Proper Roofing Nails

The nails should begin 3 4 of an inch from the roofing s edges.

Proper roofing nails.

Wood shakes minimum 3 4 sheathing wood shakes nail type minimum length 18 straight split 5d box 1 3 4 18 and 24 handsplit and resawn 6d box 2. Nails that are longer than six inches are called pikes and they are seldom used on roofs. Nails should have a minimum nominal shank diameter of 11 or 12 gauge and a minimum head diameter of three eighths of an inch. The most commonly used roofing nails range from one to two inches in length.

A countersunk nail will rip the shingle and a nail that is not completely nailed down will eventually work its way out. A large nail head and heavier shank gauge provide greater holding power. However leave one edge of the roofing unnailed. The international building code requires that roofing nails have a minimum 12 gauge shank and a 3 8 inch diameter head.

A roofing nail should have a minimum nominal shank diameter of 12 gauge 2 67 mm and a minimum head diameter of 9 5 mm. Nail the roofing down every 3 inches. The one to two inch roofing nails are suitable for most types of roof shingles. More than 1 layer of roofing not recommended over 3 8 sheathing.

If you need bigger nails including pikes you may need to place a special order at the hardware store. When installing roofing nails always make sure the nail is flush to the shingle. This is the side that the next sheet will be overlapping and should be nailed down only after this new sheet is on top. For all owens corning shingles roofing nails should penetrate into the wood deck by a minimum of inch or completely through the roof deck by a minimum of 1 8 inch.

Nails of the proper length should penetrate three fourths of an inch into the roof deck. When nailing shingles proper penetration into the roof deck is essential to ensure the nail and shingle remain secure.