I do some work on an estate, keeping up the old buildings, and one of them had a problem with runoff from the roof. Seems the last roofer left out the drip edge, and rainwater was getting behind the gutters and the fascias, and into the soffits. Installing the missing drip edge would fix the problem, but prying up the first courses of shingles while inserting the metal edging proved to be a real nuisance. I needed away to lift the shingles quickly without breaking them and to keep them lifted while I put the drip edge in place.
As shown in the drawing, I solved the problem with some wooden wedges. Each wedge was about 6 in. long with a notch along its bottom edge. I put the wedges a couple of feet apart, sliding them between the shingles and the tar paper. Then I slipped the drip edge into the space made by the notches and lifted the wedges back out. The weight of the shingles keeps the edging flat. I also ran some roofing nails through the drip edge into the fascia and topped the nails with some white gutter seal. Using this method, I put in 120 ft. of drip edge in the amount of time the first 10 ft. took.
Click to enlarge illustration.
C. T. O’Neill, Cranford, NJ
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Ladder Stand Off
Flashing Boot
Flashing Boot Repair
View Comments
Great tip! thx!