How do you fix shingles on a roof?
Short answer. How you fix a shingle depends on what is wrong: lifted tabs are resealed with roofing cement, popped nails are reset and sealed, and cracked, creased, torn or missing shingles are replaced by breaking the seal on the courses above, pulling the nails, and sliding in a new shingle nailed on the nail line. Widespread granule loss, curling or brittleness are not repairable; they mean the roof is wearing out.
Match the fix to the problem
- Lifted but intact: reseal with a few dabs of roofing cement under the tab.
- A small crack in an otherwise flexible shingle: sealant under and along the crack can hold for a while, but replacement is better.
- Creased, torn or missing: replace.
- Nail pops: pull, renail beside the old hole, and seal both.
- Hail bruises or exposed mat: replace, and ask whether the roof has storm damage elsewhere.
Replacing a single shingle
- On a mild day, slide a flat bar under the shingle above to break its seal, and under the course above that if needed.
- Pull the nails holding the damaged shingle, plus the nails from the shingle above that pass through it.
- Slide out the old shingle and slide in a new one matching the line, color and exposure.
- Nail it on the manufacturer's nail line, usually four to six nails depending on the shingle and wind requirements, then renail the shingle above.
- Hand seal the tabs with roofing cement if it is too cool for the factory strip to bond.
When not to repair
- Shingles that crack when lifted, a sign the roof is near the end of its life.
- Granules piling in the gutters and bare spots across slopes.
- Curling or cupping across large areas, often tied to attic heat in Georgia.
- Damage on several slopes after hail or wind, which may be an insurance matter.
See signs you need a new roof and architectural vs 3-tab shingles.