How many square feet of shingles do you think a motivated, fairly skilled pair of amateures (my wife and I) could apply in a day, after stripping the old roof? This will be on a simple,3 in 12 gable roof. I’m hoping we could cover 500 square feet a day without risking a divorce. Would this be reasonable? We would be using an air nailer to nail the shingles down.
Replies
Just for comparison purposes, my roofer just re-did my roof, and here are the facts: 7:12 pitch (walkable but things slide down and off--you will not have this problem), felt already installed, 19 square, 4 valleys, 4 sections of ridge, one skylight, material stocked by boom so no carrying bundles up a ladder, 2 pros took three 7-hour days. So, they are averaging about 6 square per slightly short day, on a job that's probably harder than yours.
For an easy pitch and a straightforward job you should be able to get shingles installed for about $50/square. Is your wife gung-ho about this?
Believe it or not, it is my wife'd idea! Maybe she is looking for an opportunity to push me off the roof?
Did you ever hear about the roofers diet?
quickest way to lose 15 pounds.
Take one roof and do tear off and cleanup,resheath,felt and re shingle= 15 lb instant weight loss.
When I was doing it daily, I would get a square an hour minimum on that roof
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A square an hour working alone? That's more than twice as fast as the roofer I had here. Seems like they got 6-7 squares up per 7 hour day, one guy and one helper with him. The other roofer I use is the same speed, same everything else, it's always about who's available now. I would not say that either of these guys are speed demons, but they both do a fine job and the only other options are off-island outfits. You know the story, I'm sure... middle of the afternoon they get ferry fever and need to quit so they can get in line for the 4:30 sailing back to the mainland.
7:12 feels a little dicey trying to walk on the felt in the morning when it's damp, which was the case all three days they shingled here. So they started from a ladder, which is a little slower. One that we just built was 8:12 and those extra 3.19 degrees make it impossible for me to get on it when damp. The roofers there used toeboards while here they 'rode' it.
OK, so I was good. But those are the rates I was working with for years - and I was not the fastest going.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I figure a good roofer can lay one square per hour. DIYs should probably figure on 2 hours per square.
That's installation only - Not tear-off or fixing the inevitable things that come up.
On a 3/12, new and clean, a pro should be able to lay close to two sq an hour
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"a pro should be able to lay close to two sq an hour"
I was allowing time for ridge cap,valleys,plumbing vents, and murphy's law.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
You guys will be fine with those numbers. One person stays on their knees and the other stocks and distribute the shingles. Take turns.
blue
Great advice, thank you!
Just a couple of questions.
What type of shingles are you installing?
What type of low slope underlayment are you using?
What time of year will you be installing the roof?
What part of the country are you in?
What is your age?
Do you have a pre-nup?
If it wasn’t for the Bank Payments,
Interest, Taxes, Wages, and Fuel Costs,
I wouldn’t have to charge you!!
1. three-tab shingles2. 15 or 30# felt, whatever the shingle manufacturer suggests3. This month4. Phoenix, Arizona5. 506. Whats hers is hers, whats mine is, hers.
Edited 4/16/2006 1:06 pm by grog85361
btw, on a 3/12 pitch, check the label closely. You may be required to drop your exposure to around 4" instead of 5" are they will not warranty them.
Thanks, I'll verify the pitch and the exposure requirements.
phoenix - no rain - exposure fine
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
With an air gun you should be able to do 5 to 10 squares a day as a novice no problem. This is assuming no dormers or half gables etc. Valleys are not usually much of a problem. This estimate is after all shingles are torn off and underlayment and eave metal is installed. Just straight shingles. The bad news is laying shingles is only about 1/3 of a tear off and re-roof.
Last week did 48 squares in four 6 1/2 hour days with two dormers and one half gable one fireplace and cut in a ridge vent. This was done with four people and two nailers. I am not a pro roofer either. Did it for ten years back in the day but mostly too old now.
possibly
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
When I used to shingle on a daily basis, we'd figure about 10 sq/day per man on the roof on a walkable slope.
With one person throwing and the other nailing, 5 sq/day should be easily obtainable for a novice.
Tips - 1)make sure the thrower gets the shingles to you right side up and easily reachable with your free hand so you just have to scoot them in place. 2)The thrower also needs to watch the nails in your gun (they can see the coil easier than you can and you've got lots of other things to keep your eyes on) and have a fresh coil ready by the time you run out. 3)If possible, if you're right handed, work from left to right and vise versa if you're left handed. 4)Get some old sofa cushions to kneel or sit on- they'll save your butt, knees, and the shingles you just laid.
http://grantlogan.net/
Honest to God, When I had a partner in Florida, hand-nailing, our typical house was 4/12 ranch with garage ell dormer - two valleys, thirty one or thirty two squares including ridge. If we weren't finishied and cleaned up by 2PM each day, we considered it a bad day
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I believe it. My current shingle crew is a well oiled machine. They all stock for an hour or so. Then 2 start shingling with one throwing on the big planes while one works on the tricky areas, cutting ridge for vent, or step flashing. The 5th guy runs his butt off supporting everyone on the roof. They can do 40 sq/day on a 12/12 2 story cut up roof.Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, I get waylaid by jackassery?
http://grantlogan.net/
My personal opinion: 500 a day might be pushing it. Remember that you'll have essentially zero productivity for the first two hours or so as you learn a "system", and you'll slow way down at the edges as you have to install dripedge and cut shingles. Plus you've got roof penetrations, valleys, etc to deal with. You can be maybe 50% the speed of a regular roofer on the flat areas, but you'll slow down to about 10-25% on these areas.
Also, remember that you have to be reasonably careful to not strip more than you can finish in a day, which may limit your working day a bit. (You can always use tarps in a pinch, but you can't expect a tarped roof to survive a real rip-snorting thunderstorm.)
One hint: Start with the part of the roof farthest from where you climb on and throw stripped roofing off. This way you're not walking across the new shingles all the time.
here's how I figure this -I have knowna lot of carpenters who did not lay shingles regularly who can get a square an hour. I probably could still do that even tho I'm old and worn out.So an inexperienced HO should be able to do nearly half that alone if he is in any kind of good health. That gives him 4 squares a day. Add wife for encouragement and help and five a day is not out of the question - 'course that depends how she dresses.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Thing is, if you haven't shingled much before, and especially if you have some oddities to deal with, every time you hit one of those oddities work comes to a complete standstill while you figure it out.There's another point I should mention: On a roof is exactly where you DO NOT want to be in a hurry. Even a fall off a single-story roof can be deadly, or result in severe injury.With a roofing crew (if they're good), keeping the roof cleared of hazards is second nature. Get a DIYer in a hurry and you can have problems.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
Yep - anytime DIY is part of the variables...
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"...that depends how she dresses."
A roofer I know said the best worker he ever had was a skinny, flexible little college girl. She could stand on her feet and bend at the waist to lay shingles.
Trouble was - Then the guys didn't get anything done...
Excellence is a habit, not an act. [Aristotle]
Thank you all, some good tips and advice. I'll let you know how it goes.
do yourself a favor and plan on 2 days.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
two days?What if it's a forty square roof?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
get out their check book.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
where is it that we have to go and pick up that check???Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I'm planning on two long weekends. It is 2000 square feet of roof. The weather is good right now, and I definitly don't want to rush it.
Since your doing it yourself, knowing how long it should take is worth consideration but getting it done correctly , regardless of how long it takes, is far and away more important. If done wrong it's going to take twice as long regardless of who's doing it.
Speed is great if done correctly and your cost is directly tied to that. Speed along with incorrect application isn't worth anything and may even cost your in both time and money.
Had a carpenter who claimed, "hey, this ain't my first barbecue that I've been to" when asked about his experience. He was quick alright. Second week on the job he was cutting the roof on a remodel and some of the owners shrubbery was overhanging the roof where he was working. They weren't really all that bad but just enough to be in the way. Rather than take the time to get down and tie the branches back he takes out his trusty ol Skilsaw and cuts the offending branches off, leaving an ugly stump. Next day, owner calls the contractor over pointing out that someone had cut the tops off his JAPANESE MAPLE trees that his wife gave him. End of story!
I don't know what was said beyond that but at the start of the following work week, he wasn't at the party any longer, or barbecue either. I stopped at a local nursery later and looked into the cost of a Japanese Maple tree about a quarter of the size of the ones that were cut at the job...$1600 apiece.