How do you do a roof repair?
Short answer. Most roof repairs follow the same pattern: find the source, release the shingles above the damaged area, remove the old nails and material, slide in new shingles or flashing so each piece laps under the one above, nail in the correct zone, and reseal the shingles you lifted. Replacing a damaged shingle is the most common repair and shows the method well.
Tools and materials
- Flat pry bar, hammer, and a utility knife with hook blades.
- Matching shingles and 1-1/4 inch galvanized roofing nails.
- Roofing cement or sealant.
- A ladder with a stabilizer, plus a harness and roof anchor on anything steep.
Replacing a damaged shingle step by step
- Pick the right day. Mild and dry. Cold shingles crack when bent, and hot ones tear.
- Break the seals. Slide the flat bar under the shingle above the damaged one and gently release its sealant strip. Do the same for the course above that, since its nails also pass through the damaged shingle.
- Pull the nails. Lift each tab and work out the nails holding the damaged shingle, plus the nails from the course above that pass through it.
- Remove and replace. Slide out the old shingle and slide in the new one, aligned with its neighbors.
- Nail it. Drive new nails in the manufacturer's nailing zone, then renail the course above.
- Reseal. Put a few dabs of roofing cement under the tabs you lifted and press them down.
- Check it from the ground and the attic after the next rain.
When it is more than a shingle
Flashing, valley and decking repairs use the same layering logic but take more skill: new pieces must go under the material above and over the material below. If you find soft decking under the shingle, the repair grows into a deck replacement. See roof anatomy explained and common causes of roof leaks.