How to Re-Roof a Gazebo

Step 1

Measure the roof, then calculate the square footage. Most gazebos have hip roofs, which means that each panel of the roof is a slope, usually in the shape of a trapezoid or triangle. To calculate the area of a trapezoid, measure the top and bottom of the shape, add them together, multiply this number by the height and divide by 2. To calculate the area of a triangle, multiply the height by the width and divide by 2. Add the square footage of all the panels together to determine the total square feet of the roof. This will help you to determine the number of shingles you'll need to purchase.

Step 2

Use a shovel to pry up the old shingles on the roof. Position a tarp or dumpster near the gazebo so you can throw the shingles over the edge of the roof as you work. Don't let children or bystanders loiter on the ground beneath your work space.

Step 3

Check the decking beneath the shingles for soft or rotted wood. Pry up the rotted wood with a pry bar and hammer. Measure the area of the wood that you removed from the roof. Use a circular saw to cut a replacement piece of plywood, of the same thickness as the original plywood. Nail the new piece of decking to the rafters of the gazebo.

Step 4

Lay down felt paper over the roof decking, if the original roof had felt paper. Felt paper comes in rolls. Use a nail gun to nail the paper into place. Lay the felt paper flat over each panel, then use a hook knife to cut the edges so it conforms to the panel's angled edges. Overlap each course of felt paper by 2 inches.

Step 5

Nail down a metal drip edge along the perimeter of the roof. Use snips to cut off the drip edge's top corners so it lines up with the angled sides of the roof panel. Insert one nail at each end of the strip and a nail every 10 inches in between.

Step 6

Cover the roof panels with shingles, one panel at a time. Start at the bottom of the panel and nail a starter strip over the drip edge. Insert one nail at each end of the strip and a nail every 10 inches in between. Use a hook knife to cut through the top corners of the starter strip so the edges of the strip conform to the edges of the roof panel. After the starter strip has been nailed down, nail the first course of standard shingles directly over the starter strip. Trim the top corners of the shingles with a hook knife so they conform to the angled edges of the roof panel. Nail down subsequent courses of shingles so the shingles are staggered on the roof.

Step 7

Nail down the ridge cap shingles over the ridges of the roof by inserting one nail on each side of the cap. Ridge cap shingles may be purchased separately, or you can make them by cutting out individual shingles from a standard shingle panel.