Walls and Ceilings - cedar shingle replacement (just a few)
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07-15-00, 07:32 AM
Could you describe in detail how to replace broken cedar shingles?
This is the way I understand it, but I want to be sure that I’m correct before starting something that I can’t finish. Let me begin by saying that my house is 100 years old, I’ve owned it for two years, and the shingles on the whole house are probably at the end of their life. I can’t afford to replace them all right now, and so I want to just fix up a few really bad patches to get me through the next year or two. The worst of them are those surrounding the doorframes and the windows.
1. Use a chisel to split the broken shingles and remove them.
2. Use a special kind of crowbar that has a hook-like thing on the side to remove the nails from the broken shingles, up under the row above them.
3. Insert the new shingles where the old ones had been. Nail it in front with two nails.
It seems easy enough, but I know that no repairs to a 100-year-old house are as easy as they seem. I guess my basic questions are these:
- Do I need to worry about anything going on behind the broken shingles? There is a layer of smaller shingles behind them that seem to be more of a "padding" layer, rather than anything that was ever exposed to the elements (they are unstained).
- Do I really need to buy the special crowbar? The carpenter I spoke to said that he likes to use a special crowbar designed for slate roofs. I’d buy it, if I have to, but if there’s an equally good way to remove the nails under the shingles without buying something new, I’d like to know about it.
- Is there a way to get around nailing the new shingles where they will show?
- Do I need to replace anything around the broken shingles?
- Are there special nails intended for shingles?
- Do you have any tips for staining them? I’ve never used exterior stain before.
Thanks very much,
Jonathan
This is the way I understand it, but I want to be sure that I’m correct before starting something that I can’t finish. Let me begin by saying that my house is 100 years old, I’ve owned it for two years, and the shingles on the whole house are probably at the end of their life. I can’t afford to replace them all right now, and so I want to just fix up a few really bad patches to get me through the next year or two. The worst of them are those surrounding the doorframes and the windows.
1. Use a chisel to split the broken shingles and remove them.
2. Use a special kind of crowbar that has a hook-like thing on the side to remove the nails from the broken shingles, up under the row above them.
3. Insert the new shingles where the old ones had been. Nail it in front with two nails.
It seems easy enough, but I know that no repairs to a 100-year-old house are as easy as they seem. I guess my basic questions are these:
- Do I need to worry about anything going on behind the broken shingles? There is a layer of smaller shingles behind them that seem to be more of a "padding" layer, rather than anything that was ever exposed to the elements (they are unstained).
- Do I really need to buy the special crowbar? The carpenter I spoke to said that he likes to use a special crowbar designed for slate roofs. I’d buy it, if I have to, but if there’s an equally good way to remove the nails under the shingles without buying something new, I’d like to know about it.
- Is there a way to get around nailing the new shingles where they will show?
- Do I need to replace anything around the broken shingles?
- Are there special nails intended for shingles?
- Do you have any tips for staining them? I’ve never used exterior stain before.
Thanks very much,
Jonathan
07-15-00, 10:37 AM
Refer to March 31, 2000 post on this topic. Jack's answer should be of help to you.
The "specila" crowbar is known as either Wonder Bar or flat bar. It is a nail puller/prying bar. You can purchase one at Sear's for about $10 and get a lifetime warranty.
I've had one for nearly 20 years and it's not ready for replacement yet.
More than a Carpenter
http://www.carpenter.cjb.net
The "specila" crowbar is known as either Wonder Bar or flat bar. It is a nail puller/prying bar. You can purchase one at Sear's for about $10 and get a lifetime warranty.
I've had one for nearly 20 years and it's not ready for replacement yet.
More than a Carpenter
http://www.carpenter.cjb.net
07-16-00, 08:51 AM
Very helpful, thanks, both for the name of the Wonder Bar and for the reference to the March 31 OldGuy post on this topic. Very much appreciated.