flushes-up' against the fascia area (you probably won't even have to cut the first few). Put a solid (angled) flashing down first.
The best advice I can give for intersections, etc. on a roof is simply work from the bottom up, and when you get to the tricky parts, just 'picture' water coming downward as you're doing the work, and make sure everything is overlapped before you proceed further up the roof.
If you can 'picture' the water, you'll be successful. Remember, - - the 'eye' can be fooled, - - but nature can't!

[tesseract]

Like this, Tom R?:

[Tom R]

Yes, normally I would have the step-flashings pushed further up under the shingles so you didn't even see them, but what you have there is fine and functional.

[tesseract]

Okay, makes sense, Tom R. The side I took a picture of is the less-visible one so I will trim them back closer on the other side.

It really is simple to figure out how things should go down if you always keep in mind gravity and wind - having the foresight to analyze such before laying down the shingles is a whole 'nother story! While I am confident I will be able to re-roof my house as well as the best professional, I know for sure I won't be doing it at anywhere close to their speed or efficiency!

[Petman]

I have put on an addition which involved extending the gable end. My existing roof is fairly new so I would like to just roof the new extended gable and then weave the new roof into the old so that there isn't a "seam" at where the two come together.

I have seen how to repair/replace shingles and wondered if I should remove several shingles where they meet so that they overlap so to speak. Tearing off the previous roof back to a valley and starting there would be a very big job so I would like to try and weave. I am sure many of you have done this on additions and just wanted to see if there were any tricks in the trade.

Thanks

[Big Builder]

I have been using the " red ripper" for years to remove the old shingles. The fastest method I have used. THe head wears out quicker than others
and is difficult to repair. ( I used to hard surface weld normal roofing shovels) but it has been worth it.

Randy

[Jackhammer]

[quote="grumpydasmurf"][quote="Tom R"]Tess,

Tess, I think I am brining something positive to the conversation. A) I am warning you, and everyone else, that roofing isn't as easy as most people think. B) I am educating you, and everyone else, that when you hire a contactor IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO COMPARE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING, AND NOT WHAT YOU ARE PAYING.

AMEN...........................

[Dave13]

I can tear off 3 squares in an hour and I am out of shape. You will have to setup tarps and then clean up fallen debris also.

I could be WAY off here but here she goes, when you say you (not necessarily you but a profession roofer in general) can tear off 3 squares in a hour, does that mean 3 square feet or does that mean something else? The only reason I'm asking is, if that was 3 square feet per hour per person, it would take a week to tear the shingles off of a 1200sq ft roof. If this is the case, that definately made my idea of reroofing alot easier. Unfortuanelty I dont have that kind of time. If I'm off on my calculations can someone give me an idea of how long it would normally take to strip the roof (2 layers of shingles) of a 1400 sq ft 1 storey house. Thanks.

[Petman]

A square is 100sf. Tearing off your roof with you and a friend should be about a half day job. Using the proper tool (shingle remover, spading fork, your choice, etc) this should go pretty quick even with two layers.

[dhill]

Dave13,
If you haven't done this before, figure a full day for the tear off, and make sure you have paper ready to go back down on that exposed sheathing. You're gonna be sore and tired when you finish. I would recommend putting plastic down around the perimeter of the push off sides (where you drag the old stuff to the dump area) so you don't get a bunch of nails and garbage left in the yard. Also, are you going to toss the old stuff in the back of a truck or on the ground to be picked up later? Be sure to put a tarp down where you choose to dump the tear off. You probably should do one side on one day, tear it off and add the paper, and then do the other side on the next day. Do the side away from your walk and toss zone first so that you're not dragging old materials over new paper. And last, check the weather forecast and try to do all of this in a couple of days that it's not going to rain :) Just a few suggestions if you're looking to do a tear off yourself.

[Dave13]

thanks dhill,

I'll take any advice given. You can never be too prepared.

[Petman]

Just a quick comment regarding the above.

I live in CA and if you put the paper on immediately you will likely wake up to big waves in the paper due to the papers ability to expand in the day time warmth but not able to contract as well in the nightime cold.

I personally like to wait and put the paper on as I go...weather permitting of course so that I don't have to deal with the waves.

[Dave13]

Thanks Petman,

When you say CA I assume you mean California. I live in Canada so I probably don't have to worry about waves due to the warmth. I'm sure the snow will keep it down :(

[Petman]

Yep, California. The paper will be brittle in the very cold so be careful. If you have sun and can warm it a bit it is MUCH easier to work with.

Good luck

[dhill]

Those ripples are common and to be expected. Nothing to worry about unless you put the paper on so crooked that you've created major fold back issues. I suppose someone could be that terrilbe at the job, but I've never seen it. :)