The evolution of asphalt roofing shingles has been a slow and steady improvement in performance, durability, and looks. Original three-tab asphalt shingles had 10- or 20-year warranties, and that was about the lifespan you could expect. Today’s laminated roof shingles have 30-, 40-, and 50-year warranties. A few have lifetime warranties. To make shingles last longer, manufacturers made them thicker. That also made them better looking, hence the new terminology, “dimensional roofing shingles” and “architectural roofing shingles,” in use today.

In some ways, newer shingles are a bit more forgiving to work with than three tab shingles, which require precise layout. In other ways, they are more demanding. For example, t hree-tab asphalt shingles are tough to cut, but these new thicker shingles are even tougher.  You could use a utility knife to cut asphalt shingles and dull the blade or bloody your knuckles. But, as demonstrated in this tip by Todd Smith, a big pair of snips may be a better way to get the job done. They may be designed for cutting metal, but the long handles give you great leverage for cutting thick material like asphalt shingles.

10 Roof Goofs and How to Fix Them – Surprisingly, it is not damage from wear and tear that causes most roof leaks but mistakes made during installation or reroofing. This article uses photos and drawings to illustrate what those mistakes are and what you can do about them.

How to Remove a Damaged Roof Shingle – Some roof repairs—nail pops, for example—require replacing single shingles. Removing the damaged shingle without damaging the surrounding shingles is the tricky part…

Replacing an Asphalt Shingle – The job isn’t hard, but it’s not exactly straightforward, either.

Check out There’s a Better Way – Quick video tips from Fine Homebuilding, for more helpful techniques from the field.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

So what is so new about this? Tin snips (big ones) work well for this.

Another option useful for trimming valleys (or shingles) is to use the hook type blade in your utility knife. You work from the top side with the hook cutting from the bottom side. I trimmed about 24 ft of valleys (one side each valley) with one blade. Used a 6"x24" piece of plywood to protect shingles under the cut.

Actually there a lot of options. A few companies make shears like paper cutters that work great. Wiss and Midwest make shears for this. Ridgid makes a pneumatic hook and there is a shear head for drills that is great for winter

When installing shingles, I usually flip them over and cut them from the back side. I find this works much better/easier than cutting from their exposed side for several reasons. - It is easier to cut since you are not trying to move your knife through the granules; - It is easier to get a straight cut since the granules don't "deflect" the utility knife; - The knife does not dull too quickly since you are cutting the actual shingle material and minimizing it's contact with the granules (rocks!). When you feel the blade hitting the granules or sense you are through the base material, you simply stop cutting and snap off the waste side. It has worked well for me.

Cutting one shingle on a piece of wood isn't a big problem. Several people covered that.

But how do you trim the overhang at the rake end where you might have two layers of double-thickness, the top edge of the shingle below them, and another layer of starter. Six layers total. And then there's the tar stip. That's about 1/2" thick. Then, toss in the Owens-Corning Surenail fabric in between. On a cool or cold day, that's like a sheet of plywood. Is the best strategy to cut shingles exact so no trimming is needed?

BTW, I've tried those large Wiss shears and they are hard to open wide enough with one hand to get thick material in near the pivot point where the leverage is greatest.

A complete resource that includes the best materials and the right techniques to build a sturdy, leak-free, attractive roof on any house

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Roofing Project Guide.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Already a member? Log in