Tips & Tricks From Lex The Roofer
I promised I’d share some of the roofing tips I learned while spending a week on dad’s roof.
Roofing Tips
- Rolls of tar paper will fall. On you.
- Rain will fall. On you.
- Work from bottom to top.
- 1 cutter and 1 nailer gets the job done more than twice as fast
- Zinc flashing seems to keep shingles in better shape longer.
- Roofs come in 3 grades only: steep, steeper and terrifying.
- Water shoes work great on roofs. Roofs are not good for water shoes.
- Don’t nail through the flashing.
- Don’t wait 25 years.
- Do get someone else to haul the shingles.
- Tar is sticky. Don’t step in it. Don’t lean on it. Don’t track it back to your bed.
- Ham fat removes tar. Unfortunately, we haven’t figured out what removes the hungry cat from your arm.
- Tool belts should be built in plus sizes
- The shingles have cuts on each side so you can align the shingles on the layer below by folding a little corner back and hang them on top of the layer below. It really works!
- Hit the nails not the fingers!
- Nail below the sticky strip.
- Pull off the plastic strip.
- Pull it off BEFORE you lay the shingles down.
- If possible, replace knees before roof.
- Roofs are slippery.
- Cut corners, literally. (when working in a valley).
- Don’t fall off.
- Cloudy days are better for roofing than sunny days. Sunny days are better for swimming.
lex wouldn’t let me on the roof with her.
It’s true.
That introduces the other Tip – don’t let people who probably know much more than you do about roofing up on the roof when you are half-way through the job. It won’t make you happy to hear how they think you “should” have done it. Especially if they are right.
I’ve seen that roof. What a freaking great job. Did you have a laser tape measure or a slide rule? Your edges line up so sharp you could shave with ’em…!
Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
Great post! It really shows the weekend warrior and DIYers the details of the entire roofing process. Love the part, “If possible replace knees before roof.”! A pro tip from a http://www.schulteroofing.com/college-station-roofer/; knee guards, knee guards all day! Good job on the project – looks like you did great work.
lawrencecrushing Thanks. I had a lot of questions as I was doing it and after spending a week on the roof, I wanted to share some of the key highlights. Knee guards are an EXCELLENT addition.