How To Roof A Shed Roof
Storage sheds are a convenient way to store extra items like lawn equipment or seasonal things like pool and beach equipment. If you already have a shed but it needs re-roofing you may be wondering how to roof a shed roof on your own to save some money or just have the satisfaction of accomplishing something by yourself. If you're taking things even further and building the shed or the entire roof, then you'll certainly want reliable instruction on how to how to build a shed roof, including how to frame. This article will focus on simply roofing, or shingling, a shed.
Preparation and Steps on How to Roof a Shed Roof
First of all, the type of roof you have will determine to some extent how you'll go about things. Roof styles include gambrel, flat, and gable. Understanding the type of roof you will be shingling will help you to prepare. Some roof styles are more complicated and therefore more difficult to shingle. If you feel the style of roof will be too hard based on your knowledge of the subject, it might be better to hire someone. Otherwise, plan ahead for safety and continue getting instruction on how to roof a shed roof. Another factor that will change how you do things is the roofing material. How you lay down standard asphalt shingles is different than laying down metal roofing. Here we'll cover the basics of laying down asphalt shingles.
You'll need roofing paper, roofing nails, the shingles, and some other tools and measuring devices. If you're re-roofing, remove the old shingles first and examine the old roofing paper underneath for wear and tear or outright damage. Depending on how good (or not so good) it looks, you'll either want to patch it in damaged spots or replace it entirely. If it's a new roof, make sure the framing is secure and everything is as it should be. If it's a new roof or you're replacing the old paper, the first step before you shingle is laying down the roofing paper. Since roofing paper comes in rolls, just start in one corner and roll it out to the other end, letting 1/4 inch of the paper hang over the ends. Then cut the paper and secure it with a staple gun. Keep doing this, overlapping the paper about one inch. When you come to the end, leave 1/4 inch overlap when you cut it. The next step in how to roof a shed roof is the actual shingling.
Once you've finished the first steps in how to roof a shed roof, move on to the shingling. Turn the shingles so that the side with the gaps faces the edge of the roof and start laying them out at the lower edge. The first row should stick out over the roof's edge by 1/4 to a 1/2 inch. Nail each shingle with roofing nails at the upper edge of the shingle. Each row after the first is going to overlap the one before it. Try your best to make the appearance uniform. Repeat these steps on the other side of the roof. Once you reach the top, you'll cap it with overlapping shingles. Start at one end and lay the first shingle at 90 degrees to the other shingles. Nail it down and move on to the next one, overlapping them by an inch or two until you make it to the end.
Once you've completed these steps, you'll have a brand new roof that you've done on your own because you found out how to roof a shed roof.
