Replacing missing or damaged wood siding shingles
If your home has wood shingles along the outside chances are good that there will come a time that you will need to replace those wood shingles. In most cases, the shingles are only going to need to be replaced when they get broken, which can happen over time because the shingles get old and fall apart. Shingles can also get broken from vandalism or even windstorms. Not only can your shingles get broken but also some of them can even turn up missing over time. Rainstorms can also damage your shingles because over time the wood shingles can begin rotting.
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Here are the steps you will need to take to replace any missing or damaged wood siding shingles.
Step one:
You will need to go through and pull out all of the broken pieces. You can also do it one piece at a time, but the best method is to pull out all of the broken pieces on the section of the house that you are working on.
Step two:
After removing the broken pieces, you will need to pry out the mails that held the missing shingles in place. The nails are located under the next course up the wall. The best tool to use to remove the nails is a flat bar. In some cases, the nails might be hard to remove so you can cut the nails off with a hacksaw blade.
Step three:
Cut a replacement shingle to the correct width. You are going to want to allow about ΒΌ inch of clearance between the new shingle and its two neighbors.
Step four:
Once you have cut the shingle to size, you are going to want to place the shingle in position. When you are putting the shingle in position you want to leave its butt about 3/8 of an inch below the butt line of the adjacent shingles. You will need to nail the new shingle into place with shingle nails. Space the nails about 1 inch from the sides and right beneath the butts of the shingles above.
Step five:
Once you have nailed the shingle into place you will need to make sure you hide the mails. To hide the nails you will need to drive the shingle upwards 3/8 of an inch. The bottom of the shingles should know be lined up perfectly.
Step six:
When you are replacing broken or missing shingles, one problem that you are going to have is the new shingle looking out of place because it looks brand new. You are going to want to do everything that you can to age that shingle in a matter of days. One of the best things that you can do to blend the new shingle with the grayed tones of the aged shingles is to brush on a mixture of baking soda and water. Do not rinse the mixture off; if it rains during the night simply reapply in the morning.
- Other tips:
- When fixing your wood siding shingles you will also want to check for any loose or warped shingles. You can usually just nail down the loose and warped shingles. If the shingles are too warped, you will need to go about replacing them.
- Instead of trying to fade your new wooden shingles, you can simply paint the wood shingles on your house. If your wood shingles are already painted, all you have to do is paint the new shingles to match the old shingles. Before painting any of the shingles be sure to pressure wash, the shingles to ensure the surface is clean.
