When three-tab asphalt or fiberglass shingles are warmed by the sun, they’re the most vulnerable to damage. The weight of a person walking on them can leave footprints in the softened shingle material. If that person is wearing treaded boots or drops a tool, or a tree branch hits the roof, the damage will have to be fixed.
If many shingles have been blemished or any have been punctured, they must be replaced. But for a few surface blemishes, where
there’s only a shallow gouge or the roofing granules have been rubbed off, try the simple cosmetic fix shown in Photos 1 and 2.
You can do this repair at any temperature, but it works best when the shingles are warm but not hot. To avoid damaging more shingles, lay a canvas tarp or other non-slip material under your feet while you work. After applying the silicone caulk and grinding some granules onto it, take an edge of the scrap tab, work the granules deep into the caulk and finish with more granules over and around the edges of the blemish. Resist the urge to brush off any excess—it’ll only smear the patching work. Allow the patch to dry; the granules not embedded in the silicone will just blow away.
1. Apply a bead of 100 percent clear silicone caulk along the shingle blemish. Take a shingle remnant, cut off the portion of the lower tab that matches the color of your roof and cut that tab in two.
2. Grind the two halves of the scrap tabs over the blemish. The granules from the scraps will fall onto the silicone and become embedded.
CAUTION: As you would with any roof repair, use adequate
fall prevention.
