Need advice on replacing small section of roof

Hi, everyone; got a minute??

I need to replace roof sheathing damaged during hurricane Ivan.

A heavy branch blew down across our power line, which heaved on the riser pipe [1] like a lever. That ripped the power meter away from the wall and enlarged the hole around the riser. Electrical repairs were made long ago [$750], but the hole dribbles water into the soffits every time it rains.

I'm willing to try the repair myself if I could get your advice on...

a) separating and removing the shingles b) cutting out and replacing as small a section of the roof as possible c) the tools / materials necessary for the job d) how not to make things worse

The old shingles are stuck together. Would a heat gun help? I'll need to buy something to cut across two rafters, but what -- jigsaw, sabersaw, rotozip? How do you get out the nails without tearing up more shingles?

I'll probably have to buy way more shingles, roofing tar, and tarpaper than needed for the repair.

Sound right? Thanks for your help, and I'll read your answers right here. JPM

[1] The riser conducts the line from the electrical meter up (in my case right through the eave) to a safe height above the ground
Reply to
DemoDisk
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Were you insured? If so, the repairs are still incomplete. Call the insurance company, you may some some recourse. If you have spend your own money, consider converting to an underground service. It will be safer in the next hurricane, and make your roof repairs much more certain. Good luck.

Joe

Reply to
Joe Bobst

On the insurance, in Florida most policies now have a 5 PERCENT deductible, so he may be dealing with his own repair...........

--James--

Reply to
James Nipper

You have several different issues here. There is a flashing (flat metal with a rubber ring) that goes around the conduit (riser). That must have been damaged from your explanation. If that was not replaced with a new one you will need an electrician and the power company to get one in place before you can proceed with your repairs.

Shingles that are still in their useful life can normally be unstuck using a

4" putty knife and a good bit of care on a warm day. The nails can be loosened and pulled using a flat bar Only the top course requires care in not punching a hole or breaking off the tab as you work under it, because you will be replacing the next several courses down (based on the size of the repair). Figure on going 1 tab higher than the repair area and be ready to go 3 tabs to the left and right. You may not need to make it that large. You do need to alternate the seams to prevent water entry. So as a newbie if you replace full shingles (3 tabs for each shingle) in the exact same sequence as you found them you will be okay. It isn't really necessary to replace full shingle if you know what you are doing. You can replace just a tab or two. BUT this is one of those things you don't want to screw up.

A direct answer to your needs: A bundle of shingles to match. A flat pry bar

4" putty knife Hammer Circular saw (did you want one of those 18V cordless ones for Christmas?) #8 nails 1# or less # 16s nails 1# or less Roofing nails (size based on layers, 1 1/4" for a single layer). 1 # or less Utility knife and spare blades. Felt paper underlaymnet (try to bum some, the rolls are big. cheap but big). A piece of plywood large enough to fill in the damaged area. 1 or 2 2x 4's to scab onto existing rafters at the sides of the replacement so you don't have to saw nails in half as you cut away the old sheeting.

Post back for more info.

Colbyt

Reply to
Colbyt

"Joe Bobst" wrote

Insured, yes, but there's the 5% deductible. Thanks for reminding that it's still a repair in progress.

underground service. It will be safer in

Well, there's little or no underground service here because (they say) we get so much rain and the water table is high. No such thing as a dry hole here most of the time. Aaaand there's the cost, etc.

JM

Reply to
DemoDisk

Wow..! *This* is just the kind of detailed answer I was hoping for, Colbyt. Gotta love UseNet.

"Colbyt" wrote

The repairmen replaced the old galvanized riser pipe with a new galvanized riser. The new flashing is now of molded rubber with a flat base sheet. It's not really protecting the hole from runoff, though. A permanent repair is needed.

necessary to

Christmas?)

Got an old corded one that might work.

sheeting.

Not sure I understand the above. I was going to ask how you avoid cutting the rafter beneath the plywood sheathing you're power-sawing through. I figured that I'd remove shingles & paper down to bare plywood, cut through the minimum area that "crosses two rafters," as someone said, and pry out the nails?

Will do. Thanks, hugely.

JM

Reply to
DemoDisk

You are good to go on this part.

Your first step should be to find and buy the shingles, remove the instructions from the back of the package and study mostly the pictures. That will be worth 10,000 Usenet messages. Your shingle joints may not be alternated exactly as the package shows but you will understand the concept.

Cutting out the damaged section: Strip it to the bare wood and determine the thickness of the sheeting. In modern construction it is normally 1/2" plywood or wafer board. Rafters run from the top to the bottom and plywood crosses them. Sit the depth of cut on your saw about 1/16" inch deeper that the thickness of the sheeting. You are going to have to cut out a section as wide as where the rafters are located on the left and right. This might be as small as 16" wide or as much as 48". You may be able to figure out where the rafters are by looking for the nail heads. I usually make a small exploratory hole and then cut the final opening once I know what is where.

Make the top cut first I am calling that left to right as you butt faces the ground. Then do your two side cuts up and down the roof and the bottom cut from left to right is your final cut. By doing it in this order you are not reaching or kneeling over a partially cut hole. Then just pry up the cutout piece. It will just fall into the attic if your hole is only 16" wide. Cut the sheeting back flush to the rafters on the left and right. Then cut a section of 2 x 4 that is about 4-6" longer than the opening is tall. Use the underside of the roof as a gauge to set this "scab board" level with the existing rafters. Secure it to the rafters with the 16s nails. I usually place one about every 8". You now have something to nail your replacement sheeting to.

Cut a piece of plywood to fit the hole. Nail it into place using the #8 nails every 6" on each rafter you cross. Might not be a bad plan to add a few nails to the old sheeting where you have exposed it. This is commonly under-nailed Add the felt and tack it into place. . Try to tuck it under the felt at the top of the repair area and overlap the exposed felt on the sides (where you removed shingles but not the felt or wood).

Replace the shingles starting from the bottom and working up the roof. Note the use of a starter shingle if you went all the way to bottom of the roof. Read those installation directions for proper nailing points and make sure to alternate the joints. Only the last new shingle will be hard to nail. You have to hold the old shingle up, and start and drive a nail working under it.

One last thing. That conduit flashing must be tucked under the shingle above it and nailed under the shingle so that there are no exposed nails. Sometimes you have to cut a partial circle in the shingle above. It just depends on how it breaks. There is a picture of a properly installed pipe flashing about half way down the following page. It is a vent stack but the concept is the same. Note the dotted lines on the shingles outline the entire flashing.

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Colbyt

Reply to
Colbyt

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