Repairing a leaky shingle woven roof valley

The roof valley is that part of the roof where two angles of the roof come together. It doesn’t matter what type of roof you have, if the roof valley is damaged, you will need to make some repairs.

Some of the tools and materials that you will need for the repair are:

Roll of tar impregnated felt
Utility knife
Hammer
Roofing nails
Bundle of roofing shingles to replace any damaged shingles
Cat’s pay or pry bar
Roofing stapler and 1/2 inch roofing staples

Inspecting the roof

Use a ladder and climb on the roof for a better inspection.

Look for any wet areas and for cracked shingles. Problems usually occur in the seam between water barrier or in the roof valleys.

Removing damaged shingles

To have better access to the damaged area, you will need to remove some shingles. You need to remove the shingles from the affected area and extend it 2-3 feet beyond this area. Sort the good shingles from the bad ones.

Cutting the old water barrier

One foot from the damaged area, cut the water barrier and remove it. Throw it off the roof.

Installing a new water barrier

The new water barrier will need to overlap the existing one by at least 3 inches. Slide this piece under the edges of the existing water barrier. Use a staple gun to fix the barrier. Unroll another piece of water barrier having the same measures, and then work your way to the repair area. Overlap the previous piece by at least 6 inches to prevent water infiltration under the seams. The unroll another piece that will cover the entire repair area.

Replacing the shingles

Now it’s time for the shingles. Start from the bottom and then work your way up the roof. Shingles that are rotten, cracked or broken will need to be replaced. Use roofing nails for each shingle.