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Editor's Notepad

How to Remove a Damaged Roof Shingle

Official Fine Homebuilding Post, editor

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1 The first step is to break the bond created by the seal-down strips below and on the two courses above the shingle you want to remove. Breaking this bond may be difficult with some newer laminated shingles. A 50-year shingle with a 110-mph wind warranty has an aggressive adhesive bond. In these cases, I cut the adhesive strip with a pry bar.

Daniel Morrison

2 With the bonds broken, I can remove the four nails holding the damaged shingle.

3 Before I remove the shingle, though, I have to remove four more nails driven through the course above.

Daniel Morrison

4 Now I can pull out the damaged shingle, slip in a new shingle, and renail all the loosened shingles. When refastening shingles, don’t put new nails in the old nail holes; they’ll pop right out. Instead, nail next to the holes and put a dab of sealant over the old holes. While your caulk gun is handy, seal down all the loosened shingle tabs with a dab of sealant.

Daniel Morrison

1 The first step is to break the bond created by the seal-down strips below and on the two courses above the shingle you want to remove. Breaking this bond may be difficult with some newer laminated shingles. A 50-year shingle with a 110-mph wind warranty has an aggressive adhesive bond. In these cases, I cut the adhesive strip with a pry bar.

Photo: Daniel Morrison

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BY STEPHEN HAZLETT

Some roof repairs—nail pops, for example—require replacing single shingles. Removing the damaged shingle without damaging the surrounding shingles is the tricky part. This process is best done while shingles are cool enough not to melt underfoot and warm enough not to crack. In the summer, I handle this part of the repair before 8 a.m. In the winter, I do only emergency repairs.

Step 1 Break the bond created by the seal-down strips below and on the two courses above the shingle you want to remove. Breaking this bond may be difficult with some newer laminated shingles. A 50-year shingle with a 110-mph wind warranty has an aggressive adhesive bond. In these cases, I cut the adhesive strip with a pry bar.

Step 2 With the bonds broken, I can remove the four nails holding the damaged shingle.

Step 3 Before I remove the shingle, though, I have to remove four more nails driven through the course above.

Step 4 Now I can pull out the damaged shingle, slip in a new shingle, and renail all the loosened shingles. When refastening shingles, don’t put new nails in the old nail holes; they’ll pop right out. Instead, nail next to the holes and put a dab of sealant over the old holes. While your caulk gun is handy, seal down all the loosened shingle tabs with a dab of sealant.

Excerpted from 10 Roof Goofs-and How To Fix Them

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Comments (3)

SirElliott writes: I got a "roof Snake" by PacTool at http://www.homelumbercom.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RS501
Posted: 3:25 am on September 14th

RussMc writes: Couple of comments:

1: I prefer to use a wide drywall taping knife (6" to 8") to break the seal between the shingles - less likely to damage the shingle. Just work it slowly in between the shingles.
2. Most of the time,you have to get underneath a good shingle to pry up the nails a course above (see Step 3). With today's nail guns, the nails are usually driven too far into the shingle to get at the nail from the top. The pry bar shown will usually damage the "good" shingle" a little, so you have to be careful. I always keep a tube of roof cement to fill/fix the damaged areas. Really need a better way of doing this.
Posted: 2:35 pm on September 5th

Antstep writes: For 3-tab shingles, the top existing shingles can be raised far enough for a hammer swing on the nails, but for composite or architectural shingles, it is frustrating to tear the next row of shingles above when trying to get a swing on a nail. The nail gun works to an acceptable degree, but for just one or two strips of shingles, or along the top section of several strips of shingles, some years ago I purchased a "roof snake" that lets me drive nails well under the existing shingles. Love it! Minimizes the opportunity to tear the existing, overlying shingles when trying to lever them up far enough to strike a hammer blow or pry in the nail gun. A guy I work with keeps borrowing mine. He's tried to purchase one online for over a year now, but it doesn't seem like anyone makes them anymore, or the manufacturer is waiting until it's profitable to run a large batch. Anyone know if "roof snakes" can still be obtained?
Just a note, whenever I replace shingles, I inevitably seem to get the shingle that was the last one the roofer put on from a batch and drove an additional nail in one of the top corners to hold it in position for some reason. Makes me go "fishing" with the pry bar to get it out.
Posted: 10:13 am on September 5th

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