Many Roofing contractors will tell you that if your roof is leaking you need to re-shingle the entire roof, and they aren't just trying to take your money. In most cases roof leaks are caused by the age of the shingles and exposure to weather.
While only one section of the roof may be leaking now, the chances are good the rest of the roof will begin to fail shortly. Roofers are understandably hesitant to take on the liability of repairing a roof that may begin to leak shortly after they leave.
DIY homeowners should also consider how costs can add up due to "patchwork" repairs. This being said, there are several situations when replacing a few shingles on a wood shake roof can solve the problem.
Heavy storms and falling limbs can cause damage to wood shingles while the rest of the roof is still sound. Imperfections in the material can cause a few shingles to fail significantly before their time, and the life of a wood shingle is greatly dependent on its exposure to weather making certain sections of your roof capable of failing long before others.
In short, if there is visibly noticeable damage to some of your shingles such as cracks, curling, or rot, it's probably worth replacing these shingles. A large amount of damaged shingles may still warrant an entire new roof, but replacing a few damaged shakes is a simple task that can be completed by any capable DIY homeowner.
Here is how you go about replacing wood shingle shakes.
Required Tools
Ladder Scaffold planks*
Roofing jacks*
Caulking gun Shingle ripper **
Hammer
*Working on a roof is an inherently dangerous task. Anyone attempting to repair a roof should be fully knowledgeable of the correct, safe, and OSHA approved usage of roofing jacks and scaffolding.
** A shingle ripper for wood shakes is a long flat bar that looks a bit like a "Slim Jim" for car locks, not the shingle shovels meant for asphalt shingles.
Required parts and Accessories
New shingle shakes* Tubes of roofing cement Roofing nails * Make sure that you have enough of the appropriate sized shakes to correspond with the shakes you will be replacing. Try to have a few extra to allow for mistakes without leaving the roof open for too long.
Step 1: Locate the damaged shingles and set up scaffolding
(This is by far the most difficult and time consuming part of replacing wood shingles. Take some time and pay special attention to safety. Your life literally depends upon the stability of your ladders and scaffolding.)
Locate one of the broken shingles from the ground, and set a ladder against the eave near that shingle. If you are lucky you will be able to access the shingle from the ladder without scaffolding. Make sure your ladder is positioned securely in a location that doesn't require you to extend beyond the ladder, and replace the shingle as described below.
In many cases the broken shingle will be too far up the roof to reach from the ladder. The appropriate use of roofing jacks will enable you to set up scaffold planks so you can safely reach these shingles.
This guide does not provide sufficient information for the safe use of roofing jacks and scaffold planks, but here are a few pointers for the application of roofing jacks on wood shingle roofs.
1. Wood shingles cannot be peeled back like asphalt shingles, so you will need to remove two shingles about 7' apart from each other for an 8' plank. This will allow you to nail the jacks in a position so the nail holes will be covered by the shingle when it is replaced.
2. If you still cannot reach the shingle, repeat the process by setting up scaffolding so that you can comfortably step from plank to plank until you can reach the broken shingle.
3. As you are on the roof, locate any broken shingles that you couldn't see from the ground. Attempt to make use of the broken shingles as locations for roofing jacks. This will minimize the risk of damaging shingles that were not already damaged.
4. Work your way from top to bottom, removing the scaffolding and replacing shingles as you go. If you are unfamiliar with roof jacks and scaffolding, you can consult the manufacturer's recommendations, OSHA guidelines, and a salesman at a rental store. Roof jacks are relatively simple to use, but incorrect usage can have tragic consequences.
Step 2: Remove the broken shingle
Carefully slide a shingle ripper under the broken shingle and move it back and forth (up and down the roof) until the hooked side to the ripper catches on one of the nails attaching the shingle. Push the ripper up the roof a bit and pull it quickly down, so that it cuts or pulls the nail loose.
Repeat this process for the second nail on the other side of the shingle. Once both nails are loose, the shingle should easily slide out. (Note: You may need to pry up slightly on the shingle above the broken shingle, but be careful not to crack or loosen the good shingle. A bit of wiggle with the ripper should loosen things enough to remove the broken shingle.)
Step 3: Replace the shingle
Slide a new shingle into position so that it is about a quarter inch below the desired location. There should be about 1/8" between the new shingle and the two adjoining shingles. If there isn't, you may need to trim the new shingle to provide room for expansion.
Hammer a nail about an inch away from each side of the shingle just below the shingle above it, and cover each nail head with a neat drop of roof cement. Place a block of wood against the lower side of the new shingle, and tap the block with a hammer until the nail heads and roof cement slide under the shingle above.
Step 4: Remove scaffolding
Once you have replaced all shingles that can be reached from your scaffolding, step down to the scaffolding or ladder below. Carefully hand the plank down to a second person, and remove the roofing jacks. Replace the shingles where the jacks were.
Repeat this process as you work down the roof, making sure to look for any broken shingles you may have missed before you remove scaffolding. After all shingles are replaced and scaffolding is removed, clean up.
