With the summer months among us, many homeowners are looking to do some of their own roof repairs and upgrades. For newbies to this industry, many of you may be unfamiliar with the types of tools to do these jobs. To help, we’ve partnered with the experts from Milledgeville Roofing Company to give you a quick rundown of common roofing tools you may need.
- A ladder- If you know anything about ladders, you are probably well aware that there are numerous types of ladders for a variety of tasks. Since you will be climbing to the top of your house, you will likely need a ladder to get up there. You should consider the height and pitch of your roof when deciding on a ladder to use for your job.
- Shingle Removal Shovel- A shingle removal shovel is just what it sounds like. It is a flat shovel that is specifically designed to tear the existing shingles off of your building. This includes the nail and it should leave a clean working surface.
- Hammer Tacker- A hammer tacker is a simple device that has a handle and a head. When the head comes in contact with hard metal at a high speed, it inserts a staple into the metal material. It is usually used like a hammer to apply staples and is a type of staple gun. It can secure roofing paper to the wood before shingling.
- A ripper- This tool can also be used to remove shingles. It can be used if you have trouble finding a shingle removal shovel. It can also be used to help take out older, stubborn nails if you are unable to get a clean surface with the shingle removal shovel.
- Pry bar- If you can’t find a ripper, you can also use a pry bar to remove stubborn nails. However, the pry bar can also be used to tear out certain parts of your roof. You may find a spot on your roof that is in need of repair or replacement so instead of replacing the entire wood surface, you can just cut around the spot that needs to be replaced. After that, you can remove the old wood with the pry bar and install new wood in its place.
- Roofing hatchet- This type of hatchet is specifically designed to help remove nails and tear shingles. Both sides of the hatchet are different. One is flat to pound nails with while the other has a hatchet shaped blade to slide under stubborn shingles to pop them off more easily. Some hatchets also come with a built-in utility knife as well, but the big difference between the hatchet and shovel is that you use the shovel standing but you sit or kneel when using the hatchet.
- Caulking Gun- This will be especially helpful to ensure your roof is properly sealed. You can also use it to distribute any additional sealers you may need to apply around a roof vent.