Thomson Timber Products

How To Lay Shingles

This page may be a bit technical for most people but is intended to help you avoid making mistakes when installing roofing shingles on a new roof.

Fixing details :
Shingles are normally fixed directly to battens but are suitable for other forms of construction. For example, they can be nailed directly onto plywood, or on to battens and counter-battens over solid insulation or sarking boards. There should be 2 nails per shingle 19mm in from each edge, 38mm above the butt line of the course above. There should be a 5mm gap between the edges of each shingle.

Step 1

Starting at the lowest eaves edge of the roof (allowing for an overhang of 50 mm or 2 inches) fix the shingles in a row along the width of the roof. It is important to leave a small gap of 5 or 6 mm (quarter inch)  between the shingles. You won't get any leaks because the shingles are laid in staggered layers. Our shingles are extra length which allows triple layering. Some imports are much shorter and only give double layering.

Step 2

Using a half width shingle lay another row directly over this first row and work your way across the roof surface.

Then 125 mm higher lay single layers remembering to start alternate rows with a narrow half width shingle as shown.

What you are aiming for is a roof which looks like this from below.

Unlike clay or cement tiles which are a dead weight and are liable to crack if stood upon, fixing shingles to a roof adds strength and character.