How to Lay Roofing

Measure the length and width of the roof to determine its dimensions, since you will need to cover it with overlapping strips of roll roofing.

Put on a face mask and thick gloves. Sweep off accumulated debris, dust and dirt from the roof using a broom. To lay roofing, you need a clean, flat surface against which it can lay level.

Measure and cut a 17-inch-wide piece of roofing as long as the front of the roof. Spread a thin layer of roofing cement over the eaves and front 2 inches of the roof. Lay the roofing strip over the cement.

Lay the full 17-inch sheet over the front of the roof. Use a roller over the cemented section to ensure the starter strip adheres to it completely. Drive a row of roofing nails every 12 inches into the strip to secure it in place.

Measure 2 inches below the upper edge of the strip and snap a chalk line. Spread a thin layer of roofing cement above the chalk.

Unroll a roofing roll for the first course across the roof. Align one of its long edges with the 2-inch chalk line, and trim excess if required so it matches the edges of the roof.

Use a roller to adhere this first course to the top 2 inches of the starter strip that you added glue to earlier. Snap a chalk line 4 1/2 inches downward from the top of the first course. Also snap a chalk line 13 inches from the upper edge of the first course.

Drive roofing nails every 10 to 12 inches between the chalk lines, along the entire span to secure the roofing in place. Repeat this process to install rolls of roofing, ensuring each piece overlaps by 6 inches. Use roofing cement over the sections that overlap.

Close the roof’s ridge by cutting a length of roll roofing 1-foot-wide. Center this piece over the ridge, and then apply cement under it. Use a painter’s roller to adhere the piece to the cement. Drive nails 1 inch inward from the edge.