No matter what material your roof is made of, sooner or later you would have to replace roof shingles. Sometimes it is not easy to decide whether you have to rebuild the roof or the simple repair would do. Generally speaking, if the roof is older than 20 years and there are severe damages, it is better to opt for rebuilding. But if the roof is less than 20 years old and most of the shingles are still in good shape, replacing roof shingles would be enough.

Shingles can be cracked, curled or broken. If the shingle is cracked, you can repair it easily. Put some roofing sealant under the crack, press the shingle and spread some more sealant over the crack with the putty knife. If there are some shingle granules in the gutter, use them to cover the repair.

Corner of the shingle can be curled upward or downward. This is easy to repair; just apply some roofing sealant under the curled corner using a caulking gun. Put the brick over and leave it there for 24 hours.

If there are broken shingles, you will have to replace them. To replace roof shingles, you are going to need pry bar. Place it under the shingle above the broken one. Press slightly pry bar and lift up the shingle to expose the nails. Repeat that with the damaged shingle. Cut off the nails or pull them out. Put the replacement shingle in place; make sure it is even with the neighboring ones. Nail it down with four roofing nails. Replacement shingle should match the old one. It would be good to keep some of the original shingles or at least know the type or manufacturer; this will help you when buying the new ones. If you can’t find the exact match, buy the closest one.

If you are going to replace all of the existing shingles, you can even opt for a material different from the one that is currently on the roof. However, keep in mind that you must maintain the roof regularly and choose low maintenance material. As for the color of the shingles, it should compliment your house style and match the paint and all other details of your home. Your new roof shingles should fit in the neighborhood, too.

Warranty is also important. It depends on the material and on the manufacturer; for cedar wood shingles warranty is usually 10 years, for asphalt shingles 15 to 20 years and for metal shingles 25 to 30 years.