Before starting out with your roof repair project, specifically for shingle roofs, make sure you have the following tools: replacement shingles, pry bar, scraper, utility knife, hammer, galvanized roofing nails, roof cement, and trowel.

 

It is usually easy to repair shingle roofs. Upon locating the exact area where the roof leak originates check for damaged, misplaced, or bent shingles. Also, inspect the flashing and caulking around the chimney or vent and at angles where surfaces meet. There might be cracks or gaps in your caulking or flashing.

 

If everything looks normal, for instance the shingles look intact, there are no cracks or gaps in the flashing or caulking then it is time to contact a roof repair service company. The problem may be more complex, such as a defective flashing or corrosive shingles.

 

Curled shingles are quite easy to repair. All you need is asphalt roof cement or prepared compounds for caulking. Curled shingles can be straightened out in warm weather because it tends to soften out. During cold weather however, shingles become brittle and forcing them to flatten may cause it to tear or break. 

 

When its cold, the shingles are brittle you would need a propane torch with a flame-spreader nozzle. Carefully point the flame to the curled edges warming it just enough so it could be flattened out. Do not however, apply excess flame as it could burn the shingles and if this happens you need to replace it with a new one. We advise that this is done by a roofing specialist.

 

To reaffix shingles, you would need a good amount of cement. Apply it liberally underneath the shingles and on each corner where it touches the roof frame. Press down tightly to set. For damaged, torn, corrugated, and missing shingles, replace it with new ones immediately. Shingles that are sticking out effortlessly are rotten and should be changed with a new one.

 

When you have a wide area of disintegrated shingles, roof leak will generally follow. In this case, it is time to replace it with a new roof. This is a massive project and it may be wise to hire a roof repair company to do it. If you do go down the DIY track, you can use left over shingles from previous roof installations or buy new ones in a nearby DIY hardware store. If you cannot find matching shingles with the original ones, try cutting out aluminium or copper sheets into shingle-size pieces.