How to Fix a Bubble in a Roof Shingle
Severe weather or heat exposure can damage roof shingles. Heat exposure can cause the shingle to buckle or form a bubble and in some cases, become torn or cracked and you usually cannot repair them but must replace them instead. In some instances, it's only a matter of pulling the shingle up, flatting it under bricks and then re-adhering it with tar and nails.
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Place a ladder against the roof away from satellite dishes and suspended wires. Climb onto the roof and have someone hand you a claw hammer, pry bar, shingles, putty knife, heat gun, nails and a bucket of tar.
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Insert a pry bar under the damaged shingle to scrape the tar from the roof under the shingle. Pull up the nails in the bubbled shingle with a claw hammer and then peel the shingle up. It is not uncommon for damaged shingles to tear when you dislodge them from the roof.
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Scrape the roof where the shingle was located with a putty knife to get up any remaining tar. The space should be flat and free of any tar.
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Warm the warped shingle with a heat gun until it's pliable. Have someone hand-up several bricks. Set it on the roof between two bricks to flatten it out. Leave for several hours or overnight. Cover the space where the shingle came up with a tarp. Place bricks on the tarp to keep it in place.
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Take up the tarp and remove the flattened shingle from the bricks. Replace the flattened shingle by pouring a small amount of tar onto the bare roof and tack down with roofing nails and a hammer. If the shingle ripped when taking it up, simply replace it with a new one.
References
- "Roofing with Asphalt Shingles"; Mike Guertin; 2002
- "How to Fix (Just About) Everything"; Bill Marken; 2002
Writer Bio
Owen Richason grew up working in his family's small contracting business. He later became an outplacement consultant, then a retail business consultant. Richason is a former personal finance and business writer for "Tampa Bay Business and Financier." He now writes for various publications, websites and blogs.
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