How to measure a roof for shingles step by step the process of accurately measuring a roof involves first making a diagram of the roof to show the basic shapes of each roof plain and how they relate to one another.
How do you measure a roof for shingles.
The size of your roof is the largest determining factor in both the length and cost of your roofing job and unfortunately many homeowners are unsure of the exact square footage of their roof.
Of course the real reason why you are calculating the roof area is because you need roofing materials.
The roofing materials are is measured in square feet which will give you the exact amount of materials you need for the roofing project.
Alternatively you can purchase a measuring wheel from your local hardware store.
All roofing materials are calculated in terms of squares and not square feet.
Measure the length of each individual plane.
1 roof square 100 square feet.
If you use a measuring tape you ll need someone to hold the tape while you measure the area.
As you begin shopping for materials you might wonder how to measure a roof for shingles.
To measure for roofing shingles start by calculating the area of each plane or section of the roof.
How to measure your roof for shingles.
Climb onto your roof and measure each section by its height and width.
When you order the shingles it is recommended that you order more than you will need.
Then each measurement is recorded on the diagram applicable to that roof surface.
If you are considering having shingles installed on the roof of your home there is something you need to consider other than the type of materials you use.
If you have a more complex roof you should look at adding around 5.
Next divide your total area by 100 to calculate the number of roofing squares you ll need to buy.
Here are the steps you can take to have the right measurements.
For a 12 000 sq ft 1 100 m 2 roof you ll need a minimum of 120 squares.
Most roofers will recommend adding 1 to the number of shingles you get to account for the waste.
The length l times the height h of a triangle is twice its area a2.
It s a good idea to add an extra 10 to your estimated material requirements to account for waste and ensure that you have enough shingles to cover your roof when it s all said and done.
To determine the size of your roof contact a professional roofer who can measure your roof and provide an estimate for the roofing project.
Roof size and roofing materials.
Then multiply that number by 3 to figure out how many shingle bundles that amounts to.
This will give you some leeway for breakage and any other form of shingle waste.
Once you work through the basic triangle we will review a typical roof and how to apply some simple math to calculate how much material you will need for a roof used in our hypothetical example.
But it could also be slate tiles or a metal material.
Record the measurements on your sketch of the roof.
To measure the length you need to spread the tape measure on.
In most cases this is shingles.