Recently I started a job for a customer who wanted an A-frame shed (20’x16′) stripped and shingled with cedar. The shed is poorly built and it felt to me like he was choosing to have a cardboard mantle guilded in gold. Anyway, I have never shigled a roof using cedar so I wasn’t sure what expectations to set relative to time. I am using 16″ clear (grade A) shingles with a 5″ exposure on this 12 pitch roof. It seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time. I have been woking on it for three days and just finished one side (~2.5 squares). Is there any rule of thumb out there as to how long it takes (one person) to do a square? I feel like I need a benchmark. Any help around setting the proper exptation in terms of this type of shingling would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
Replies
doing the same as we speak..12/12 with chimney,valleys, and lots of cut ups. Using a straight edge instead of snapping lines, presorting some like sized shingles, a MAX nail gun, and 2.25'' RS GALV nails
I am averaging about a little over a sq. a day (6 hour day , it's been real hot and showery)..when I get to the larger areas without resetting all the stuff, it'll go faster.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Hey Sphere,
I've got a small shop job for you to consider if you're interested. Call me when you get a minute.
will do, bad cold at the moment, haveta see if I have a voice..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
That's about how fast I can do it.... 1/2 to 1 sq. per day, depending on the number of cuts, access to the work area (getting up above the ground takes a lot longer), and the accuracy needed. If you have wide open areas, try getting a long 1x4 and tacking it to the course already installed so you can just set a long row of shingles on it, then grab the nail gun and blam blam blam nail them all off. If you use 1-1/4 finish nails it should hold the 1x4 fine without penetrating the felt on the roof. When you remove it you have some tiny holes left, that's all.... should be acceptable on a roof.
the biggest secret in cedar shake roofing and siding is prep work. I have done alot of both and it seems that the more you stop to climb down and get something the less gets done.
I make sure I have a fully charged cordless saw with a sharp blade and a jigsaw if needed. I install any paper,flashing, and or trim before even starting to shingle. If you have valleys or cheeks pre cut angles on the ground with a chop saw and stack them in a milkcrate. Also carry a sharp block plane and keep a sharp blade in your knife.
Remember on red cedar roofs the best fasteners are ss ring shanks , no discoloration. and always do a triple stagger on seams and bib bracket areas.
I can do at least a square to a square and a half with obstacles and staging
Butch
Can you explain this in other word; I am curious as to what you are saying.
>>and always do a triple stagger on seams and bib bracket areas.
If you live in an area of driving rains the triple stagger of seams is essential on a skip sheathed roof. By this I mean that no seams should stack within 3 courses, this is where a shingle hatchet comes in handy if the shingles are running in similiar size.
When removing roof brackets i slide a piece of copper up under the upper course before driving the filler shingle in . A secret to the filler shingle is to bang it in to within a 1/2" of the rest of the course and toe nailit with 2 ss nails up under the upper course and set it flush with a nail set and then tap the shingleup flush with its course.
When i said a 2 square day thats with a gun and my day starts at 7:00 am till 6:00 pm with limited breaks. You are doing fine at your pace just pay attention to all flashing details and staggers cause ther is nothing worse then a leak with shakes!! Have fun hope the weather cooperates
Mad
Also doing this as we speak (lap top in one hand...lol).
Its a pretty huge job I'm doing.
Walls and roof.
too hard to say how many square a day. On the garage roof with wide open spans I was doing about a sq a day with 5" exposure after all my paper,cedarbreather, and ice shild was down.
The sq a day included al the step flashing not that thats a big deal.
I'm using dbl dipped ring shank galvies. somewhere tween' the price of single dipped and SS,
I haven't had any rust marks yet from where I first started a month or so back or better.
In the valleys it most definatly takes a long time specially near cricket areas.
anyway have fun
a
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Andy, thanks for the ecouragement. A lot of these job can simply be about attitute, but even with the most positive attitude it is nice to have an idea as to how others are doing. Appreciate your comments.
You mention the double dipped galvy nails. That is other thing that has slowed me down a bit. This particular application requires 3D (1 1/4) nails and I have had a really hard time trying to locate them. I actually had to search the web to find some and in order to buy ten pounds ended up paying a riducluous price for the double dipped galvys.
Despite all this the weather has been pretty decent so I am having fun. Love the outdoors! Good luck on your job.
Mike "mad hammer"
P.S. Do you really take your laptop up on the roof with you? :)
Don't feel bad. You are doing fine. A square a day is good for anybody on a steep pitch like that or on a wall. I spent many years nailing cedars and the best I ever did was three squares in a day. I would be plenty happy with your speed on this one. a squre to a square and a half is great in my book.
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Piffin,
Thanks for your reply and encouragement as well. I feel a little better about the job now. It is not bad work, I just worry that the client might think I am moving too slow. I can now say that Piffin says that a sqaure a day aint so bad.
Thanks for the response.
Mike ("mad hammer")
Gents,
Just looked at the whole thread - Duh...so I wanted to extend my thanks to all of you as well for your comments about shingling with cedar. I've definitely picked up a few good tips from you all. Its funny, but sometimes we (I) don't think of the obvious like doing as much prep work as possible before nailing. I have incorporated that and have picked up some speed but only by a couple of bundles per day. Jobs almost done now and it looks great. Not sure I could do this kind of work everyday but it was a nice diversion and wouldn't shy away from it in the future.
Mike ("mad hammer")