Look for damage around the area of the roof that is leaking.  Damaged, misshaped, curled, or missing shingles may all be the source of a leak.  Search areas of your roof where two surfaces meet and make sure there are now breaks or gaps in the shingles, caulking, or flashing.  Once you find the source of the leak, there are several ways you can repair it.  For example, if shingles are curled up, you can reattach them with asphalt roof cement or compound caulking.  If the weather is warm, you should be able to easily straighten the shingles, but in cold weather shingles become more brittle and should e softened before adjusting them.  A propane torch with a flame-spreader nozzle can be carefully run over the shingle to soften it.  Shingles can then be reattached by applying a generous amount of roof cement at each corner of the shingle and by pressing it firmly to the roof.

Torn, broken, or rotten shingles should be replaced.  Start by lifting the edges of the old shingle and removing nails with a nail puller or pry bar.  Slide the shingle free and be careful to remove any dried on roof cement.  If your shingles have been blown off in a storm, you will still need to remove remaining nails.  Next, you can slide the new shingle under the remaining shingles and align it according to the surrounding shingles.  You will need to fasten then new shingle with galvanized roofing nails at each of the top corners of the shingle.  Next, cover nail heads with roof cement and then cover the top of the shingle with the overlapping, original shingles.  You can use a bit more roof cement to attach the old shingles to the new one. 

Remember that when you are doing roof repairs, you should only work on a sunny day when the roof is completely dry.  Always follow standard safety instructions and use a harness when you are on the roof.  Finally, rubber-soled shoes provide excellent traction and are the safest footwear when you are working on a roof.

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Damaged shingles can have a significant impact on the lifespan of your roof, but they’re not particularly difficult or costly to replace.  If you’re an experienced handyman with the proper tools and safety equipment, you can likely do the repairs yourself.  Here is a quick outline of the steps involved, but take care!  If you’re not confident in your abilities or you lack adequate equipment, hire a professional for your roof repair.  It’s not expensive and your safety should be your primary concern.

Remove Damaged Shingles

First things first, you need to remove the damaged shingles, so follow these steps:

1. Employ proper safety measures, not only do you want to wear protective gear including eyewear, gripping boots, and gloves, you should install roof jacks so you have something to stand on, and use a harness.  Also, always work with a partner.  No matter how simple or quick the repair job, ALWAYS use a harness and roof jacks.
2. Assess the damage – are just the shingles damaged or are their signs of damage to the moisture barrier or flashing.  If you can’t answer these questions, you’ll want to hire a professional roofer.  Replacing shingles is fine, but if there is underlying damage, more extensive roofing repairs may be required.
3. Use a pry bar, crow bar, or even a hammer claw to carefully pry shingles away from the roof and loosen the adhesive.  You want to separate the adhesive and revealing nails of damaged shingles.  You’ll also probably want to loosen the tabs of a few of the shingles around the damaged area to make sure you make a complete repair.
4. Loosen exposed nails with a pry bar or hammer claw being careful not to break or damage remaining shingles.  If you need to remove shingles surrounding the damaged shingles take care, you may be able to reuse them – providing they are not damaged in the process.
5. Continue to loosen the adhesive under the damaged shingles and carefully remove the shingles.  Don’t try to save severely damaged shingles.

Replacing Shingles

Now that you’ve removed the damaged shingles, they’re ready to be replaced.

1. Place the new shingle in the same position as the damaged one that has been removed.  If the new shingles have an adhesive strip, remove the covering then slide them into position.  Finally, nail the new shingle to secure them.  Look for pre-cut nail holes, as most new shingles will have them so you can easily nail the shingles into place.  Otherwise, use other shingles on the roof as a guide for nail placement.
2. Apply sealant under the edges of all shingles that have been replaced as well as surrounding shingles that have been loosened.  Lift the shingle tabs and apply a 1-inch spot of shingle cement under each tab on the shingle.  Press the tabs down to ensure they are property secured. 

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