Roll Roofing Installation - A Quick Guide

As one of the most sought-after home and commercial inspectors in Florida, we constantly get asked about roll roofing. We already wrote about the quality of roll roofing at lengths, but we never explained how to actually install it.

This material is an affordable way to cover up and protect structures like garages, workshops, or sheds, and the best thing is, it’s quite easy to put it in place yourself. 

So if you’re on a limited budget but need to quickly strengthen smaller buildings on your property, continue reading to learn everything about roll roofing installation for a successful project.

What Is Roll Roofing?

In short, this is an oil-based asphalt construction material that comes in the form of 100 square feet rolls - similar to a rolled-up carpet. Funny enough, it’s also installed in largely the same way as it can simply be rolled onto the roof, hence the name.

This is possible because it’s pretty light, with one roll weighing in at only 75 pounds.

While this makes roll roofing installation pretty easy, it’s also the main drawback of this material. It’s lightweight and thin so you can’t expect it to be as durable or sturdy as some other, more popular asphalt-based materials.

However, being lightweight is perceived as one of roll roofing’s bigger strengths. It’s cheap, widely available (you can find it in pretty much any hardware store), easy to transport, and you can save a lot of money by installing it yourself.

Keep in mind that while it’s perfectly fine for a garage or your kid’s treehouse, this material should only be used on homes in dire circumstances because it’s not as practical as a shingle roof, and has a lifespan of about five years.

How To Install Roll Roofing

Now that you know what to expect, it’s time to learn about roll roofing installation. For best results, you should follow these steps:

1. Gather all the required tools and materials

You want to avoid the trouble of realizing you miss a crucial tool in the middle of the roll roofing installation, so you should gather everything beforehand. Thankfully, just one trip to your local home improvement store is enough to find everything you need, such as:

• Roll roofing
• Roofing cement
• High-quality ladder
• Hammer
• Push broom 
• Meter stick
• Measuring tape
• Gloves
• Trowel
• Tin shears
• Utility knife
• Chalk line
• Primer
• Flashing 
• Roofing and flashing nails
  
  

2. Measure the roof surface

The next step is measuring the width and the length of the entire surface. You can then add up these two measurements to get the square footage of your roof, making it easy to calculate exactly how many rolls of roofing you’ll need.

We recommend getting about 10% more than the exact number, as there may be a lot of trimming involved during roll roofing installation.

3. Prepare the surface

The quality of the end product will depend on how you prepare the surface before rolling the roofing material, so you should ensure that the entire surface is clean and debris free, which is easily done with a push broom.

It’s also important to hammer down any nails you may find sticking out from the sheathing.

We recommend installing drip edge flashing before laying out the roofing material. This metal flashing is found at the edge of your roof and stops the water from creeping in under the top layer of the roof. 

When you’re ready, use a combination of roofing cement and nails to attach the flashing all around the lower edge of the roof.

4. Mark the working area

Use your measuring tape and chalk line to measure the area 35 inches up from the bottom edge and mark it. The meter stick is useful to confirm if the line you made is even across the entirety of the roof surface.

5. Lay down the roofing cement

Here’s when the fun of roll roofing installation begins. Apply the cement as you go and spread it along the edges until it’s about ¼ inch thick. By the time you’re done, the entirety of the horizontal section should be covered.

There are a few tips that will make your life easier here:

• Wear roofing gloves
• Stay below the edge of the chalk line
  
  

6. Cut the portion of rolled roofing

Since you’ll be laying the roofing material in horizontal strips, use a knife to cut it to the right size - 35 inches wide spanning the entire length of your roof.

7. Lay the first layer

Line up the edges and lay the first layer in tiny increments. As you’re laying the material down, stretch it to avoid getting any wrinkles. Once you’re done, the first layer should cover the entire length of your roof up to the chalk line. 

Now, it’s time to hammer the nails for extra security. We recommend hammering them about 10 inches apart.

You should also pay extra attention to the positioning of the nails in regard to the edges. Make sure they’re about one inch away from the edge. 

8. Continue adding new layers

Once the first layer is safe and snug, you need to make a chalk line exactly 32 inches above the first layer. This ensures that the layers overlap, stopping any rain from penetrating the roof surface.

The rest of the roll roofing installation is pretty straightforward as you’ll be repeating everything until the entire surface is covered. Simply remove any excess materials hanging over the edges, add extra cement over the nails to strengthen the bond even further, remove any debris from the roof, and you’re officially done.

Roofing On The Cheap

Roll roofing installation is quick, cheap, and easy, and it’s the best solution available for smaller structures on your property. 

Still, if you suspect the roof on your home is on its last legs and wonder if you can use roll roofing as a cheap replacement, we advise you against it as the short lifespan of this material makes it a subpar roofing option.

To get a full picture into how your roof is stacking up, feel free to get in touch with Guardian Angel Inspections. We can tell you objectively if your roof is due for a replacement and if any smaller retrofits may help extend its lifespan for a few more years.

Call us today at 561-512-7854 or fill out our contact form and schedule an inspection that will reveal the true condition of your roof at an affordable price.