The Different Types Of Roofing Nails
Your homes roofing system is made up of many exciting parts. It includes the roofing shingle, a deck complete with gutters that catch all your rain and snow before it wreaks havoc on everything inside, as well as those tiny nails that make sure you dont have to worry about any leaks thanks to their incredible design.
Roofing nails may appear insignificant, but they are responsible for keeping your roofing shingles, waterproofing layer, and underlayment in place and prevents it from falling or blowing off.
You have many roofing nails to choose from, and each one has a different purpose. Well break down the types of roof nail options available, how theyre used in construction projects, and how they benefit your home.
There are three main roofing nail types available to you, these are:
When To Choose A Screw Shank Nail
For roofs that are made up of wood and pallets, a screw shank nail is considered the best option, instead of relying on a hand driven nail. This is due to the twisted shank that is able to hold the timber more securely, meaning the roof structure will remain firmly in place, even during bad weather conditions.
Another main characteristic of a screw shank nail is the flat head that also features a diamond tip. This makes it easier to penetrate the roofing material, without creating any unnecessary issues, which is why many professionals opt to use screw shank nails for timber roofing projects.
What Is A Roofing Nail
A roofing nail is, as the name implies, a nail used for installing roofing. There are, however, many types of nails referred to as roofing nails, and these nails have many other uses. The main feature that distinguishes a roofing nail is its large head, which is usually much larger and flatter than other types of nails. This permits the nail to hold down roofing felt and roofing shingles without tearing through the material. Roofing nails generally come in lengths of 1 to 1.75 inches , although shorter and longer nails can be found.
One element that makes roofing nails unique is the material they are made of. These nails are almost always made of galvanized iron or aluminum. Galvanization adds a thin layer of steel or zinc to an iron nail that prevents it from rusting aluminum is used for the same reason. Roofing nails must stand up to years of rain, snow, and other weather. Rusting is undesirable not only because it will shorten the life of the nail, but because it can cause unsightly stains on a roof.
The large, flat head on a roofing nail, in addition to helping to hold down roofing materials, also helps prevent water from seeping in. Some roofing nails have a small rubber or plastic washer under the head. This adds another layer of waterproofing to the nail.
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Stainless Steel Roofing Nails
This is the best nail to choose if you are installing awood-shake or wood shingle roof. Stainless steel nails withstand all mineralreactions, from the wood itself to the lead in the rainwater. They are availablein various grades:
What Type Of Nails For Sheathing
If you need to install new roof decking or OSB, youll need to nail it to the roof truss. There are fewer requirements for these nails than those used to secure shingles. Common nails, or even wood screws, may be acceptable nails for OSB roof sheathing. You should check with your building code and local bylaws to confirm.
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Nasco Roofing And Construction
About the Business
We are a General Contractor that specializes in Roofing, Siding, Gutters, Downpouts and components associated with the previous stated.We strive for 100 percent customer satisfaction and will do our best to ensure that, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and accredited since 2001 that should speak volumes to our values for our customers.We are an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor less than 1 percent achieve this status with Owens Corning. We are members of the NRCA, ORCA, HBA, LEAD Certified, HAAG Certified in Commercial and Residential.
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Can You Reuse Roofing Nails
If you take off a shingle for repairs or take off the whole roof in preparation for a reroofing job, youll have a ton of roofing nails on hand. You may be tempted to reuse these to save on costs. Thats a bad idea. Not only is it tedious to yank these nails out, but their zinc coating will also be worn. Plus, they may have been otherwise damaged. Its not wise to attempt to reuse them, as they may cause problems on the new roof.
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How To Fix Nail Pops In A Roof
Nails can pop above the roof surface for a number of reasons. Perhaps they were underdriven in the first place. Nails that didnt fully penetrate the sheathing may work their way up over time. Or, if a roofs decking has warped or bent, it can pull nails out of place. Whatever the cause, its important to fix any nail pops in a roof to prevent damage.
Fixing the nails is simply a matter of removing them, removing the shingle and installing a new shingle. Be sure you to use the correct nail length and place it properly.
Do not simply hammer the nail down, renail it in the same spot, or use the same shingle. All of these methods could allow water through the roof. For example, if you remove the nail and drive it back into the same spot, your aim wont be perfectly accurate. There will be a tiny gap on one side of the nail or the other. Even if it is imperceptible to you, water will find it.
If you use the same shingle and add the nail back in a different spot, youre leaving behind a hole where the nail once was. Some suggest you fill this hole with roofing cement, but this repair option must be done carefully to maintain the roofs water-shedding performance.
General Guidelines For Nailing Shingles
To ensure optimal performance of your asphalt roofingshingles, be sure to follow these general directions for proper nailing:
- Use the correct roofing nail material, size, and grade as specified in the shingle installation instructions.
- Fasten shingles with corrosion-resistant nails.
- Install the recommended number of nails per shingle. For Duration® Series shingles, Owens Corning recommends using either a 4- or 6-nail fastening pattern depending on the roofs slope and building code requirements. In most cases, 4 nails are adequate.
- Position the nails appropriately according to the shingle installation instructions.
- Align shingles properly to avoid nail exposure.
Where to Nail Shingles
Each shingle manufacturer has its own requirements forproper nailing, including where roofing nails should be placed. Roofingcontractors should follow those guidelines and take care not to overdrive nailsas this can lead to water infiltration.
Owens Corning® Duration® shingles, for example, provide a reinforced nailing zone, called SureNail® Technologya tough, engineered fabric strip embedded on the face of the shingle that offers outstanding nail pull-through and nail blow through resistance while providing a highly visible nailing target for roofing contractors. Its easy to see where the nails are supposed to go.
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S Of A Roofing Hammer
Before you can understand the advantages of roofing hammers, you need to know what separates them from framing hammers and other naildriving tools. The parts of a shingle hammer each have specific features designed just for working with asphalt shingles.
Choosing Nails For A Roof: Your Best Options
If you are starting a roofing project, you have an important question to answer: staples or nails? Heres a hint the correct answer is nails, but you must still choose the best nails for a roof project. Here is the information you need to get started:
Roofing nails
Choosing the appropriate nails is a very important step in planning for a re-roofing. There are many different types of nails available, but nails for a roof are specifically designed for nailing shingles. Typically, roofing nails are made of stainless steel, but sometimes they are made of aluminum. They also have very large, broad heads compared to most other nails. Roofing nails are not measured by pennies but rather by inches and are clearly labeled as roofing nails.
Galvanized nails
Roofing nails tend to be galvanized, a process that makes stainless steel resistant to rust by coating it in a layer of zinc, which does not rust. Galvanization is very important when it comes to roofing nails, but even here you need to be careful because there are different types of galvanization. Try to find nails that are hot-dipped, which tends to provide the highest quality of zinc coating. Electro-plated nails, on the other hand, tend to lose their coatings more easily and it is best to avoid them if possible.
The nail shank
Nail length
Metal panels
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A Guide To Buying Roofing Nails
Guides
8th February 2019
Roofing Nails
If you are planning to install a new roof onto your property you will need to become familiar with the different types of roofing nails that are available. In our guide to buying roofing nails, we discuss some of the types you can use, their benefits and some of the more common issues found with nails that are installed incorrectly.
When To Choose A Smooth Shank Nail
Another alternative available to use are smooth shank nails. These are seen as being a more cost effective option, although they still provide excellent value for money. Smooth shank nails tend to be made from either aluminium, stainless steel or copper. This is the most common type of roofing nail, and they are also used in a number of general construction applications.
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Introduction Of Roofing Nails Making Machine
Galvanized Roofing nails making machine can punch the nails to the umbrella head caps. We use Z94-4c high speed nails making machine to produce nails, and install another automatic caps feeding device. Each punch dropping one cap, one by one in order.
Roofing nails making machine can make smooth shank and twisted shank roofing nails.
| Specification |
What Type Of Nails For Felt/underlayment
Roofing felt is a type of underlayment that professionals install beneath a roofs shingles. Unlike selfadhering underlayments, such as ice and water protector, felt underlayment needs to be fastened in place with nails. Specifically, youll need roofing cap nails. These have large plastic caps for heads, which help prevent water intrusion.
Dont confuse these cap nails with gasket roofing nails. Roofing nails with gaskets are intended for metal roofs. The gasket is rubber, not plastic. You want roofing nails with plastic washers for roof underlayment.
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Common Problems Found With Roofing Nail Installation
In most cases homeowners will choose to outsource the job of installing a new roof to a professional company. As long as you do the relevant background checks to ensure they have a history of providing good quality work, you are far less likely to experience any issues with the roof after installation.
Those who decide to take on the job themselves to save money, or hire a roofing installation company without doing thorough checks, may run into some of the problems below:
Low and high nailing
Improper nailing is one of the most common mistakes made when installing a new roof. Another issue that compounds this further is that it is difficult to spot if you are not an experienced professional. In order to maximise the strength of your new roofing system, the nails must be installed accurately.
When the nails are installed too quickly in order to save costs, mistakes tend to happen and their placement is often found to be incorrect. This can lead to the appearance of gaps, along with corrosion of the nails, while the roofing material can even start to expand and contract.
Under and over driven nails
Other Suggestions For Using The Right Type Of Nail
Pay attention to the finishes on the nails. For greater holding power, choose nails that are coated in cement or vinyl for better resistance to rust, choose nails with electrogalvanized or hot-galvanized coatings.
. Aluminum nails resist rust the best and if you are working on screening or aluminum siding, this is the nail to use. Stainless steel nails wont break down or corrode therefore, they are great if youre working with redwood or cedar. Furthermore, stainless steel nails wont streak or stain your wood.
Pay attention to all aspects of your project. If you are working with very fine materials, brads are the best nails to use. This is because brads have lighter gauges and smaller heads than other types of nails, allowing them to be concealed a lot more easily.
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First Nail Making Machines In North America
1772 – 1820: In North America early machine cut nails
Dating from 1590 in England, as the earliest report of nail production, the earliest reported cut nails in America are reported to have been cut, essentially by-hand, by Darrow in 1772 with other authors crediting the Wilkinson brothers somewhat later, ca. 1783 .
Nelson notes the first generation of cut nail manufacturing involved cutting all nails from common sides with heads hammered on as a separate production step.
The first nail making machines in North America appeared during the late 1700’s – earlier than one might have guessed.
The slitting mill, introduced to England in 1590, simplified the production of nail rods, but the real first efforts to merchandise the nail-making process itself occurred between 1790 and 1820, initially in the United States and England, when various machines were invented to automate and speed up the process of making nails from bars of wrought iron.
These nails were known as cut nails or square nails because of their roughly rectangular cross section.
Cut nails were one of the important factors in the increase in balloon framing beginning in the 1830s and thus the decline of timber framing with wooden joints.
Above and shown just below are nails used to secure accordion lath – a plaster base found in a rural U.S. post-and-beam home in Wyoming County, New York.
More about the accordion wood lath in this building and our estimate of the building age are
How To Use A Roofing Hammer
This basic outline will tell you how to use a roofing hammer so that youre taking advantage of all of its special features:
- Step One: Cut the shingle to size with the claw of the hammer. Using a straight edge as a guide, mark a line along the shingle with chalk where youd like to make the cut. Use the claw of the hammer to score the shingle.
- Step Two: The hammer will not cut all of the way through the shingle. To finish the cut, bend the shingle along the line until it snaps apart. If youre using a laminate shingle, this also may not be enough in which case, youll need to use a roofers hook blade knife.
- Step Three: Use the shingle guide on the head of the hammer to help you position the shingle. Assuming you have adjusted the hatchets gauge to the correct exposure, you may hook the hammer onto the exposed edge of the shingle you just laid. Place the lower edge of your next shingle onto the hammers face.
- Step Four: Drive nails into the loose shingle, along the nail line or in the nailing zone. Always check with your manufacturers application instructions to ensure you use the correct number of nails.
- Step Five: Ensure that you do not over- or underdrive your nails.
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