Q&A for How to Replace Damaged Roof Shingles

Make sure your gutters are cleaned out every couple of months. Having gutters that are clogged causes water and debris to pool in certain areas of your roof, which can lead to damage.

It is difficult to re-install old used shingles once they are removed. They are usually damaged and the nails have pulled through them. If nothing else, you have to use NP1 or equivalent sealant to re-seal the tabs since the sealant will no longer be any good on used shingles. You have to re-seal the tabs so the wind does not blow them up and cause further damage.

You can leave on the old shingles, but really shouldn't. Every layer of shingles adds weight, which your rafters must now hold up. It's code in most places to not have more than two layers of roofing materials. If you have to redo your roof, you should also inspect the soffit and gable flashing, eve troughs, and flashing around any chimney, plumbing vent, attic vent, etc and consider replacing those as well. Especially if they are the plastic type, as they may look okay but be decayed by the sun to the point of being brittle.

The ridge cap shingles are just regular 3 tab shingles that are cut and turned sideways. They are nailed down so that the nails are not exposed. Take a stack of regular 3 tab shingles and cut little v notches at the top edge of the shingles between the tabs. This also keeps the ridge shingles from being completely square and the corners tuck in nicely.

It depends. Most shingles have a 15-25 year lifetime guarantee, so it depends on the age and condition of the shingles if they can be used again.