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How to Repair Wooden Shingles

Broken or rotten shingles should be repaired to keep a home protected against the elements.

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What materials were used in this video?

2 x 4 Board Brushes Hand saw Mallet Nails, galvanized 8-penny Paint Shingle-ripping bar Shingles Stain Tape measure

Clip Transcript For:

How to Repair Wooden Shingles

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Repairing a broken or rotten shingle is easy to do with the right tool. The secret weapon is the shingle ripping bar. First remove the old shingles by sliding the shingle-ripping bar up under the shingles and pulling the pieces out. Be careful not to lift the upper course of shingles too far from the wall, otherwise, you'll crack the shingles and have to replace them, too. Now, using the nail cutting feature of the shingle ripping bar, slide the shingle ripping bar up underneath the row of shingles and fish for the heads of the nails that hold the old shingles in place. When you hook one, give the handle a sharp blow with a hammer to cut the nail, and then pulled a shingle out. The cutters on each edge of the shingle ripping bar will cut through the nail, allowing you to slide the broken shingle pieces out. Remove any other shingles that are cracked or otherwise damaged. Do this until you've removed all the shingles you want to replace. If you're only replacing a few shingles, it's a good idea to stain the front, back, and sides of each shingle before you nailed them in place. Because they're stained first, the shingles will be less likely to curl or cup after they're installed. Be sure the bottom edges of the shingle are well covered so that the water doesn't wick up into the shingle overtime. When the stained shingles are dry, they'll be ready to fit into place. Make sure that the spaces between the shingles are at least an inch or more away from the spaces in the course of shingles either above or below. This is so that any water that follows a crack, ends up on the outer surface of the shingle instead of working its way along the cracks and up, and under the shingles. Leave a quarter of an inch of space between each shingle, and nail the shingles in place with galvanized eight penny nails. Two to a shingle, one on each side at least an inch from the edge. When replacing shingles on the course above, slide the stained replacement shingle up under the course, centering it in place. Drive into eight penny galvanized nails up under the drip line at an angle. Each nail should be at least an inch from the edge of the shingle to prevent it from splitting. Measure the width of the last space to be filled, and subtract the half of an inch to allow for two 1/4-inch spaces, one on either side. Transfer the measurements to the stained shingle, being careful to make sure the line is square, and using the saw, cut the shingle to size. Hold the shingle in place with the bottom edge a quarter of an inch below the rest of the shingles. Leave one quarter of an inch of space on either side of the shingle. Drive the nails up just under the drip edge at an angle. When the nails are driven in place, rest the 2 x 4 under the new shingles and hammer the shingle into place. Then, place a 2 x 4 over the face of the overlaying shingles, and give the shingle a sharp rap, setting the nails underneath. Within a short time, the repair will be invisible."

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