subject: How To Replace Or Repair A Damage Part Of A Roof Decking [print this page] If you are doing the roofing of you house and you already completed the tear off the old shingles the next step will be to inspect the current decking for damage. If there is any soft spots is the roof, or if a portion of the sheathing is damage, it will need to be replaced. Most older roof are constructed with board sheathing, usually 1 x 6s, while new roof typically use 4 x 8-ft. sheets of plywood oriented strandboard (OSB). Even if your roof has board sheathing , you can make the repair with plywood.
Once you have inspected and detected the area where the repair needs to be done there are several things to consider. Don not walk in the damage area and make sure before you start cutting there no wires underneath the plywood. To remove the damage area it will be easier and safer to do it from the inside of the attic.
Damage to the roof can sheathing normally occurs because there is a violation of the seal, typically occurring around a chimney, roof vent, skylight or another flashed object. If you will be re-flashing the roof make sure you do not repeat any mistakes. If you are making only localized repairs, be sure that you identify the and correct the source of the moisture that had cause the damage. If the damage is located near the eave of the and is not caused by a flashing problem or leak in the roof covering, it is probably caused by an ice dam.
Follow this easy steps to replace damage sheathing. To will need a circular saw, reciprocating saw, tape measure, chalk line, flat pry bar, drill, sheathing, 2 x 4 nail strips, 3'' or 2.25'' deck screws, plywood, 8d ring-shank and siding nails.
Step -1 Use a reciprocating saw to cut next to the rafters in an area that extends well beyond the damage area. Pry out the damage sections using a pry bar.
Step -2 Attach 2 x 4 nailing strips to the inside edges of the rafters using a 3'' deck screws.
Step- 3 Use exterior grade plywood to make a patch. Measure the cutout area, allow for a 1/8'' gap on all sides for expansion, and cut the patch to size. Attach the patch to the rafters and nailing strips using a 2.25'' deck screws or a 8d ring-shank siding nails. (Optional- if your roof is made of boards, 1 x 6'' which was common before plywood, it is acceptable to use plywood to replace a section. The only thing you have to make sure is the plywood you stall is the same size, then just follow the same steps.)
By following this steps you can do a repair of a decking of your roof, but remember that your safety is first and that at any point of the project you feel that you the project is bigger of what you expected and you are not able to handle it, call a professional that can help.
