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Slope transition on gambrel roof

MMitrano | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 19, 2002 08:56am

Hi, all.  I could use some help!

I am building a barn-style garage which I will be shingling with architectural-style fiberglass shingles.  I am not sure how to transition from the steep lower roof to the shallower upper roof.  The roof is already sheathed, and I do not want any exposed trim at the junction — just a continuation of the roof over the change in pitch.  Do I top-nail the shingles that pass over the transition so that the lower (exposed) halves stay flat against the lower roof, and then cover the nails with a little roofing cement and grit from the shingles, or is there a better way?

Thanks!

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  1. grassbur501 | Dec 19, 2002 09:28pm | #1

    You have to have some kind of transition--you can't just wrap the angle with shingles.  If you don't want trim at the top of the steep part, I'd recommend you nail on a half-shingle at the top, with just the tabs and maybe a little of the upper part of the shingle.  Make sure you include this in your layout before you nail, so you won't wind up with an awkward-looking partial shingle at the top.  Then cover your nail course with a continuous line of cement, nail on drip rail to start the other part of your roof, so that the drip rail covers your nails and cement, and go on.

    Mac

  2. User avater
    BossHog | Dec 19, 2002 09:47pm | #2

    There was a thread on this subject a while back at:

    http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=23032.1&search=y

    Mary had a little lamb, her father shot it dead.
    So now it goes to school with her between two hunks of bread.

    1. grassbur501 | Dec 19, 2002 10:22pm | #3

      I personally prefer the look of the trim course at the top of the steep roof, but the starter of the thread said he didn't want any trim.  I understand that, particularly in some climates, the heat-bent shingles wouldn't give problems in a few years, but I don't trust that for the long term.  Even here in The Land of Hail, I want a roof to last much longer than 5-7 years.

      Mac

      1. User avater
        BossHog | Dec 19, 2002 10:55pm | #4

        I agree that trim at the intersection would be better. When we did my Brother's garage (That was mentioned in the other thread) I had never thought about/seen that.

        I don't know how long his will last - Hopefully long enough that I'll be too old to help re-roof it...................(-:Mary had a little lamb, the doctor was surprised; but when Old MacDonald had a farm, the doctor nearly died.

  3. sedarch | Dec 19, 2002 11:47pm | #5

    Can 12" wide colored flashing span the bend. Seems that a color similar to the shingles, and applied like a drip edge over the top course on the steeper roof should do just fine. You could even use "ice and water shield" under the flashing strip, and roof cement the first course on the shallower roof to the flashing.

    Never a problem, just an opportunity to create a solution... :~}

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