The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

First Aid For The Ailing Houses

ROOFS

Wood Shingles Shingles cut edge-grain from heart wood, well nailed with nonrusting nails (galvanized, aluminum, or copper), will not curl; they will give out only when worn down by sand and sleet storms. Shingles that give out are not of this quality or are poorly nailed. Shingles cut flat-grain will curl, then moisture will blow underneath and rotting will follow. They will split, and water will leak through. Should the nails be of a kind that will rust, the first effect will be on the shingles, for the wood around the nails will be destroyed; no longer being tightly held, the shingles will be raised by, wind and will eventually blow off.

A badly curled shingle should be flattened by splitting, a piece of tar paper placed beneath the split, and the parts of the shingle nailed through their exposed ends, using galvanized or copper nails.

Reroofing When wood shingles are so far gone that a new roof is needed, there are definite advantages in placing the new roof on top of the old rather than to tear that off. Stiffness and heat resistance of the roof will be increased. Dirt inside and outside the house will be avoided. There will be considerable saving in labor.

Any roofing material of ordinary weight can be used for the new roof; wood shingles, asphalt shingles, or asbestos shingles.

In preparing the old roof, missing shingles are replaced curled shingles flattened by splitting, and loose shingles nailed Along all edges of the roof the shingles are cut away for; width of 2 inches, and the spaces so made filled with strip of wood of the same thickness as the old roof. This will provide for solid nailing at the edges and make a good finish Wood shingles are then laid in the usual manner. Should the old shingles be laid on shingle lath, some of the new nails will pass between. But as most of the nails will enter the shingle lath, the nailing will be amply strong. Nails should be long enough to pass through the old roof; the size usually used is the fivepenny, which is 13/4 inches long. Cut nails will hold better than wire nails. Whatever nails are used, they should be either aluminum, copper, or hot-dipped zinccoated.

Any type of asphalt shingles can be used; but for permanence the best forms are those with the exposed ends interlocking.