Tar paper, also known as roof felt, is a waterproof fiberglass product.It can be used for temporary roofing, for weatherproofing, and as an underlayment under shingles or other permanent roofing materials.You should only attach roof felt after cutting your pieces to the correct size and cleaning your roof.
Step 1: To calculate the area of your roof, combine the areas of each surface.
Measure the length and width of one side of the roof.To calculate the area, multiply them.The area is 28,800 square inches (200 sq ft) if the length is 120 inches and the width is 20 ft.Continue this for the rest of your roof.If you want to cover the entire roof with felt, add each surface area together.Before calculating the area, add 2 inches to each of your measurements.This will give you more felt to hang on your roof.
Step 2: Purchase enough felt to cover your roof.
Before buying your felt, convert the area from inches to feet.One roll of felt covers 432 square feet.You have to allow overlaps on joints.In most cases, this will leave 400 square feet of net coverage per roll.If you need more felt, purchase an extra pack.To get the area in square feet, divide it into square inches.
Step 3: Cut the felt with a knife.
Roll the felt onto the flat surface.To mark the length of your shed, lightly scratch a vertical line on the surface with the rear of the blade.The same thing should be done at the other end of the roll.To create a vertical guide for your cut, scratch a line between the two marks.Taking care to keep the path of your knife blade clear of any trailing limbs, cut through the felt vertically.If you want to mark a line from the left to the right of your felt piece, you need to know the width of the shed.Purchase a hooked blade from a home hardware store.If you don't have a hooked blade you can use a standard straight blade.This will make cutting more difficult.The flat surface shouldn't have anything sharp on it.
Step 4: Use a knife and your hands to remove old felt from the roof.
Pull the felt off the roof with your hands.Press a knife underneath pieces that aren't coming loose.Apply pressure and chisel away at it.Pull out felt from the roof using a claw hammer.
Step 5: The roof deck should be cleaned of debris, nails, and other objects.
Take care not to damage the roof by scrubbing it with a bristle brush.It will be harder for your roof felt to adhere to the roof if you create dents.The end of a claw hammer is the best place to pull out crooked or protruded nails.Remove nails and replace them with new ones.Coarse sandpaper can be used to remove tough dirt.
Step 6: After you're done cleaning, use a towel to dry the roof surface.
You can wash the wet spots with a small towel.If you apply roof felt over wet or damp deck, it will cause the deck to warp and possibly rot.
Step 7: The roof deck is made of damaged or rotten material.
The sharp end of a claw hammer can be used to remove nails.Pull the deck upward with a spade, shovel, scraper or special scraper under the panel.If it is loose enough to pull off with your hands, loosen it until it comes off.Another base sheet of the same material is needed.To fix it to the wooden beams, use the same nails.
Step 8: To promote felt attachment, apply waterproof paint or primer.
The paint or primer can be applied with a roller or paintbrush.You can drag it from one end of the roof to the other.Slowly moving upward, begin at the bottom.If you use paint, be sure to choose a brand with rust-inhibiting properties.General purpose felt primer is a good choice.
Step 9: Roll the first layer of felt from the bottom of the roof.
Go to the bottom right or bottom left of the roof.Roll the felt away from you on the lower edge.Make sure it stays flat as you roll it out.The square hip at the top of the roof is where hip-type shed roofs start.Allow 1 foot of felt to hang over the hip.Make sure that the felt is straight as you roll it.The felt shouldn't be installed vertically across your roof.The lower edge of felt should be hung over the part of the roof that meets or overhangs the shed's walls.
Step 10: Use a tack gun to tack the felt onto the rolling spot.
Return to the side that you started rolling from and apply 3 tacks vertically using a tacking gun.To load the gun, turn the front dial 180 degrees and insert a needle by lining up the long grooves of the needle on the tack gun.The lever should be turned around when the needle is in place.The tacks should be kept about 2 to 3 inches from the edge of the roof.
Step 11: Continue pulling the felt tight.
Pull the other end tightly and hold it to the ground to make sure it doesn't fall off the roof.Don't rip the felt as you pull it.
Step 12: Roll a new row of felt into the opposite direction.
The new row should be east to west if you roll the first row from west to east.Allow 4 inches of overlap between the bottom of the second row and the first layer.Use a perfectly parallel manner to apply each row.Guidelines are stenciled into most roof felt pieces to make sure they are applied straight and parallel.
Step 13: Continue rolling until you reach the roof's peak.
You can overlap the ridge of your roof by adding another layer of felt once you get close to the top.The felt should be applied the same way on the opposite side.
Step 14: galvanized clout nails are used to nail the felt.
Hold your thumb at the top of the shaft to grip the hammer tightly.Continue along the perimeter after starting at one of the upper corners.The felt side of the roof's peak and the side closest to the ground can be used to divide the nails.100 to 150 clout nails are required for small sheds.It's important to drive nails flush.The felt can cause leaks if the circular nail heads penetrate it.Each nail must be long enough to pierce 2 layers of felt.Simplex or plastic cap felting nails are sufficient.
Step 15: For long-term roofing, cover all nail heads with roofing mastic.
If roofing mastic is more than a temporary measure, apply it with a caulking gun.The gun should be held at a 45 degree angle.The gun should be pulled and the nozzle moved around the nail.To ensure even application, move at a steady, consistent pace.