The Top 5 Tools You’ll Need for your DIY Roof Replacement
Between bills, groceries, and school fees you may not want to splurge on a total roof replacement. What’s the next step for you? Tackling a DIY roof replacement.
Before Rescue My Roof grew into the company it is today, it started off as a team of firefighters that did the work ourselves. That’s why we know the best tools in the business that will get you closer to the results you want.
We have compiled a list of our top 5 tools you won’t want to miss out on when beginning a DIY roofing project. Save yourself a trip to the store, and add these to your shopping cart.
1. Nail Gun
Whether you’re doing a total roof replacement or simply re-shingling your roof, you’ll want a nail gun.
Cost-effective option: Wen Nail Gun
Our top recommendation for a cost-effective nail gun is the WEN 61783 3/4-Inch Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer.
This tool has an adjustable shingle guide, making it much easier to gauge the shingle spacing during your next project.
Additionally, the gun does not jam often and is usually capable of larger roofing projects. Holding 120 nails at a time, you’ll be able to complete your roof replacement quite easily.
Most nail guns recommended in the industry are over $200- but let’s be honest. When you’re not a roofing professional, you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a project you’ll only do once.
Save some money: you can buy it here for 104.79
Bostitch Nail Gun
If you’re willing to spend a bit more for better results, we recommend the Bostitch Coil Roofing Nailer (RN46).
While it comes at a higher price tag, you’ll find more features with this nail gun. Not only does it have the shingle guide for easy spacing, but it is also lightweight, indicates when you need to reload, and has a quick one-step process for loading nails. All of these features make it extremely user-friendly and will make your job easier.
We also found that this nail gun is less likely to double fire, and does not jam as often as other models.
You can purchase it here for $206.55
2. Air Compressor
An air compressor and hose are required to operate a nail gun, and we have the right pick for you.
An air compressor creates pressurized air which then travels through a connected hose to your nail gun. Once you press the trigger of the nail gun, the pressurized air shoots out from behind the nail and forces it into position.
The Bostitch Pancake Air Compressor has a long life span, it is also designed for easy start-up and use in cold temperatures. It’s perfect for those Midwest winters.
It’s lightweight, easy to move around, and most importantly it is cost-effective. You can buy it here for just $129.00
3. Aviation Snips
When you’re installing a new roof, you’ll have flashing to deal with. Flashing is thin sheets of metal that go around penetrations in your roof to further protect it from water damage.
To cut it, you’ll need aviation snips. And the best on the market is the Midwest Aviation Snips.
Its design allows it to make both straight and wide cuts into any heavy-duty metal. Or if you get the pack of three, you can make straight, left, and right cuts. And its comfortable grips won’t leave you with achy hands after the first hour.
4. Caulk Gun
A caulk gun is a good tool to have, as you will be using tubes of caulk for your roofing project. Using this product will make it much easier to get all of the product out of the tube.
For your caulking adventures, we recommend the Newborn 930-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun.
It’s a mouthful, but it’s worth it. With this, your next roofing project will be so much smoother. It’s easy to get the product out of the tube, fast, and overall: you won’t dread caulking.
You can purchase it here for the low price of $11.46
5. Circular Saw
A circular saw will come in handy during your next roofing project. But unfortunately, it won’t be cheap. This is amongst one of the higher-priced items you’ll need to get the job done.
Cost-Effective Option: The Skilsaw
Our cost-effective choice: the Skilsaw SPT77WML-01 Worm Drive Circular Saw. And if you don’t want to type all of that into a search bar, you can find it here.
It’s lightweight, you get a variety of cuts, and it’s easy to navigate. The only drawback is that it does have a power cord, so you might need to use extension cords with it to get it onto your roof.
Milwaukee Tools
Finally, we have our most expensive (but worth it) choice for a circular saw: the Milwaukee Tools 2732-20 M18 Circular Saw.
This is a tool we keep in our own toolkits. Not only is it precise, lightweight, and effective, Milwaukee Tools has a compatible battery system that allows all of their tools to use the same battery. Meaning you don’t have to have a thousand batteries lying around to power all of your tools.
It is more expensive, but we think it’s worth the price. You can find it here for $233.99
Ready to Get Started With Your DIY Roof Replacement?
If you’re going to attempt your first DIY roof replacement, you’re going to want to see quality results. After all, you don’t want to have to pay professionals to redo the job after you complete it.
Rescue My Roof has the hands-on experience to know what tools are necessary for the roof installation process. We compiled this list so that you can be on the right track. Your job will be much easier to navigate and complete. And hopefully, you’ll get results that you love.
If you want a more comprehensive list of tools you may need for your project, read:
DIYing a Roof Replacement: 13 Tools You’ll Need to Get Started