I bought a house a year ago and the section above the mudroom started leaking, so I had to tarp it. I am looking to reroof / roof-over the entire thing later this year, and I've done some research and realized that it is a low-slope roof. Some of it is 4/12 and some of it is less (maybe 3/12). It is currently using asphalt 3-tab shingles.
I read online that you are not supposed to use asphalt shingles on a low-slope roof. Is this correct? What type of shingles should I use and can I use my pneumatic roof nailer for those? (I just bought one for this task)
Thanks!
Best Answer
The minimum is typically 2/12 pitch for asphalt shingles, although for low pitch roofs (4/12 or less) there may be a different installation specification depending on the manufacturer. Just make sure you follow the recommended install procedure to maintain warranty coverage (and pick a manufacturer that will be around long enough to honor it). In any case, the underlayment should be doubled. Tabbed shingles would be OK, but my preference would be a high quality architectural shingle.
That said, if it's just a small section of the roof (maybe a square or less) and you're really worried about it, you could always go with a flat roof covering like EPDM. The only consideration with something like that is that it lacks any sort of "street appeal" if the roof deck is in any way visible from the ground.
If you do decide to go with asphalt, I don't see any reason not to use a roofing nailer.