How to install asphalt shingles?

Question

how do you start the first layer

Answer 1

The first layer is the most important one - most shingles (which look like asphalt but are usually fiberglass) are made of two halves - the top half is a solid piece, and the bottom half is three flaps.  You have to cut this shingle lengthwise, and discard the flaps.  Nail this down as the first course.  The second course lays on top of this one, with two very important details.  One, the flaps of the second course should cover the first course, and second, the seams between shingles should not line up.  You'll have to cut the first shingle of the second course so that these seams overlap instead of lining up.  

Note that there are local codes that specify nailing patterns - usually these nailing patterns are printed on the package that the shingles come in.  

It's a good idea to snap several guide lines as you go up your roof; it's very easy to get away from a nice horizontal row a little bit at a time; you want to always be checking.  

Answer 2

It's probably best to learn side by side with someone familiar with shingling - it will go a lot faster that way and you won't have to learn from scratch.  See the following web page on asphalt shingles:

http://www.building-your-green-home.com/...

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Nobody uses asphalt shingles anymore, not that I know of anyway.  In any case, you start on the lowest layer and you do that whole layer and then you do the one above that so that it overlaps the first layer and keep doing that until it's done.  You have to have each layer overlapping so that when it rains, the rain will slide down it and not get in between the layers.  If each layer overlaps the one beneath it, that will be the way it should be.