How To Remove Roof Brackets Under Shingles?

Hi everyone,

I tore off and rebuilt my entire roof last summer while adding dormers in the process. I wasn't able to add siding to the dormers before the winter so I left the brackets that attach under the shingles on until this now. I didn't have much of a choice with this, so now I am stuck with a finished roof where the shingles have nicely sealed from the sun, yet still have the brackets attached underneath. I purposesly made sure the nails for the brackets are only in the sheathing, not the trusses. This means I can easily tap the nails from the attic once I losen the shingle above. So, my only real problem is, how do I unseal the shingles without damaging them? And, should I do this when they are cold or heated from the sun??

 

If you do it when they are cold, they will be less likely to tear. I would just use a wonder bar, and smack it with a hammer every few inches until you have broken the seal on the entire length of shingle. Depending on the brand of shingles you used, they might come right up. Others will tear up the shingle before you break the tar loose. If you have the kind that wants to tear the shingle, try to keep your wonder bar DOWN below the tar so that if it's going to tear, it tears the shingle below the tar, not the one above the tar that you are trying to save.

Once you get it loose enough, then get your roof jack out. And I'd suggest pounding the nails in rather than trying to pull them out. Pound them in and put roofing tar over the top of them. Then apply a bead of roof tar along the length of the shingle and press it down. If it doesn't want to stay down, set a couple bricks on it.

 

Thanks XSleeper. I will definetely take your advise. BTW, is a "wonderbar" a crowbar or a shingle ripper or something different? I don't think I've ever heard of a wonderbar. And, if it makes a difference, the shingles are GAF dimensional type.

 

Wonderbar is Stanley's name for the tool. It's like the one at: http://doityourself.com/store/6042139.htm