On Jan 16, 5:51*pm, "SteveBell" wrote:
I have a ranch house that has a small decorative gable (I think that's
what it's called). *It's like a short (maybe 2 feet tall) and wide
(maybe 7 feet across) section of roof that juts out, kind of like a
dormer with no windows. *This feature ends about 2-3 inches from the
roof line (think of a dormer where the window would be about three
inches form the edge of the roof). *the shingles in this narrow strip
of roof need to be replaced, they're all cracked, curling. *The rest
of the roof is fine (second layer is about 6-7 years old, we bought
the house with two layers a few years ago). *There's no water coming
in (that I can see in attic or in the house), but I want to try to
address this myself. *How would I arrange the shingles in a 3 inch
wide by 7 foot long strip of roof? *It's narrower than even the tabs
of a shingle. *Just get several rectangular pieces and lay them in a
row each overlaopping the previous one?? *I'll work on posting a
picture if you think it'll help.

A picture would be nice, but it sounds to me like you've got a gable.

I hate it when they leave the tiny little piece of roof for purely
decorative purposes. It's a pain to maintain roof that doesn't actually
do anything.

Here are some options:
** Ask three roofers to look at it. If that section is failing, likely
the rest of the roof is about to go. If you catch it early, you *might*
be able to use the manufacturer's warranty. If nothing else, you'll be
prepared for the worst. You don't have to actually hire the roofers if
you don't want to.
** To fix it yourself, remove all the shingles and underlayment down to
bare wood. Replace any damaged wood. Apply new underlayment. Apply a
layer of shingles with the tabs hanging off the edge of the roof
(assuming three-tab shingles). Cut off the overhang. Apply roofing tar
to the nails if you want. Cut tabs off shingles so they'll fit, then
nail them on top of the solid layer. *Do* apply roofing tar to these
nails. Install and seal flashing, and you're done.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX USA

I just took a picture of the area.... so you see these shingles are
done... It appears (from my perspective that when the second layer
was put on, this area never got it, as the rest of the roof edges look
to have more layers than this section). No other areas of the roof
look at all like this......


http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

Why would this one area look so beaten, while the rest of the roof
appears fine? I'd send a shot of the rest of the roof, but its all
snow. The rest of the shingles are in the same shape as the ones you
see going up the gable (though I'm sure there's no where near enough
showing to get an idea.)