MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Real Garage update.

After suffering 2nd degree burns last week due to scalding hot shingles, this week was met by snow showers and sleet. Mother nature really is a bitch. Anywho, more tips and tricks for the weekend roofer.

1. Ensure your roof is square. That means someone is getting up there with a skill saw to correct any errors. Adjustments to the sheathing need to be made at this point, or when tar paper is down. Your shingles need to overhang the sheathing about an inch, and the sheathing should overhang any fascia by a tiny bit too. If you haven't put up all the fascia trim, ensure you leave enough sheathing on there to overhang it.

2. A chalk line is your best friend, buy a good one. if no one is around to help you snap lines, you can put a nail into the sheathing to loop your line around, and snap as needed.

3. If the pitch is over 8/12...BUY ROOFING CHAIRS. They may be called another name, but essentially they are hangers for a 2"x8" board to use as a standing platform. They come in handy for roofs under 8/12 too, but aren't needed. If the pitch is 10/12 or better, they are MUST.

4. After the tar paper is down, no matter the pitch, nail a few 2"x4" boards down to use as foot holds. You can pull them up as you shingle, and they also double as a good place to store shingles as you work.

5. Buy good shingles. 25-35 year, and something thick. The longer it is between re-roofs...the better. Trust me on this. It's 150% worth the extra $5 a bundle. BTW, 3 bundles equal a square, which is 10'x10' of roof.

6. Good roofing guides will tell you to run a chalk line every 3-4 rows to ensure your lines are proper. I hate running more chalk than I need, cause I'm lazy. If you ensure your first line is straight, you can use a cheat stick to gauge lines as you go.

To put down the first line, place your starter shingles on either side of the roof. Measure the desired overhang from the fascia board on each shingle. Once your two end shingles are the same, run a chalk line from one to the other. Follow that line with the rest of your starter shingles.

To build your cheat stick, take a spare 1"x4" or 2"x4" and cut it to around 10" long. Next measure the amount of exposed shingle you'll have from one overlap to the next. (The amount of overlap should be specified on your shingle packaging as well.) Now measure down from the edge of your 10" board to that number, and draw a line. Take some scrap shingles and attach a bit of shingle at that line, leaving the amount of desired shingle overlap as exposed board. While you shingle, you can use this makeshift tool by placing it upside down, and line up the shingle line with the bottom of your last shingled row. Your next row of shingles should rest on the edge of your tool. Hard to describe, but easy to figure out the concept. Your lines should be dead on all the way up the roof.

7. Try to line up your outside edges as you shingle, cutting any excess at the time you put it down. Going back is 3x as hard as doing it right away.

8. Wear TONS of deodorant. Even of it's snowing outside, you are going to sweat like a pig. There is something especially potent about the smell of sweat and asphalt, a little extra prep saves your nose some trouble.

9. Have a guy on the ground making cuts and hauling shingles up th ladder. Make sure he's a tough one too. He may think he's getting the easy job...but in reality he'll be hurting worse than the roofers at the end of the day. A good ground crew can save a bunch of time with the menial crap that slows progress to a screeching halt otherwise.

10. Band aids and water. Have lots on site. Sunblock too. Shingles are like little mirrors, and you'll burn even on cloudy days.

11. Tie your shoes tight, and double knot them. NO FLAT SOLES.