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Mike Guertin

Fine Homebuilding Ambassdor

Remodeler/Builder/Trainer/Writer
East Greenwich, RI

The only thing Fine Homebuilding editorial advisor Mike Guertin likes better than building new homes is remodeling old ones. After 35 years, he’s still challenged every day to find more-efficient ways to build things better. Like a true Rhode Islander, he doesn’t take jobs farther than 15 minutes from his home in East Greenwich. Mike’s written over 100 articles for FHB and appears in dozens of videos.

Instagram: @mike_guertin

Website: www.mikeguertin.com

Setting Up Roof Jacks

Working from roof brackets and staging planks is the safest and most efficient way to shingle a pitched roof.
Preparing Vertical Lines on Hip Roofs

Establish control lines perpendicular to the eaves edge.
Establishing Control Lines on Roof Planes with Jogs

A roof with multiple eaves complicates the layout, requiring a number of adjustments.
Pyramid Pattern for Three-Tab Shingles

Follow these layout and installation guidelines when shingling with the pyramid pattern.
Shingle-Installation Patterns

You have two basic layout choices: a racking pattern or a pyramid pattern.
Avoiding Shingle-Color Variations

Use asphalt singles from the same lot number for consistent color shading over the whole roof.
Fastener Placement

There's more to nailing an asphalt shingle than just driving in a few fasteners.
Check the Roof for Square

Here's how to check for square—and how to compensate for a roof that's out of square.
Establishing Control Lines around an Obstacle

You'll need to snap extra reference lines when installing shingles around a dormer or a chimney that interrupts the roof plane.
Control-Line Layout

The verticals keep the shingle slots aligned, while the horizontals keep the courses straight.