An asphalt shingle roof can stand up to strong winds and other threats, but there are still times when shingles can get loose or fly off. When that happens, you'll want to get roof repairs as soon as you can. If your roof is fairly new, the underlayment under the shingles may protect the deck from rain for a while, but it's better not to depend on it and have roof repairs done instead. Here's a look at how loose or missing shingles might be repaired.

New Nails Can Be Put In Loose Shingles

To understand how loose shingles are repaired, you should understand how they're installed to begin with. Shingles are layered over each other in rows. The very top of the shingles are nailed to the roof deck and then the next row is applied that covers up the nails on the shingles below and so on.

In addition to being held in place with nails, shingles also adhere to the roof with adhesive. Shingles have a row of adhesive on them when they are manufactured. When a shingle is put on, the roofer presses against the shingle so the adhesive sticks to the roof. With the adhesive, nails, and weight of the shingles above holding a shingle down, it stays securely in place.

When a shingle is loose, it may have been ripped from the nail or the nail may be backed out. A roofer can fix this problem by using a new nail and the old hole. If the old hole was damaged too so the nail isn't tight enough, the roofer can drive a new nail into a new hole.

The old hole has to be plugged up then so rain doesn't leak in it. The roofer may also apply new adhesive to the shingle just to make sure it will be held securely against the roof.

New Shingles Can Be Put On To Replace Lost Ones

If shingles are missing or damaged badly, the roofer can put new ones on. To replace a shingle, the roofer has to lift the shingle above so the new shingle can be slid in place. Then the shingle is nailed down and secured with adhesive. It's important to flatten the top shingle back down, and the roofer may even put some adhesive under it to make sure it stays flat.

When your roofer puts new shingles on your roof, they try to get a close color match so the repairs are invisible. If the repairs are in a highly visible place, and they are more noticeable than you like, the roofer might take some of your old shingles that are in good condition and move them to the visible area. The new shingles can be put in their place where they will be out of sight.

However, that might not be an issue as long as the color is a close match since the new shingles will pick up dirt and pollution so they blend in much better as time goes on. For more information, contact a company like C Cougill Roofing Co Inc.