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Aging shingles have not proven to be very good at resisting hurricane
force winds. The factory-applied adhesive strips and other methods for
anchoring the edge of the top shingle to the bottom one can lose their
holding capacity and strength over time. In addition, on occasion the
top shingle will not adhere properly to the shingle below because of
uneven surfaces, the shingles have not yet been exposed to hot enough
weather to allow the seal to melt enough to adhere the shingles together,
or any number of other reasons. Consequently, it is important to
periodically evaluate your shingles and check to make sure that the
tabs are well sealed. If you are not comfortable or shouldn't be on a
ladder, have a qualified person inspect a number shingle tabs to see if
the adhesive has engaged and the tabs are well anchored to the shingle
below. Use the tips of your fingers or thumbs to gently lift up on the
edge of the shingle tabs. If the shingle tabs are not well stuck to the
shingle below, asphalt roofing cement should be used to bond the shingle
tab to the shingle below.
If you don't have a license to climb a ladder or your spouse or friends
have told you that you have no business on a ladder, you will need to hire
someone to do this. There are reasons why roofers have extremely high
workers compensation rates (see
Ladder Safety Tips).
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Video: Resetting tab
seal
(click image to view video) |
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Short Term Fixes - Hand tabbing of Shingles: As long as the shingle
is still flexible enough to lift and re-set flat, dabs of roofing cement
can be applied to reset the tab. To cement the shingle tabs to the
underlying shingles, using a caulking gun, place three dabs of asphalt
cement about the size of a silver dollar under each tab. Press the tab
firmly into the adhesive (step on it if you are comfortable standing on
your roof) to assure that the bottom of the shingle tab lies flat on the
shingles below and reduce the chances that the wind will pick up the
elevated edge of the shingle tab. (Be aware that you will likely get the
asphalt cement on your shoes, whether you use your shoe to press on the
shingle or not, and you will get it on your hands.) Be sure to cement
all loose tabs throughout the entire roof area. If some shingles are
only partially loose, you can use a putty knife to break the tab loose
so that you can apply the roofing cement. Be careful not to bend the
tabs too far up off the roof when applying the adhesive as old shingles
often get brittle and they may crack or break. Repair (glue down broken
tabs with asphalt cement) any shingles you damage immediately, as a short
term solution. However, the fact that shingles are brittle and one or more
cracked or broke is a very strong indication that the shingles should be
replaced.
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Note that this is not something you can do just before a storm
as it may take 2 to 4 weeks for the adhesive to cure. You may make
the situation worse by trying to do it at the last minute.
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Tools and materials needed:
- Caulk gun and tubes of asphalt roof adhesive
- Putty knife and utility knife
- Ladder
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Tools for hand tabbing shingles
(click image for larger version) |
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Video: Hand tabbing shingles
(click image to view video) |
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Directions: Start with shingles that are clearly loose and
those around the edge of the roof. Pry up edge of shingles using
putty knife. Do not lift tab too high as the shingle may crack
or break. Insert dabs of adhesive (silver dollar size - three
per tab) or run short lines of adhesive about 1-inch back from
edge of shingle. You can provide an extra measure of protection
along the gable ends by hand tabbing at least three tabs in from
the gable edge.
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Loose Shingle Tab
(click image for larger version) |
Breaking loose a partially adhered
shingle to allow hand-tabbing
(click image for larger version) |
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Applying dabs of asphalt adhesive
under shingle tab
(click image for larger version) |
Pressing tab back against roof
after applying dabs of asphalt
adhesive
(click image for larger version) |
Preparation for Emergency Repairs: While we all hope that a
hurricane will not strike where we live, the chances of being struck
are higher now that we are in a period of more frequent Atlantic
hurricane activity. If your shingle roof is showing its age, you
may want to stock up on things that can be used to perform emergency
repairs in case you do have damage. If a hurricane damages your roof,
it is important to button it back up as quickly as possible to reduce
the chances of additional interior damage to your house. After the
hurricane strikes, building materials can be in short supply and tarps
may be very hard to find for some time. Even if you will not be able
to put the tarp up, having one may allow a neighbor, friend, relative
or work crew to help you out.
Tools and materials needed:
- Camera with film or available memory if digital
- Tarps (large enough to cover at least one corner of roof from eave up and over ridge)
- 1x3 lumber and box of 2-inch long deck screws
- Battery-powered (fully charged) drill for driving screws
- Rope and screw eyelets
- Ladder
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Temporary protection after storm damage to roof
(click image for larger version) |
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Directions: Take photographs of the damage to use as documentation
with the insurance adjuster. Then, stretch tarp over damaged area and
extend up and over the ridge. Anchor edges of Tarp with 1x3 lumber to
fascia and roof surface just beyond the damaged area. If the side of
the roof beyond the ridge is undamaged, use ropes to tie off the tarp to
screw eyes installed in the fascia or soffit at the bottom of that side
of the roof. Anchoring the tarp in such a way that it adds holes in the
roof cover on undamaged sides of the roof can substantially increase the
cost of final repairs. If you have trees nearby that could fall on your
roof, you may want to also store some pieces of plywood that can be used
to bridge across any roof sheathing damage caused by a falling tree, once
the tree is removed.
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See Ladder Safety Tips, and do not
try to install a tarp in windy conditions. It may drag you and the ladder right off the side
of the roof
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Establishing a solid water-tight foundation
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