How Many Roofing Nails Per Square
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How To Calculate Roofing Nails
Your roof is one of the most important structural elements of your house, and in order to complete a successful re-roofing project, a significant investment in both time and money is required. It is highly recommended you hire a professional contractor for roofing work, and it can be difficult to cover the costs of pricey mistakes.
If you are undertaking the project yourself, its critical to remember roof work can be a risky and potentially dangerous job. Anything you can do take fewer trips up and down the ladder to the roof lessens the chance of injury.
A simple bit of math when making your supply plan can help you estimate just how many roofing nails are needed for a roofing job. You will need to know the size of your roof, and then you will be able to calculate an estimate of how many points of roofing nails you will need to buy.
When you are planning out a roofing project, it is key to track how much weight they add to the roof, especially if you are working with an older foundation and framing. In order to have an accurate weight estimate, you will need to include the weight of the nails used to hold the roof shingles in place.
What Is A Roofing Square
Roof surfaces are measured in squares.
A roofing square is equal to 100 square feet of the roof.
To determine the number of squares on the gable roof example in this post, divide its total of 2400 square feet by 100 .
This means you would need 24 squares of shingles to cover that roof. Be sure to add 10%-15% to all your material totals for trim allowance .
Pro Tip: Want to skip doing some math?Order a FREE RoofScopeX aerial roof reportto see the size of your roof in squares, as well as the slope of your roof. Keep the report on hand for future conversations with roofers or when reviewing estimates for your next roof replacement or repair.
Ready to get an estimate?
Search our list of independent roofing contractors in the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network to find the roofing professional thats right for you.
Lights Receptacles And Vents
Most fiber cement manufacturers make mounting blocks for lights, electrical receptacles, A/C lines, PVC venting, etc. Jaime prefers to use the vinyl mounting blocks typically used with vinyl siding. Theyre cheaper and easy to install, and you can cut the proper-size hole in a plastic mounting block with a utility knife or a snips. With fiber cement blocks, you have to use a jigsaw or a hole saw.
MountMaster is one brand of blocks sold at Lowes and many lumberyards. Its available in more than 25 colors, but you can order paintable blocks if you want an exact match with your siding or trim.
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Window And Door Detail
Whether or not youre installing trim boards around your windows, youll need to install a drip cap over the window. Youll also need to leave a 1/4-in. gap between the top of the window and the plank or trim board directly above it. This is to allow any water that may have gotten behind the siding to weep out. Tape the drip cap to the wall, but dont tape all the way to the bottom of the drip cap because it will be visible through the 1/4-in. gap. The top trim board will also need its own drip cap and 1/4-in. gap. Treat the tops of doors the same way.
How Many Shingle Nails Do I Need To Buy
Quantity is just as important as quality and classification when it comes to roofing nails. If you dont have the proper number on location, then youre going to run into a problem towards the end of your project.
Nails per shingle
According to GAFs asphalt shingles guidelines, you must use secure with 4, 5, or 6 nails per shingle per GAFs application instructions or local codes, however, most of GAFs shingle lines require 6 nails per shingle.
You should use 6 nails per asphalt shingle to properly adhere all materials to the roof surface. The six nail requirement is especially important for high wind shingle application areas where a 5 nail per shingle pattern would not be sufficient.
Nails per roofing square
One square of roofing is about 100 square feet of roof material, and one bundle of shingles covers about of a roofing square. With this being said, youll need three bundles of shingles per square.
Each shingle bundle will contain about 28 shingles, so you can expect to have 84 shingles per square in total.
How many roofing nails per square? When using a 6 nail strategy during roof installation, youll need an average of 506 nails per square. Dont hold yourself to this exact count because every brand is different, but this math can be used as a guide for your planning.
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Choosing The Right Size Length And Gauge Of Nail
To narrow the selection down from the many types of roofing nails available, it helps to know what you are looking for before you consider making a purchase. As with any type of nail, roofing nails can be bought in a range of different lengths, sizes and gauges.
Roofing nails tend to be available in lengths ranging between 25mm to 152mm. In most cases a roofing nail is between 25mm to 60mm. Any nail that is longer than 152mm is instead called a pike and is not suitable for use in roofing projects as it would penetrate too deeply into the cover materials and beyond.
What If You Have A Steep Roof
To measure a steep roof, use one of the following alternate methods:
Method 1
Calculate the roof length by measuring the exterior walls plus the overhang for the length of the house parallel to the ridge.
Next, throw a rope over the ridge and mark it where it meets each eave. This will give the width dimension to use in figuring your area. This should be done on each roof section containing a horizontal ridge.
Method 2
Determine the roof area by using a mathematical formula that accounts for the roof length, total span, and roof pitch:
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Lay The Subsequent Rows
- 6.1 – Start off the first row with a whole shingle.
- 6.2 – Place the shingle in the starting corner in such a way that the last shingle will overhang the fascia board by 3/8″.
- 6.3 – Drive in 4 straight nails only until the nail heads make contact with the asphalt. Avoid tearing.
- 6.4 – Stagger each new row by a half-tab.
- 6.5 – Align the lower edge of the shingle with the top of the notches on the preceding row.
- 6.6 – Repeat for every row.
What Size Roofing Nail
Existing roof is a 3 tab shingle with 1/2″ plywood.The nails used are 1/2″-3/4″. Most of the nails do not come through the plywood. The roof/structure is completely open and can be seen from underneath. It is outside in a yard. Seems 1 1/4″ nails are recommended. Roofs been on quite awhile and the nails held ok. Will the 1 1/4″ nails rust since they will be below the plywood? Or should the shorter nails be used again? Thanks for any help.
they wont rust youll just see them popping thru everywhere. The short nails will work if you are worried about appearence, we have to use them quite often on exposed overhangs and the HO doesnt want to see all the penetrations with no problems
The specification for this states that on plywood or OSB roof decks, the nail shall penetrate past the point with the shank exposed. On lumber type decking, then a minimum of 3/4″ penetration and a irregular nail shank.
This 3/4″ spec is most used ’round here for exposed decorative tongue and groove decking.
1/2″ is too small. Dont know that Ive ever seen a half inch roofing nail. Use the 3/4″ and just 6 nail the shingles.
1/2″ is too small. Dont know that Ive ever seen a half inch roofing nail. Use the 3/4″ and just 6 nail the shingles.
yeah, I just assumed he was guessing and it actually was a 3/4 or 7/8 nail. We normally use the 7/8 for that type of situation, cant remember ever seeing 1/2″ though they do all look short as hell
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What Size Roofing Nail Should I Use
There are two ways to measure the size of a roofing nail diameter and length.
Shank diameter
According to the International Building Codes 2018 Edition, fasteners for asphalt shingles must be a minimum of a 12-gauge shank. While it is common to find nails with a shank diameter of 13 inches, they cannot be smaller than 12 gauge and still comply with the IBC.
Head diameter
According to the IBC, the minimum head diameter for a roofing nail thats in compliance with IBC guidelines is 9.5mm. Like with shank diameter, you can find nails with a larger head width than 9.5mm, but smaller should never be used.
Hammers Pneumatic And Cordless Nailers
Roofing nails should be driven by a hammer into the shingles by hand. They can also be driven with a pneumatic roofing nailer , but this tool needs to handled carefully and adjusted properly to avoid overdriven or under driven nails.
A cordless roofing nailer is also a good option. It works on batteries just like cordless leaf blowers and string trimmers and its handling is convenient as it keeps one hand free.
Even with a cordless or pneumatic nailer, a roofing hammer will still be required to seat occasional nails that dont drive in flush.
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Lay The Starter Strip
A starter strip is an extra layer of shingles at the edge of the roof. Purchase this in the same color as what you’re choosing for your main field shingles. You can also buy 3-tab shingles and use several of them to create the strip.
Take the starter strip and turn it upside down so that the shingles are facing up or what you would see as the wrong direction. Place this over the underlayment. When you start installing the rest of the shingles, this strip will provide a perfect double layer of protection on the edge.
Once the starter strip is installed, it should hang roughly 1/4 inch past the drip edge. Using your chalk line, mark the location in a straight line across the underlayment where you want the top of the starter strip to sit to achieve the correct overhang. Lay the strip and nail it down. Your nails should go into the tar strip. Add the second layer of shingles on top.
What Size Nails Do You Use For Shingles
shinglesyou should usenailsshinglesyou usenails
. In this way, how long should your nails be for shingles?
Proper Nail Application For Asphalt ShinglesNails should have a minimum, nominal shank diameter of 11- or 12-gauge, and a minimum head diameter of three-eighths of an inch. The length of each nail must be a minimum of 1¼ inches long, and for roof-overs, Atlas recommends a nail length of at least 2 inches.
Similarly, should roofing nails go through the sheathing? A 1nail will fully penetrate through 3/8roof sheathing, but it won’t fully penetrate 1/2sheathing. The other way to determine if the proper nails were used is to look in the attic if the roof has 1/2sheathing, you should be able to see the nails sticking through in to the attic.
Keeping this in view, how do you nail down shingles?
NAILING: Use galvanized roofing nails, 11 or 12 gauge, with at least 3/8″ diameter heads, long enough to penetrate through plywood or 3/4″ into boards. Use 4 nails per shingle placed 6-1/8″ above the butt edge, 1″ and 13″ in from each end and 1/2″ above each cutout.
Is it better to hand nail shingles?
Technically, it does not matter if a roofer hand or gun nails the asphalt shingles on your new roof. By hand–nailing the roof, roofers can ensure the nail is properly placed and is nailed in at the correct depth flush with the shingle and not over- or under-driven.
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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.
What Nails To Use To Install Shingles Properly
Roofing nails should be no gauge higher than 12, which is the diameter of the nail shank. 11 gauge is better because it is thicker and thus has greater holding power. Length should be no shorter than 1 ¼ and the head must be at least in diameter.
Nails must penetrate the roof sheathing at least by ¾. If the sheathing isnt ¾ thick, then they must go through the sheathing by at least . Abiding by these requirements will ensure you have the right sized nail.
Installations of shingles that occur over the top of old shingles require nails that are, at minimum, 2 in length. This is to ensure the nail penetrates through both the new and old shingle, plus penetrates the roof deck by at least ¾.
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How Many Nails Per Bundle Of Shingles
The amount of nails you will need per bundle of shingles depends upon the number of shingles in the bundle. Most bundles cover around 33 square feet. However, the size of the shingle itself will dictate the number it takes to cover that square footage.
Traditionally, a 36 x12 3-tab shingle was the standard size for a roof shingle. Using that example, a 33 square foot bundle of shingles of that size will have 26 shingles in a bundle. If we multiple 26×4, we get 104. That means youll need 104 nails minimum to install that type of roof shingle.
How Many Nails Should Be Used Per Shingle
Weve had some pretty bad thunderstorms in our area lately, with really strong winds. Many of our neighbors have ended up with some shingles missing, blown down the street, or strewn about yards. As I took a walk this morning, I noticed some shingles still had nails in them. I started to wonder how many nails should be used per shingle.
Manufacturers recommend 4 nails per shingle for standard slopes from 4:12 to 9:12 and five nails per starter shingle. Anything less than four will void any warranties offered. For steep slopes and high wind areas, use 6 nails per shingle. Nails must be long enough to penetrate at least ¾ into the roofing sheathing.
In this article, well go over everything you need to know about nailing shingles to your roof, whether its your house, shed or even a doghouse. Well also cover other types of shingles, such as ridge cap shingles, so there wont be any questions when it comes time for you to shingle your roof.
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How To Nail Asphalt Shingles To A Roof
When nailing asphalt shingles to a roof, there is a right way and a wrong way to drive the nail. First, you do not want to nail at an angle. Nailing at an angle will cause the nails head to sit at an angle to the roof. That means part of the nail head will not contact the surface and will be a likely entry point for water.
Ensuring the heads of nails are flush with the roofs surface will prevent moisture from creeping into the nail holes of the shingles.
Do not overdrive nails. When hammering a roofing nail, you dont want the head to sink below the level of the shingle. If the nail looks indented on the shingle, youve probably driven it too far. Doing so risks damaging the roof shingle, as it will become more prone to cracking over time.
Under-nailing a roofing nail has the obvious consequence of being a water entry point. Without the sealing effect of a nail head hit flush to its surface, water will slide right under the nailhead and into your home.
Which Roofing Nails Do I Need
Product Guide: Roofing Tools & Accessories
Help & Advice> Product guides> Roofing Tools & Accessories
When working on a roofing project, there are several different types of roofing nail to choose from. Each type of roofing nail has a slightly different benefit. So each individual type works best when used with a specific type of roofing material. This means it is important to ensure you have the correct roofing nails for your latest roofing project.
But how do you know which roofing nails you need? Here at Roofing Superstore, weve put together a guide outlining the different types of roofing nails, and which materials they work best with, so read on.
If you have any further unanswered questions or want to know more about the best roofing nails for your project, dont hesitate to get in touch. Call the team on 01752 692760 or use the live chat in the bottom right-hand corner and we will be more than happy to help.
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