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Proper shingling
Q I’m going to strip my roof and reroof with new three-tab asphalt shingles, but I’m not sure how to start applying them. Thanks for your help!
J. Chrystal, via e-mail
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A Good question, but before you attach your first shingle, make sure you begin with the proper underlayment and roof edging. They’re critical elements for a waterproof roof. After you’ve obtained a permit (if needed) and safely stripped the roof clean, nail drip edge flashing flush along the eave. (Before heading up the ladder, see “Roof Safety,” March ’01, p. 70. To order a copy, see p. 7.)
Windblown heavy rain and/or snow can force water up and under even properly installed shingles. Even worse are ice dams (frozen water/snow that builds up on roof edges), which can wreak havoc by allowing water to seep up under lower shingles and then drip into your house. To guard against such seepage, apply self-adhesive waterproof underlayment (“ice barrier”), which adheres tightly to bare roof sheathing and seals around nails driven through it. Buy it at roofing supply companies. In severe climate regions, most building codes require applying it 3 to 6 ft. up from the eave (minimum of 2 ft. past the exterior wall). Call your building inspector for local details.
Cover the rest of the roof with No. 15 asphalt-saturated felt underlayment (some codes may require No. 30). Each layer overlaps the lower one by at least 2 in. Follow this step by nailing drip edge along rakes (sides of roof), on top of the underlayment. As you did with the flashing, always lap upper pieces over lower pieces. The felt keeps the roof deck dry before shingles go on, protects against wind-driven rain as shingles fail and increases fire resistance.
Next, find the center of the roof at the top and the eave, then snap a vertical chalk line. Most pros use this line to begin shingling, working left and right toward the rakes. Shingle manufacturers may recommend starting at the left rake edge, so check package recommendations.
For the first row of shingles, called a starter course or strip, you cut the tabs off three-tab shingles (see photo, p. 14) and apply them with the self-sealing adhesive strip facing up along the eave. Make sure this row has a slight overhang (1/4 to 3/8 in.) beyond the drip edge. The starter course protects the roof by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the next row (first course) of shingles. The adhesive on the starter course seals the tabs of the first full course.
Finally, nail the first course of shingles directly on top of and flush with the starter course. Use four roofing nails per shingle, as indicated on package instructions (six nails in high-wind areas). Once this course is laid, you can begin snapping horizontal chalk lines up the roof to ensure straight rows. Make sure to expose 5 in. of the shingle tabs where the bottom edge of the tab meets the top of the cutout.
Portable garage light
Q I’d like better garage lighting for working on my car and other detail work. Any suggestions?
K. Juergens, via e-mail
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A I’d recommend a durable, 30-ft. retractable trouble light (about $35) that’ll put light exactly where you’re working. Fasten it in the middle of the ceiling in your garage so it plugs into the existing garage door opener double outlet, a common setup.
However, in order to safely operate your trouble light, the electrical code requires that it be protected by a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). Buy a portable GFCI adapter (about $30) and plug it in between the trouble light and the regular outlet (shown) rather than install a regular GFCI receptacle. (Nuisance trips would put your overhead garage door out of action.) To keep the cord and GFCI adapter from falling out of the outlet, loop the cord around an open eye hook, not through a closed eye hook.
If there’s no ceiling outlet or if the garage door opener outlet is only a single outlet (found in homes built after 1995), add a new GFCI outlet. To do this you’ll need to run a new electrical line. (See “Add an Outlet,” Nov. ’01, p. 44, and “Install GFCI Outlets,” May ’01, p. 82. To order a copy of either one, see p. 7.)
Product update
The GE timer we showed as an aid to remove bathroom humidity (Oct. ’03, p.12) has been very popular with readers, but finding it can be a challenge because GE has decided to discontinue it. Check your local Home Depot for remaining stock. It’s SKU No. 139-153.
Leviton makes a similar timer (model No. 6230M) that can be special-ordered at Home Depot or Lowe’s if it isn’t in stock.
Stop radon
Q Tests have shown that our house has a radon gas problem. After speaking with a few radon mitigation contractors, we think the process seems easy enough to do ourselves. Know of any good resources that detail this process?
J. Strenk, via e-mail
EPA Map of Radon Zones
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A Congratulations on testing your home. Our best advice, if you have high levels of this radioactive gas, is to hire a certified professional radon mitigator. They’re trained to perform diagnostic tests to choose the best reduction system for your specific house—based on your foundation design and the entry points for the gas. To get a list of certified pros in your state, call (800) 644-6999. Mitigation to an existing home usually costs $800 to $2,500.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that’s formed when uranium breaks down in the soil. One way this colorless, odorless soil gas can seep into a house is through cracks and holes (especially at or near a sump pump) in the foundation and crawlspace. If the gas builds up to a level of 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, you run a long-term risk of getting lung cancer.
Homeowners can take steps to reduce radon gas. For example, you can seal holes and cracks in your basement, place a gas-tight seal over a sump pump hole, and pour concrete over dirt floors or crawlspaces. However, some practices, if applied incorrectly, can actually increase the radon level. If you find and close these major entry routes and another test doesn’t show sufficient reductions, hire a pro rather than try to seal all possible minor openings.
One good resource is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site: www.epa.gov/iaq/radon. To learn more about radon mitigation standards, visit www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/pubs/mitstds.html. The National Radon Information Line is (800) 767-7236.
Photography • BILL ZUEHLKE
Art Direction • GREGG WEIGAND
Consultant • AL HILDENBRAND, MASTER
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