QA

Question: What Size Nails For Roof Shingles

NRCA does not recommend the use of staples for fastening asphalt shingles. Roofing nails should be round-headed, sharp-pointed 11-gauge galvanized steel or the equivalent corrosion-resistant roofing nails. Nail head sizes recommended are 3/8-inch to 7/16-inch diameter. Nail heads should be low profile, smooth and flat.

What size nails do you use for shingles?

If you’re using typical architectural shingles and 3/8-inch-thick sheathing, you’ll need 1‐inch nails. If your building codes require thicker sheathing, you’ll need 1 ¼-inch nails. When installing thicker shingles, you may need to use a longer nail in order to penetrate the OSB beneath fully.

How long should roofing nails be?

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. Nails of the proper length should penetrate three-fourths of an inch into the roof deck.

What size roofing nails are best?

Roofing nails should be 1-1/4 to 2 inches long to ensure that it sufficiently penetrates and embeds in the roof sheathing. To calculate the appropriate roofing nail length, add the thickness of the shingles and underlayment to the thickness of the sheathing. Nail shank diameter should be at least 11-12 gauge for roofs.

What nails are used for roof shingles?

Galvanized roofing nails tend to resist rust formation, and they are a suitable option for asphalt shingles. Owens Corning requires using either galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum nails to affix shingles.

Can roofing nails be too long?

Yes, they can. If they are too long, they will protrude through the sheathing at the roof overhang and be visible.

How long should nails be for 2 layers of shingles?

Layers. If you are putting a layer of asphalt shingles over an existing layer of asphalt shingles on to a 3/4-inch deck or a plank deck then you should be using 1 1/2-inch nails. If your decking is less than 3/4 inch then a 1 1/2-inch nail will suffice.

Is it better to hand nail shingles?

While air gun nailing might seem faster, a well-trained hand nailer can do it almost as fast. The key difference between the two is accuracy. Hand driving nails into shingles allows for the roofer to place the nail on the proper nail line and then drive the nail in.

What is high nailing of a shingle?

A high nail is a nail installed above the nail line on the shingle. High nails cannot be seen as they are covered by the next course of shingles but they can cause big problems. When the shingle is nailed too high the nail does not penetrate the shingle below it.

How many nails do you put in a 3 tab shingle?

NAILING: Use galvanized (zinc coated) 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.

How many nails do I need for roofing?

Roofing Nails Generally, you should use four nails per shingle in the field of the roof, and 5 nails per starter shingle. For regular three-tab shingles, this would require 320 nails per square for field shingles.

How long should ridge cap nails be?

You need to use at least 2-inch-long nails for roof cap shingles installation. Why? The standard 1 and 1/4-inch nails are not long enough to penetrate through all the roofing material up near the ridge.

Which is better roofing nails or staples?

After all, it’s no surprise roofers loved staples for attaching shingles to roofing. Staples cost less than nails, offer exceptional holding strength, and cover a greater area of space with a more versatile and compact collation. Breaking it down further, you’ll typically use four fasteners per 3-tab shingle.

Can you nail over shingles?

When you nail-over your old shingles, most of the typical roof replacement process is left out. Nailing-over doesn’t require a tear-off, dump fees, underlayment installation, new flashing, or new decking.

Where do you nail architectural shingles?

A minimum of four nails are required per shingle, located in the sealant line about 6 inches up from the bottom edge of the shingle. One nail should be placed approximately 1 inch from each side of the shingle, and the remaining nails equally spaced between the two outer nails.

Should roofing nails be visible?

Yes, and there are two types of nails that are normal to see in an attic: 1) The ring-shank nails used to secure asphalt shingles to the plywood or OSB roof sheathing typically penetrate into the attic 1/4” or more.

Are roofing nails supposed to use plywood?

The code states that the nails only penetrate when the roof deck thickness is below 3/4 of an inch. To hold snow, ice, and withstand wind, it has to be at least one inch thick plywood.

Is it OK to put 2 layers of shingles?

Two layers of shingles trap more heat, which in turn damages the shingles and shortens the life span of the roof. Adding a second layer could compromise the structure of your roof. Problems fixing leaks: A second layer of shingles only complicates the job when a roofer is trying to fix a leak.