I have a small pool cabana, the roof of which has been covered completely with 30 year shingles. I need to vent the bathroom up through the roof and consequently need to cut a hole in the roof (an oval shape), cut the shingles and attach the boot. Can anyone give me step by step instructions how to do this (or give me a web site that can walk me through it)? It is not clear if it is easier (or better) to cut the whole from the inside of outside etc. etc.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Hi Naples:

I would recommend that you install a KOZY KOLLAR roof boot for this job... It's foolproof! See pic. Below.

Also, click on this link:

Kozy Kollar Manufacturing Inc, 1 Industrial Park Dr. Unit 23 Pelham, NH 03076

Even has a video showing you how to install it at the first page (at top)... automatically comes up when you go to the web site!

The kozy collar allows you to install the roof boot without having to go on the roof!

It comes with the instructions and is super easy to install! Just requires that you drill the hole, pass top part through to roof, then drill smaller holes, then install bottom half of boot and then install the nuts and clamp all down.

Then pass the pipe up and through roof boot and then connect onto pipe and you should be all set WITHOUT HAVING TO CLIMB ON ROOF OR CUT ROOF SHINGLES SPECIAL FOR TYPICAL ROOF BOOT.

The Kozy Kollar roof boot is available at all home supply stores and online as well!

If you want to just go with a normal roof boot..let me know. They are quite a bit cheaper!

Let me know what you think...

Mark

Thanks, Mark. I already have the normal roof boot ready to go. Could you please give me advice as to how to proceed with this one?

Thanks

Sure can...

Just need to cut the oval hole like you said... from top of roof... then insert the roof boot under the shingle sliding toward that hole.

Then will need to mark the shingle to match the shape of the raised part of the roof boot. You need to cut this shape out of the shingle so it mates up to the EDGE of the raised part of the roof boot. The shingle should not go lower than 1/2 way down the roof boot!

Then install roofing tar or roofers caulking (comes in tube) around the hole... slide the boot in under the shingle and then install the roof vent.

It should be that easy! Some people nail these... I don't recommend it.. not necessary.

Let me know if you need more info.

MARK

It's definitely a trick to try to get old sealed shingles apart without destroying them. Using a hammer on a flat bar and tapping under the tabs of the shingles to break the tar seal is the first step. If you can do that without ripping holes in the tabs, you're well on your way. You only need to remove the shingles that overlap the pipe boot on the sides and top of the boot. It will probably be at least 2 rows of shingles... maybe 3 or 4 individual shingles at the most. The shingles that are under the boot do not need to come off.

Once the shingles are removed the boot will go on. It's a good idea to flash the top of the boot under the felt... or add a new piece of felt over it, and tuck that piece of felt under an existing seam in the felt.

Then you shingle around it... cutting your shingles around the curve of the boot until the fit nicely... leaving perhaps 1/2" around the flange for drainage. Some like to run a bead of sealant on the perimeter of the boot, before laying a shingle into the sealant (as added insurance against leaks).

You don't usually want to reuse the shingles you have removed, because of the nail holes in them. But if you do reuse them you'll need to nail in a different spot and use plenty of roof sealant to seal up the old holes. I would highly recommend you repair the patch with new shingles. They won't match perfectly but hopefully this repair will get you by until the roof gets redone. Good luck, Tom

Thanks, Mark. When you say "You need to cut this shape out of the shingle so it mates up to the EDGE of the raised part of the roof boot", does that mean that I should plan this so that I only have to cut one course of shingles? In odther words do I push the boot under one course only until the raised part of the boot hits the shingle course above it? I looked at a boot that is on my house and it appears that they actaully trimmed two courses to get this to slide up where it needs to go. I have the luxury of moving the stack around a little inside the cabana so I can put the hole wherever I want. I appears that when two courses of shingles are trimmed then it violates yours suggestion that "The shingle should not go lower than 1/2 way down the roof boot". Am I following this correctly?

Thanks, again.

Following perfectly!

Sounds like you understand just fine. You need to decide how far down to go here. If older boot has it so 2 courses shingles works best... then go for that!

I just gave general rules of thumb... but sounds like you understand fine!

Tom (Speedball) also gave some great tips so review that post as well... ;)

Good luck, let us know how you make out.