Shingles, unlike flat roofs, need special clear glaze waterproof sealants to properly protect the shape and angles of roof shingles. Luckily, if only a few shingles are teasing or showing signs of cracking you do not have to replace the entire roof.
Repairing a shingle roof is not hard to do and with a sturdy putty knife, the right waterproof sealant and a few minutes to spare, depending on the size of the damaged area, you can damaged damaged shingles repaired and up to the task of protecting your roof from high wind, intense rain and constant UV sunlight.
Pick a warm, dry day for any roof repair and make sure you have someone nearby in case of an accident or fall. Never try outdoor roof repairs alone. Survey the roof shingles and look for common damage such as tears, cracks, warped shingles that curl up and dark smudges.
You may have spare shingles in the garage from a previous roofing job but if you do not go to any home center with a sample from your roof and match it up as closely as possible to the color and texture of your shingle. You will not always be able to find an exact match but close enough will do the job.
When you have the right shingles choose a high quality roofing sealant that is waterproof and durable. You may want a sealant to coat underneath shingles and a clear glaze coating sealant to apply to the surface of the shingle. When the shingles are dry and you have removed any debris with a light brush apply a thick coat of sealant underneath shingles that are curling up. Press down and make sure the shingle sticks to the sealant.
Apply a second coat of sealant over the surface. This is what is referred to as the shingle refinishing sealer and should be a clear, glaze coating that will dry quickly and last through heavy rain and snow storms.
A simple trick to covering up a shingle roofing repair job is to collect shingle residual from the gutter and sprinkle it over the finish to camouflage the new shine. The debris will match the original shingle color and make any new color blend in better so it is not obvious that a few shingles were repaired.
