After a storm or other big weather event, people often look up at their roofs to check for missing shingles. If all of your shingles are in place, that is certainly a good thing. But as you're looking, you should focus on a bit more than just whether the shingles are there or not. Also, keep your eyes peeled for shingles that are lifted along the bottom or one side. These lifted shingles need attention, too, since they will soon allow for leaks if they are not already doing so. What will a roofer do about lifted shingles? In most cases, they will take one of the following approaches.
Approach #1: Replacing the Shingles
More often than not, shingles that are lifting along one side are also brittle, dry, and worn. As such, they will no longer offer adequate protection for your roof, even if you were to seal them down again. Your roofer will therefore remove these lifted shingles and put new ones down in their place.
Another benefit of this approach is that it allows the roofer to examine the underlayment and roof deck under the shingles. If they find that these components are damaged, they can replace them, which will help prevent future leaks and additional damage.
Approach #2: Sealing the Shingles Down
If the lifted shingles really are in good condition, your roofer may elect to leave them in place and seal them back down. This is often done if your roof is only a few years old, and if the shingles having been lifted can be attributed more to the wind than their condition. Roofers also only take this approach if they're pretty confident the roof deck under the shingles is sound and in good shape.
To seal the shingles back down, a roofer will often start by applying some roof cement under the lifted edge of the shingles. Then, they will drive a few roofing nails into the lifted portion of the shingles. Finally, they will put dabs of cement or caulk over the ends of the roofing nails. This will prevent water from leaking in around the roof nails and causing additional damage.
Lifted shingles are a problem, and they need to be addressed by a roofer. Talk to your roofer about each of these approaches, and see which one they recommend. A lot of it depends on the age of your roof and its overall condition.
Contact a local roofing company, such as Brandenberger Contracting Solutions, to learn more.
