# Separating Shingles that are Extremely Stuck Together



## bilskro (Aug 11, 2016)

Trying to repair a leak and these are the hardest shingles to separate I ever encountered. It is a roof on top of another roof and it is like the shingles are melted together (baked from the sun). Everything I have tried so far just tears up the shingles.

I tried on a warm day and that did not work. So I tried on a cloudy early morning day when the shingles where slightly wet and cool. Still no go. I tried using putty knives and my oscillating tool. Both ripped up the shingle. 

I am going to try and get some ice to see if that cools them down more and makes them come apart. The other option is go the opposite direction and use a heat gun. 

One thought is if I can just get past the tar part then maybe the shingle will separate. So maybe I can dig down and damage the shingle below and break past the tar part and then get the top shingle off (which will contain part of the lower shingle from not separating cleanly), clean as best I can and replace the lower shingle. 


Any tricks of the trade to remove extremely stuck together shingles.


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## bilskro (Aug 11, 2016)

I finally got them separated. Ice with water running off and using a putty knife and being very cautious and taking you time. Also when using the putty knife angle it down a bit so if it damages anything it will be the shingle underneath that you are trying to remove and not the top shingle. 

That method worked great for me.


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## roofermann (Jul 7, 2012)

bilskro said:


> I finally got them separated. Ice with water running off and using a putty knife and being very cautious and taking you time. Also when using the putty knife angle it down a bit so if it damages anything it will be the shingle underneath that you are trying to remove and not the top shingle.
> 
> That method worked great for me.


Was going to suggest using ice, but you have already done that. Congrats!:thumbup:


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