Can I Reroof My Own House With Asphalt Shingles?
Roofing can be dirty, tough work, but it's something most people can do themselves.
I am asked this question regularly from ambitious Fine Homebuilding readers who tackle small to medium renovation and maintenance projects around their house. Some are ready to tackle a reroof project and are looking for someone to confirm they aren’t crazy. Others are testing the idea of reroofing on their own and exploring what’s involved, but haven’t made concrete plans. Whether a person is ready to go or just kicking around the idea, they flood my inbox with a long list of follow-up questions:
- Can I reroof the house alone or do I need to round up a bunch of other people?
- Can I put new shingles over the old ones or should I remove the old shingles first? What’s the best way to remove the old shingles?
- How can I work safely on the roof?
- How many bundles of shingles and hip and ridge shingles do I need?
- What should I look for in an asphalt shingle?
- Can shingles be installed in the winter?
- My roof is sheathed with wood planks. Can I install shingles on them or do I need to put plywood down first?
- Where should I order shingles from—a big box store, a lumber yard, or a roofing supply company?
- Do I need to install underlayment (tar paper), or can I just install the shingles over the roof sheathing?
- Is it okay to apply peel-and-stick ice and water membrane over the whole roof? Some people told me doing so can cause the roof sheathing to rot.
- How much money can I save by reroofing my house myself?
- What tools are needed to shingle a roof?
- Can I reuse the existing flashings or do I need to replace them?
- My friends think I’m nuts for considering reroofing my house—am I?
And the questions keep coming.
The people I’ve coached through reroofing projects have different reasons for taking on the work. Some like working around the house and a new roof is next on the to-do list. Others want to save money—plain and simple. Several have heard horror stories from friends of the poor work roofers did on their homes and haven’t found a roofer they trust, so they want to do it themselves. Many can’t get a return phone call from the roofers they’ve called and are getting desperate. A few are young contractors looking to expand their skills and reroofing their own homes (or one for a friend or family member) will be a good learning experience. For most people, it’s a combination of reasons.
The short answer to the basic question is yes, you can reroof your house. Stripping the old shingles; preparing the roof with underlayment, drip edge, and flashing; and installing new shingles is fairly simple. You don’t need a lot of tools and probably have most of what you’ll need already. The work can be tough and dirty. It can also be rewarding to stand back and look at your newly shingled roof.
I’m planning to write a regular blog on reroofing with asphalt shingles that will follow the sequence of the project and answer the common questions people with little or no experience have. If you have a question, ask it in the comments. I’ll try to answer directly or point you to resources where the answer can be found.
RELATED LINKS
- Planning a Reroof Project
- Installing Asphalt Shingles Over an Existing Shingle Roof
- Don’t Fall Short on Shingles: How to Estimate Materials for Roofing Projects
Photo: Daniel S. Morrison
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
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Peel & Stick Underlayment
Roofing Gun
Ladder Stand Off
View Comments
Can I remove the old ice and water membrane without removing the old sheathing?
It's not practical to remove the old ice barrier membrane but the building code and membrane manufacturers allow you to apply at least one and perhaps more layers over the existing one. Key thing is you must install a compatable membrane over the existing one - that means you need to know what brand the original is and check with that manufacturer. Usually the safest thing to do it use the same brand over the existing one.
Normally there’s a bunch of guys doing a roof, and they finish in less than a day.
Doing your own roof yourself will take multiple days (unless maybe doing a shingle over instead of tear off).
What work sequence would allow for a tear off and re-roof over multiple days without worrying if it rains unexpectedly on your unfinished roof?
Top-down strip and reroof is the safest way to reroof a house over multiple days or weekends. Here are links to some articles on the process for new installations:
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2002/05/01/asphalt-shingling-from-the-top-down
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/1996/05/01/shingling-from-the-top-down
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/roofing/upside-down-roofing
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/1999/09/01/more-on-shingling-from-the-top-down
When reroofing you can strip the upper 6 ft for example and stop along a course line. Then apply underlayment that laps over the existing shingles and start installing the new shingles a course height or two above the old shingles. I tackle the amount I can strip and reshingle in a day and then remove the staging jacks one level and repeat the stripping and reroofing process on the next lower section.
I used this method to reroof my mother's A-frame roof a couple years ago over the course of several weeks with plenty of rain days mixed in.
+1 on the above. Would like to know tricks/tips on how to sequence sections to allow for weather, rest muscles, etc.
Also any equipment you recommend like hoists that can lift material onto roof.
See reply to the comment above for links to articles on Top - Down roofing. I'll be writing a blog in the comming weeks about Top-Down Re-Roofing specifically. The process is a modified version of top-down roofing a new house.
I recommend ordering shingles from a supplier who offers boom-service. Even on a reroof, you can install roof jack staging across the roof plane and stack up bundles of shingles. Alternatively you can rent a ladder lift. The lift is like an elevator platform that rides on the rails of a ladder. Place a bundle of shingles on the platform and the motor lifts it up.
How about guidance on replacing asphalt shingles with aluminum (or steel) shingles? My 40 year asphalt shingles lasted 15 years. The warranty provided $350 to replace them, so no more asphalt shingles for me.