How do you replace architectural shingles, and when should you?
Why architectural shingles take extra care
Each laminated shingle is held by its own nails plus the nails of the course above, which pass through its top edge. That means a single replacement involves freeing two courses. The sealant strips also bond each course to the one below, so the seal has to be broken gently with a flat bar without tearing the shingles you are keeping.
The repair, step by step
- Work on a mild day. Shingles are brittle in cold weather and scuff or tear in midsummer heat.
- Slide a flat bar under the course above the damaged shingle and break its sealant.
- Pull the nails in the damaged shingle and the nails from the course above that pass through it.
- Slide out the damaged piece and slide in the new one, aligned with its neighbors.
- Nail it in the manufacturer's nailing zone, then renail the course above.
- Hand-seal the lifted shingles with dabs of asphalt roofing cement so they do not stay unsealed until the next hot spell.
The matching problem
Even the same product and color name will look different next to shingles that have weathered for years, and many lines get discontinued or reformulated. A patch on a front slope can stand out. On a storm claim, whether a mismatched repair is acceptable is a real question, covered in partial roof replacement and matching.
When to replace the whole roof instead
If damage is scattered across slopes, old shingles crack as you lift them, or hail has bruised many shingles, spot repairs will not hold. If you are not sure which type you have, architectural vs 3-tab shingles shows the difference.