# Sidewall shingles and flashing replacement.



## OldNBroken (Jun 11, 2008)

I take it by the board you have nailed through the existing shingles you are planning on re-roofing this?

If so, your bottom row of shingles is too close to the roofdeck anyways. Carefully sawcut them 1 1/2" up, a sharp chisel on the ends where the saw won't reach. Remove the old flashing. You can slip a new wall flashing behind it with the help of a gentle flatbar.

As far as the window goes, caulk by itself is never a good fix for anything. One solution is to take a piece of wall flashing, cut all but 3/4" or so off the top leg and bend it forward to a 45 or better. This creates a one-way "wedge" under the window. Done properly once it slides under there it will grab the sill and will be difficult to remove. Caulk in front of that if you like and run a shingle over all the wall flashing.


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## Windows (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. This is a much better plan than removing the cedar shingles. I am planning on re-roofing this little bump out. Two more quick things - when you say 'run a shingle over all the wall flashing', do you mean that when I am finished, the part of the wall flashing that extends on to the roof should reside between the actual roof shingles and a protective shingle that is on top of everything? For some reason I assumed that the flashing would remain on top. Secondly, how far should the flashing extend up the wall behind the sidewall shingles? Thanks again.


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## OldNBroken (Jun 11, 2008)

Standard flashings are 4"x4". 

You will get a hundred opinions on here as to how to finish the wall flashings. I always let the job dictate which way to go. I try to leave the flashing exposed as long as it has a nice, snug fit over the last run of shingles. That does not always happen and it may not happen in your case. 
You have two options:
1. Face-nail the flashing over the top of your last run and caulk the nail heads or...
2. Cut the salvage off the last run of shingles and nail them over the flashing, caulking the nail heads. Neither option is 100% right, nor 100% wrong. 

Exposed nails anywhere on a shingle roof is one of those gray areas where we don't like to do it, but sometimes it's the only option.


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## Michael Thomas (Jan 27, 2008)

Try to find an area where these is a loose shingle and lift if far enough to see if there is a Water Resistant Barrier (WRB, given the age of the property it will likely be a impregnated paper or felt material if a WRB is present) behind the shingles. If so, the new flashing should be installed *behind* it - you may have to pull some nails to do so.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

It would be pretty easy to R&R that little triangle of siding, there is not much there and it terminates into the corbel. Go easy and number the pieces. About 15 min. of work there. Then you can flash and re-felt the wall and know it‘s right.


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## Tom Struble (Dec 29, 2008)

15 min?....:thumbup:


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## OldNBroken (Jun 11, 2008)

Better have plenty of replacements and fresh paint. Those shingles are a good 75 years old and guarantee half of them are going to split at the slightest disturbance.


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## Windows (Feb 22, 2010)

kwikfishron said:


> It would be pretty easy to R&R that little triangle of siding, there is not much there and it terminates into the corbel. Go easy and number the pieces. About 15 min. of work there. Then you can flash and re-felt the wall and know it‘s right.


I considered this but as OldNBroken correctly surmised, the 84 year old cedar shingles are brittle. My last line of defense if things really go off the rails on this project will be to remove all the old cedar singles in that triangle and replace them with new ones. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. :laughing:


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

tomstruble said:


> 15 min?....:thumbup:


That’s to remove the shingles.
I guess you guys are older than I thought:huh:
The 15 min. doesn’t start till after you make it to the top of the ladder.



Windows said:


> I considered this but as OldNBroken correctly surmised, the 84 year old cedar shingles are brittle. My last line of defense if things really go off the rails on this project will be to remove all the old cedar singles in that triangle and replace them with new ones. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. :laughing:


Brittle or not your last line of defense would be my first.

You can punch the old nails through.

Worst case, a bundle of sidewalls is $40. You could replace at few shingles and have shims for life.:yes:


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