Techniques HOISTING MATERIALS TO THE ROOF

HERE IN THE WEST, we try to order shingles the day before they will be installed. Suppliers arrive with a hoist and stack both shingles and felt paper directly onto the roof. An expe­rienced celivery person knows to stack bundles of shingles about 6 ft. apart on both sides of the roof.

The other way to get shin­gles onto the roof is the hard way—hoisting one bundle at a time. If you must haul roofing shingles up to the roof yourself, make sure you have a secure ladder that is positioned prop­erly and is 2 ft. to 3 ft taller than the roof. It’s a good idea to nail a temporary 2x tread at the spot on the roof where you will step off the lad­der. This tread provides a solid foothold where you need it most.

Bust the bundle. Shingles are much easier to carry if you "bust" the bundle first. Pick up a bun­dle and lay it across a sawhorse. Push down on both

ends until the bundle curves downward. A curved bundle is easier and safer to carry on your shoulder than a straight, stiff one (see the photo at left).

Pick up the bundle by bend­ing your knees and draping the bundle over your shoulder. This is not always easy, because a bundle of shingles can weigh as much as 80 lb. Ascend the ladder slowly and watch your balance. Don’t throw down bundles between rafters, or you could break the OSB sheathing. Just set them on the roof without a lot of force, and space the bundles so that they’re easy to grab while you’re shingling.

STARTER COURSE, SECOND LAYER. This shingle layer, and every subsequent course, is installed right side up (tabs down). Position the first shingle of this top layer flush with the lower edge of the bottom layer, with one of its short edges on the second vertical offset line.

It doesn’t make any difference whether vou go to the right or the left of the second vertical line—all that matters is that the tabs of this top layer are offset from the tabs of the bot­tom layer by 6 in. Nail each and every shingle the same way. Use four /-in. roofing nails and drive one nail about 1 in. from each edge and one nail above each slot. Drive all nails just below the tar strip and above the cutout.

REMAINING COURSES. Start several courses of shingles, offsetting each by 6 in. This allows other shinglers to work in both directions. Hold each new course of shingles to the 5-in. horizontal mark above the last course, alter­nating shingle ends on the vertical marks. This establishes a pattern with a 6-in. offset on each shingle.

At vent pipes, install a roof jack, or metal flashing, over the vent to keep out water. Install shingles below the pipes centerline beneath the flashing. Install those above the centerline on top of the flashing (see the top photo on the facing page). The flashing can be nailed near the top corners of the tin, before

shingles are laid on top of it. Don’t nail the bottom corners down, though, as this could cause the flashing to leak.

At the gable ends, cut the shingles to length before nailing them in position. Mark the length and cut them from the back with a util­ity knife. Rather than carrying a square, 1 use another shingle as a straightedge to guide the cut and a third shingle as a protective base below the cut. At the top, cut the shingles flush with the sheathing that was cut back to accommodate the ridge vent.