How to remove shingles to do a repair 

Okay, so, nearly four years ago I watched this video to replace some of the shingles that blew off my roof. Well, today I'm going back onto the roof to replace some more shingles that blew off the roof (60 mph gusts). I just want to say that the shingles I did replace 4 years ago are still in place and holding tight. Thank you for this informative video.

Best repair video ever ..simple. Not to techinical explaining it, this video deserves 2 million views..

You’re very good at explaining the uses of the tools and the whole process as well. You also make it look so easy. Great job!

Gary, you should have been a teacher. You have a great gift for getting the heart of the matter in the most pleasant and straightforward way. Good stuff!

Outstanding video. Nicely paced, covering all the basics for the first-time roof repairer like myself, such as tools required, shingle removal sequence, and number of nails and the position of the nails. Gives the viewer degrees of confidence towards the task at hand. Thanks, Gary.

I'm glad that this is helping so many people, I still do a lot of roof repairs just be safe and if it makes you nervous getting up on your roof, you should call someone that has a good history of repairing or replacing.

I understand why you got so many views. WELL DONE. Easy to understand and excellent demonstration. Gary, You rock.

Tornado has taken some shingles off my roof. I have no intention of filing a Homeowner's insurance claim, so this video is EXTREMELY informative. I'll be able to fix my own roof and save $500. Thank you!

When he swung the hammer I instantly realized he was a pro

Excellent video, I do pressure washing, today the stabilizer bar pushed thru a shingle, so I told the customer I would be back to replace it, so I watched the video to prepare myself for the replacement, thanks again.

This is one of the best videos I've seen. Precise, clearly instructed and clearly demonstrated. great... simply great.

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Gary. Your explanation and camera view was perfect. At least you gave me the confidence to try and locate any loose/bad shingles. I have a roof leak that has developed after 8 years. Hmmm, I just realized I need to find the paperwork for the roof installation. I inherited the house. Thanks again.

Gary, thank you for sharing your wisdom. I just replaced four wind damaged shingles at my neighbors, no sweat thanks to you!

Gary, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to post your excellent shingle repair videos. I was able to replace a few damaged shingles on my house thanks to your thorough instruction.

I have this video in my saved Playlist, listed under roof repair for the past 10 years and finally written a review of how thankful i am on how much your video has saved my roof. thank you so much

I needed to remove an entire section of fairly new shingles so I could replace a length rotten ant-infested roof trim along with the associated length of edge roof support since the particle board was screwed into it. I did not have the confidence to do it until after watching this. Thanks so much Gary.

Almost 10 years ago now, I liked this video (it was 5 stars back then!), and here I am still watching it again today!

You do a GREAT job succinctly describing WHAT & WHY you are doing each step. Thank you!

Completely roofing newby here, this video was exactly what I was looking for! Great job covering basic tools and some roofing rules of thumb!

Hurricane Irene blew a bunch of shingles off my roof. Couldn't get anyone out to fix it so I watched this video, got up on the roof and did it myself. Not bad for a 58 year old woman! All the guys in the neighborhood are pretty impressed with me. Thank you for making this fine video.

Hi everyone When I did these videos, I really didn't think they would get so many views. I did them to show people some things that things don't have to be complicated. I appreciate all the comments, good and bad, because you can learn from them all. In 2011 my wife and I photographed our first wedding and got hooked! I used to photograph back in the '80s and always had a camera, but something about the wedding inspired us to learn more. I still do remodeling, which includes roof repairs but down to 4 days a week and spending the rest of the time taking portraits, editing, and some video, which is a lot of fun. I'm leaving the roofing videos up, but I'm going to be leaving the industry to go into photography full-time next year after all the covid stuff clears up, hopefully. Our photography is G and E Studios. If you want to check it out, gandestudios.com (I've aged a little, but that's okay) Thank you, everyone, again for your likes and comments I'll still try to answer questions here when I can, have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Thank you Gary. I'm not much of a handyman but after watching your video I was able to replace three shingles that came off during a windstorm. I also purchased a flat bar and a hooked knife which sliced right through the tile perfectly. Thanks again for helping myself and others with your very informative video!

Thanks Gary! My roof was damaged last year from Hurricane Laura. 150 mph sustained winds! While waiting for my roof to be replaced I found a stack of extra shingles in my garage I’d forgotten I had and used those to repair the damaged ones! Sure beats a tarp! Thanks again buddy!

If I needed a roofer, I probably would hire this guy, I like his demeanor.

New homeowner here. Thanks for this helpful video! 👍👍

Good video. Not only explaining the shingle repairs, but the proper tools to use. Very patient and detailed. Thanks a lot.

Thanks, Gary. Good clear instructions and video (without distracting music - thanks)

Had some several shingles blown off due to strong winds. Never knew replacing the shingles like this was even possible. I greatly appreciate your helpful video. Thanks!

Thanks for the instruction. I need to take a single shingle out for warranty claim. The roofing company which installed my home shingles charge me $ 250 for removing a single shingle. Now I will do it myself. Your instructions help tremendously. Thanks again.

This very well done video I watched last week gave me the confidence to remove a 13 year old diverter that was causing a leak. I had installed it in the first place. Perhaps that was the problem. But I carefully removed it and a row of shingles around 14' long. My roof is 15 years old now, and the shingles can tear more easily in the hot weather. Today it rained really hard for the first time since I did the repair. No leak! Thank you so much. I already paid once to get this leak fixed but they would not fix the actual problem. I have been trying for weeks to pay to get this done but no one shows up to work. Now it's done. And furthermore, I know how to do it myself. Thank you very much!

Great job Gary - this video is very helpful. Very thoughtful, logical, and detailed, and with great demeanor! Very much appreciated !!!!

Great video. I need to do a repair and had no idea where the nails would be and how to remove them. Now I'm confident I can do the repair without damaging shingles. Thanks a lot for taking time to make a video

Thanks a lot Gary. Thanks for taking the time/effort to record this seemingly simple procedure just for ME 😄😄Now I’m going to tackle the shingles on my garage.

I have several leaks in my roof. I've seen many of these type of vids on youtube. This presentation was by far the best I've seen....stands hands and feet above the others. Thanks for the help.

Thank you. I must say that this is one of the best, and informative from a non-BS perspective, videos I have seen on RU-vid.

Thanks Gary! I can't tell you the number of homeowners you've saved thousands of dollars on roofing - just from sharing your experience and education on these videos!

Gary: Just want to thank you for such a clear video! I'm about to repair a leak in my roof, and could not figure out how to replace 3-tab shingles in the section needing repairs. Your video makes it very simple and easy to understand. Again, thank you for sharing your expertise.

Gary; I watched several videos, but yours made it a no brainer. 8 years later after and it really helped me out. I have been looking for a roofer for 5 months finally did it myself with your wonderful help and easy to follow description.

After a long days work, I discovered a leaky roof. This resulted in me searching youtube for various videos for a DIY repair. Though this video didn't provide me with all the knowledge I needed for the repair, it was quite informative. Thank you for posting this video I thank you for my newly acquired knowledge.

Thanks Gary, you are a true pro!!!, good teacher, nice mannered. I love when you support the nails with your left hand and at the same time pool up the shingle. Thanks again!!!

In an attempt to repair my own roof (with no experience by the way), I watched a couple of videos. Your video was the most helpful, well explained and in detail. Thank you very much.

Gary, Great video. Very cut and dry. You get right to the point! I plan on replacing some shingles for my daughter this weekend. Thank you!

Thanks, just had worst winds thru Iowa in my memory. A derecho, up to 140 mph sustained winds. Your video will help me. Thanks again.

Thank you for taking the time to make the video. I feel more equipped to repair my own roof now as no company, "has the time" to do such a small dollar amount repair.

Just wanted to say thanks for the clear instructions. I was able to replace several sections of shingles this morning with ease because of your guidance. Thanks!

No fair! You've done this before! You know what your doing! Looks Great! Now I know WHERE to place the nails! No more willy nilly! Thank you for the CORRECT information. I have found that if the TAR/SEALER on the backside of the shingle is gone/no good, I go back and add 30 year silicone to STICK and hold the LOOSE edge of the shingle down to the shingle below it. Every spring, i would go up on the roof and replace missing/damage shingles. Maybe buy 1 bag of shingles from the big box store. Because of this springtime maintenance, I kept my roof in GOOD shape for 28 years in Santa Clarita, Ca. Never did I ever have to layout BIG BUCKS to purchase a NEW roof! Again, thanks for the CORRECT/GREAT info! Michael Reno, NV

Hi Gary, thanks so much for this video. After watching it I decided to remove the entire first 3 rows of shingles and I'm glad I did because I found 3 places where the underlayment was torn. The most valuable information I learned from watching the video was the way you held the nail with two fingers while holding up the existing shingle with your thumb. Dude, that saved me a ton of aggravation. Thanks buddy.

I'm just now watching this in may of 2022 and this is the best video I've seen on how to do this. Thank you!

Great video. One thing the “Novice” needs to understand is that once you detach the shingle with the flat bar. You also detach the asphalt that adheres the shingles together. Once that shingle detach s from the asphalt it is susceptible to the wind. In a high wind the exposed part of the shingle will flip over and break off. If you want to re attach the shingle. Put a “dab” of roofing cement under the tab of the shingles you’ve detached. That will re attach the exposed part of the shingle.

Thanks for getting straight to the point. Great info. Audio could be better, but could still hear everything.

Thanks for the real detailed and informative vid. I'm the type of person who can't learn well from written instructions, but once I SEE something I'm much better at understanding it. Fixed my roof in no time thanx to your help.....

Thanks very much for this video, I forwarded it to a friend who has just 1 shingle to repair. Great service to the public, thanks again!

Thanks for providing guidance and confidence to perform much needed repairs. Well done!!

This is the most helpful shingle replacement video I have found, so far. Thanks so much. This is very helpful.

Thanks you just saved me a lot of money in the middle of winter did my repairs myself for 60 $ .

thanks so much. This is the best shingle- repair video.

I think you done great explaining this to folks. I've been roofing for 26 years.

thanks for video info. contractor wanted to replace my sister-in-laws roof. There was around 10 shingles that needed replaced. With video info had no trouble saving her thousands. Got everything to make repairs for about $50. Thanks.

Thank you SOOO much for this video. I'm a telephone man by trade so I see a lot of roofs, but never had to repair one...until today.

I tried to do it first by logic, but that did not work, then I saw this video and it made so much more sense and I was able to repair my elderly neighbours missing tabs.

Shed roof took a beating from hurricane Matthew here in SC last week. Thanks to your great, concise repair video, it'll be fixed in no time. Thank you, Gary. Grateful for the newer roof on the house which was unscathed. ;)

Thank you for your clear explanation and demonstration. This was exactly what I needed to see to make sure that I wasn't missing a key step. Your explanation of how to remove the old shingles, as well as where and how many nails to apply to the new shingles helped me do my repairs with confidence.

This video helped me find and fix several leaks with my roof. Bad nailing by the installer. After watching this I had confidence to fix myself. Thanks so much

Thanks Gary. I had a pine tree come down on the roof last night and it left a nice neat 3 inch hole right through the roof and sheetrock in the room below. Fortunately, I have shingles left over from the roofing job 12 years ago. Your instructions have been very helpful!

Excellent instructional video sir! Helped me do a small shingle replacement on my roof after a major wind storm :)

I like to see people that are proud of what they do and do it right, these kind of folks are hard to find, I like your style, great video

I've been roofing since I was 8 years old I'm 38 now and I still enjoy your videos very professional

Thank you for your video. You made everything simple and clear with no complicated thought. I hope you continue to pass on your knowledge as you help the DIYer as well as the homeowner. God Bless

Excellent video. I don’t understand why anyone would give it a thumbs down.

This was great! Easy to understand and I fixed my roof in an hour and a half including prep and cleanup. Excellent Gary!!! Thanks.

This is something I always wanted to know but nobody could show me. Thanks for a knowledgeable and easy understanding video.

Wow! Nice job, now I know why Virgil had me put the nail through my fingers so that my thumb was free. Excellent video...even the shingles looked brittle, and the sky gray. Thanks.

I'm not sure why there are any down votes here. I used this video to replace several shingles after a large oak tree branch went through the roof and it looks great. This video gives you everything you need to know without a bunch of nonsense.

Great instruction and so easy to follow. We live in a very windy area so every couple of years I inevitably have to go up on the roof for a repair. I review this video every time before I do. Well done Gary and glad you have found another passion to pursue! Thanks again and all the best!

Thank you Gary! Very straight forward and to the point. It would be nice if EVERY repair video was like this, but not everyone wants to be as simple as you. They gotta throw in their this and that......

Awesome job of explaining, thank you for sharing this info!! I will be using this very soon to fix damage from a hurricane.

Thank you Gary for this video. I am removing an old chimney and didn't want to take all shingles off to ridge. Now I see how the nails will need to be removed above my work area!!

This was a fantastic video. Thank you for taking the time to demonstrate and share this with the world. It's people like you and content like this that make the Internet and the sharing of knowledge successful.

Proper nail placement is key for a safe roof. Nice repair video

Very well done instruction video, this guy is the Mr Rodgers of roofing repair, thanks a bunch dude!!

Great instructional video ! Appreciate all the details - Tools, Procedure and materials. Had a racoon tear off some shingles and chew a hole through the roof leaving quite a damaging leak from the rain last week in Massachusetts. Adding a little flashing over the hole and a few of hours work, your video shows the exact repair that I need to make. Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video for those of us who do not do this type of work as a routine.

Thank you for this video. It makes me want to tackle my 100 square foot roof on my shed myself. Had a company out who wanted 900 to do it. Same shingles as in this video.

This video is very helpful, and I really appreciate you taking the time to share this information. It helps homeowners like me make our own repairs when we're short on funds. Thank you!

I'm glad I saw your video. I'm trying to do some repair on my roof and I need to remove couple of shingles roof. Thanks a lot for sharing this. I found some sh*ty work when I was in the process of replacing fascia boards on my house. That's why I refuse to hire somebody to work on my roof. I can do better job. I just watch videos like yours.

Thank you very much Gary! This is the most informative video that I have watched! Incredibly helpful.

Gary thank you so much for taking the time and shared your expertise on roofing. I definitely will use this knowledge to repair my roof. Thanks.

Great Video! Very informative, right to the point, no editorial! I wish more people would follow your lead.

Excellent video. Clear and nothing too complicated for diy. Thanks

Its been over 40 years since I roofed a home on the Coast of NorCal with my buddy and his Dad. Thanks for the refresher!!! On to the project..... fix'n the man-shed in the backyard. I bought 1" nails, hopefully those are long enough.

This is my go to video every time I loose a shingle off the garage,, there’s a tree close to the garage and it seams to be damaging the shingles on that side,, the other side facing away from the tree hasn’t lost any! Thanks for the great video!

Redoing the roof this weekend on one side. Was wonderin how to fix missing ones on the other side that was done just couple years ago. Thank you very much !

very nice explanation and excellent video, thank you much, you should be an inspector we need people like you here in california who do not seem like they take inspections too serious. thanks again

Thanks Gary, this was crazy helpful. You saved me and my wife a couple hundred dollars having a roofer come out and patch our roof!

Thank you! Hurricane Michael blew off a few shingles and I replaced them thanks to your video.

nice video....i am a roofer but i have learn to do quite more than roofing...i applaude all the do it yourself people...i started doing my own mechanic work on my truck.....some shops wanted lots of money...

Very good of you to identify and explain the Pitfalls of improper shingle installations.

Thanks again Gary I just removed the head end of my chimney tonight and reviewed your information before I got started. Tar paper patch included. Thanks for empowering us weekend warriors!

Thank you for the video I now feel really confident in repairing my moms roof tomorrow!!

You have no idea how much this helps me with a small repair I need to do. I would much rather hire it done, but it has become so much harder to find honest tradesmen who will do what needs to be done instead of doing what they like to do.

Thank you for discussing your tools as well.