Taking care of your roof is extremely important when you are a homeowner. It ensures that no leaks can get into the home and if you catch an issue early, it can even save you a lot of money. Preparing yourself for the big undertaking of installing new asphalt roof shingles, or having a professional do it for you, can take some time and is often a big financial burden.
Whether you are putting on a brand-new roof completely, or you just need to replace a few shingles that were damaged during a big storm, you want to make sure you are doing the process the right way. Asphalt shingles can really help to make this process easier for everyone and still provides you with the high-quality that you need on your roof. Contact our qualified roofing contractors for a free consultation regarding your shingle replacement needs in Greenville, SC.
Estimate Your Roofing Materials
Before you start preparing to replace your own asphalt roof shingles or hiring a professional to do the work, it is important to get a good estimate of the roofing materials that you will need. This helps you to figure out how much it is going to cost, before labor, to do the project. Consequently, when you hire a contractor, it helps you to see whether they are charging fairly. Even if you do it on your own, you may want to estimate ahead of time to make it easier to budget for this expense.
The first thing you can estimate is the cost of the shingles. Obviously, the type of shingles will need to be decided before you go any further. Then use the steps below to figure out the square footage of the roof. This will help you to figure out the square footage, as well as how many squares you will need based on that number. In addition, add about ten percent to the estimate of how many shingles you need to help account for waste. If there are hips and valleys in the roof, consider adding fifteen percent because the waste will be higher in these areas.
Next, you will need to estimate the felt underlayment, or the tar paper, that you will use on this project. Using the square footage you found before, you can figure out how much paper you will need. #15 is the most common type of underlayment that is used. One roll of this is going to give you four squares. If you are using this kind of underlayment and the roof slope is more than 4:12, then use one layer. If the slope is somewhere between 3:12 and 4:12, then use two layers. This will factor into how much paper you will need to get.
There are several other materials you will need to get for doing your roof shingles. First, measure the drip edge. This is a metal strip that will go under your underlayment and is responsible for protecting the edge of the root from rot. To get this, you can take the measurements of the rakes and eaves of the roof to help. You will also need to remember other materials for the home including:
- Nails: You will need about 4 nails on each roof shingle or 6 nails on those in high-wind areas.
- Ridge and hip cap shingles: These can help out on the top of the roof and in other areas that need closure.
- Venting: Add in the venting to keep the roof intact.
- Flashing: Steel or aluminum that will cover the roof joints and keep water out.
- Ice or water shield: This is only used in areas that get a lot of snow and ice.
- Boots: These must go around any of the pipes that stick out of your roof.
- Charges for delivery of materials if necessary.
How to Measure for Roof Shingles
When it is time to replace your roof, either a few shingles or the whole thing, you want to make sure that you measure out the roof properly. This helps you to get the right amount of materials and ensures that no open spots are left when you are done. Some of the steps you can take to help measure for your roof shingles include:
- Draw a view from the overhead of the roof. Include the lines where the various planes come together. Don’t forget all the sides and the dormers the roof may have in place.
- Get to the top of the roof with a measuring tape and something to take notes. You will be taking lots of measurements while up there.
- Take that measuring tape and stretch it across the length, as well as the width of each plane of the roof that was in your original drawing. You may be able to do this on your own but consider having someone else help you stretch the tape measure to save time.
- As you take these measurements, make sure that you write them down, and mark which plane they go into to save time later.
- After you have double-checked your measurements, you can come back down from the roof and start doing the calculations.
- Bring out the paper that you had before and then write down all the measurements in the right places. This will come in handy later when you work on picking up the materials for your asphalt roof shingles.
- Once the numbers are in place, multiply the lengths by the width of each plane. This allows you to figure out the area that is in each individual plane.
- To make it easier, write down the area of these planes in the middle of them. This can help you to see whether you accounted for all the planes or missed one.
- When you are done, you can add all the areas of the individual planes of the roof together, so you end up with the total area of the whole roof that you want to fix.
- And finally, divide that number you got by 100 square feet. This helps you to figure out how many squares of shingles you will need in order to completely cover the roof. This is important because roof shingles are going to come in pre-cut squares and this helps you save time because you can already estimate how many of these squares you will need before you head to the store.
Of course, these steps are assuming that you want to do the work yourself. Many homeowners decide to let a professional come and do all the work, including the measuring. You may want to get some of these dimensions down ahead of time though. This allows you to estimate the number of materials and the cost of the project and can help you to see whether a specific roofing contractor will be good for the job.
The Benefits of Using Asphalt Shingles
There are several different types of shingle materials you can choose when it is time to fix the roof of your home. Choosing which one which will work best for your home can depend on many factors. Many homeowners are turning to use asphalt shingles because they are safe, versatile, and don’t break the bank. There are many reasons why you may want to choose asphalt roof shingles for your roofing project. Some of these reasons include:
Versatility
These asphalt roof shingles are easily adapted to a variety of forms, shapes, and angles so they work on most roofs.
Variety in Design
These can be produced to fit into any architectural style of the home and are often more affordable than other alternatives.
Many Colors to Choose From
If you are worried about getting a color that looks good with your home, then asphalt shingles are the best option for you.
Impacted Rated
These roof shingles are available with a Class 4 impact resistance rating. This is the highest rating and means that it can stand up to even the toughest weather conditions. These shingles also can deal with wind resistance and fire rating.
Sound Protection
These asphalt roof shingles are designed to keep out the external noise, providing you with the peace and quiet that your home needs.
Easy to Install
With the right ability and training, these roof shingles are really easy to install on the roof. Whether you want to do the work yourself or hire a contractor, it can get done for you in no time.
Cost-Effective and High-Quality
Asphalt shingles not only look good on your home, they are durable and they are also cost-effective. Asphalt shingles are much easier to afford compared to some of the other shingles you may consider.
Contact a Roof Shingles Expert at Lanier Roofing
Taking care of your roof is so important when you own a home. Once the roof runs into issues with cracks, bumps, and even leaks, causing a lot of damage inside the home. But if you take care of the roof and update it with the right type of shingles, such as some high-quality asphalt roof shingles, you will have the peace of mind knowing that your home is protected with the very best.
Call an experienced roofer at Lanier Roofing to get your quote today. One of the professional members of our team can give you the insight you need as well as a price and completion date. Call today at (864) 990-4836 to schedule your appointment and let us make your roof right!
Frequently Asked Shingle Questions
Asphalt is a fairly low-maintenance type of roofing material. However, a bit of care can definitely help to extend the life span of the roof. Conducting roof inspections on a regular basis is a must since they offer an opportunity to detect and address minor problems before they have the chance to cause serious damage.
Removing debris off the roof and cleaning the gutters also can help to maintain shingles in top shape.
