How to measure the roof to install asphalt shingle?

If you have decided to install asphalt shingle on your roof, it will be important to calculate the exact surface to be able to know how much material you will need, the first thing is to identify what type of roof you have and how it is composed.

There are different types of roof: flat roof, single slope roof, gable roof and hip roof. But because the asphalt tile requires a minimum slope to install it, we will only talk about sloping roofs.

The area to be roofed is calculated by simply adding the surfaces of the different roof sections and the total is divided by the performance covered by each package of asphalt shingle.

Roof slope

Determining the area of ​​a roof on a slope is really simple. You must first measure the length and height of the surface. Then multiply these two measurements and the result you get is the total area to be covered.

Gabled

Unlike a roof with a slope, a gable roof, as its name indicates, is made up of two surfaces that meet at one point. In this case, you must measure the length and height of one of the surfaces and multiply the measurements (Length x Width), then do the same with the other surface. Having the areas of the two sections of your roof, you must now add them together and the result will be the total area to be covered.

Hipped roof

In the case of a hipped roof it is a bit more complicated. You have to determine which shapes make up the different areas of the roof: rectangular and / or triangular.

Then, as in the other types of roof, you must measure the length and height of the different sections and apply the formula that corresponds to each figure. For example, if your roof has a triangular shape, you would multiply the length by the height and divide it by two.

Let us remember that in roofs with two or more waters, the slope must be taken into account for a correct installation of the asphalt tile. The recommended slope is 18.5 degrees. 

Once you get the measurements depending on the type of roof you have, be sure to always include the recommended percentage of material waste. It is recommended to consider between 3-5% waste for cuts.

If the roof has an architectural element such as ridge / ridge, hip length is measured, also in the case of Valles.

These measurements will be a factor in the calculations and therefore in the amount of materials you will need to purchase asphalt shingle and installation materials.

Read more on my roof blog! Toodles!