Measure up the roof and snap chalk lines where the upper edge of each course will go. You can find each of the three types of roofing nails in the three materials we list below. To calculate the slope or grade of your roof, youll need to measure the rise and run of your roof. Various nail shank types for different requirements. If required by code, wind conditions, or just regular practice, use plastic capped roofing nails. Synthetic Roofing Felt, do not use nails or staples without caps. Make sure to expose 5 in. Add 10% to the shingle estimate to account for waste. To ensure we feature the products available in your area, please select your country and state/province. For the lower . They cost less per square foot to install than nails, making them a good choice for those working with limited funds. Secure the shingles with the roofing nails. The steps are pretty much the same whether its a big roof or a small one. The weight or thickness needed will vary by regions, but 15-pound suffices in most locales. The cap nail shank shall be not less than 0.083 inch for ring shank cap nails and 0.091 inch for smooth shank cap nails. While all tar paper comes in rolls, you do have some control of what size roll you will purchase. Fasten drip edge on eaves. Where a roll ends and a new one is begun, the two rolls should be overlapped by four inches. The most common shingle roofing nail size is 3/8 inch diameter with a 1-1/2 or 2-inch length. The felt should be trimmed flush with the edge or 1/2 past to wrap the edge when the drip edge is placed. The drip edge is nailed every 8 to 12 with 1 roofing nails, and the ends project 3/4 past the rake or gable end. Determine the bundles of shingles needed to cover the roof. You may want to wear work gloves to avoid injuring your hand or developing blisters. Its working rate is prolonged but heavyweight, making work tiring. Head diameter According to the IBC, the minimum head diameter for a roofing nail that's in compliance with IBC guidelines is 9.5mm. Steel makes for strong nails. Start at one of the upper corners of the felt and continue along the perimeter. Then, fix the top edge of the felt just below the apex of the shed's roof, using galvanized steel clout nails at 4" or 10cm intervals. Aside from the lightweight of the roof staples, it is highly inexpensive and cost-effective, which is one of the reasons why most individuals or companies prefer to use them. Fit felt around vent pipes or other protrusions by cutting it with a utility knife and fastening around the bottom of the vent. Package Fasten panels with a minimum of 8d Common (0.131-inch by 2-1/2-inch) nails spaced a maximum of 6 inches on center at supported panel ends and edges. of the face of the lower-course shingle on the other side of the corner. If you take the time to properly prepare the roof, then laying the felt will be easy. Otherwise, all new nails should be inserted so that they are covered by the shingle above them. Limited time deal. It is represented by the letter d. Here is a handy chart to help you find the right size of roofing nails if they are only listed in penny length. Whats The Difference Between Staple And Nails? Felt nails have a more secure grip on the paper backing of the roll. Using roofing nails and roofing staples are common methods. Holding power is essential, especially if you live in areas with high winds. The standard size for roofing felt paper is categorized into four. You can adjust the firing depth of nails with an easy depth-setting wheel on the head of the tool, and clear jammed nails with the quick-release compartment aside the . Repeat until the roof is covered. HousingHow Roofing Roofing Felt Nails Or Staples? As you work, the paper can be tacked down in the center so it wont blow away. Arrow 1/4-Inch T50 Monel Rust Proof Staples, Building Code [IRC2018 Table R905.1.1(2)] requires two layers of underlayment for low-slope roof decks between 2/12 and 4/12, Local Codes may require it for slopes greater than 4/12, Many home and roof warranties require felt paper, NRCA (National Roofing Contractor Association) recommends bitumen, asphalt, tar, or synthetic felt for asphalt shingles, The NRCA recommends water-resistant underlayment for roof slopes greater than 3/12, Roofing felt helps to prevent pitch, uneven or sharp edges, and nails from damaging shingles, Some shingle warranties are void if felt isnt used, Necessary to meet Class A fire rating with some shingles, Provides additional protection to the roof decking against moisture penetration, When removing old shingles, fully remove and replace the old felt with new felt, Made of tar, asphalt, or bitumen-saturated organic or fiberglass substrate felt paper, Commonly used for slopes greater than 3/12, Water-resistant and breathable, not waterproof sheds moisture, doesnt trap it, 15-pound is lighter and thinner, and easier to damage; it has a permeability rating of 5, 30-pound is thicker and stiffer, and more resistant to damage; provides greater protection, Must overlap 19-inches or more on a low slope, 2/12 to 4/12, to form a double layer on the whole roof deck, On slopes greater than 4/12 the courses of felt should overlap at least 2-inches, Commonly fastens with staples or in high wind areas with plastic capped nails or plastic wind-strips, Compounds leach out over time and with sustained exposure to heat it becomes more absorbent, Manufactured from polyethylene or polypropylene, plus fiberglass in an asphalt-saturated base layer, Equivalent to felt but withstands higher temperatures, Lighter and stronger than felt, wrinkle-free, and may have a non-skid coating that is slip-resistant even when wet, Resistant to moisture, mildew and fungal growth, and UV damage, Can be left weather-exposed for 6-months or more, Overlap depends on the slope and manufacturers instructions, Fastens to deck with roofing nails or plastic cap nails staples arent recommended, May void warranties for some asphalt shingles, Polyester or polyethylene layer bonded to a weather-resistant non-skid upper layer, May have a moisture-resistant polymer film and/or a mineral coating melded to the upper layer, Typically self-adhering with a peel-off membrane protecting the adhesive side, Rubber-like material will self-seal around nails and staples, making it waterproof, Very flexible for irregular surfaces and different temperature extremes, May be designed to resist high-temperatures up to 250F, May be fiberglass-reinforced or polymer-modified for strength and elasticity, May have a selvedge edge or sticky strip along the upper edge to form a stronger watertight seal with the overlapping upper course, Typically more expensive than other underlay treatments. Even if it is imperceptible to you, water will find it. Also, you can use an aluminum or copper nail, depending on your location. That is why they are used for additional water tightness in extensive wind areas to reduce the chances of wearing and tearing. Fasteners should be long enough to penetrate at least 3/4" (19 mm) into wood decks or just . Plywood Under Deck Boards! Sheathing that gets wet before the roofing material can go on should be allowed to dry thoroughly before continuing. An excerpt of Table R803.2.3.1 is shown below. The main drawbacks are cost and the need to use capped fasteners. The heavy-duty felt or paper is saturated or coated with bitumen. Lets pretend the roof design details are conventional and so the roof deck sheathing will be 5/8" to 3/4". Lay it over metal flashing edges around vents and pipes. Cap nails or nails with a 3/8-inch head are also a good choice for roofing felt, as theyre less likely to come loose over time. Where a roll ends and a new one is begun, the two rolls should be overlapped by four inches. Because they are less secure than nails, staples are more likely to lose over time. Roofing felt is a type of underlayment that professionals install beneath a roofs shingles. Nail the felt in using 0.59 inch (15 mm) galvanized clout nails. Roofing nails are available in lengths ranging from one to two inches. Also note that nails are sold by the pound, and if youre a professional roofer, it may benefit you to buy in bulk in order to reduce costs. This means they may lose over time, especially in high winds or severe weather conditions. They are also available in both hand-drive and pneumatic versions. Installing roofing felt is easy to install and is the first step to protecting your roof decking and home. When nailing shingles, proper penetration into the roof deck is essential to ensure the nail and shingle remain secure. Clout nails should be 15mm large head clout nails. . This provides short-term protection and serves as a waterproof so that water or moisture does not move below the tiles or shingles. To protect the rake or gable ends from wind-driven moisture, the drip edge is placed over the underlayment to seal it down to the deck. Nail guns are pretty easy to use as there is no risk of an incorrect installation even if the gun is not held in the correct position. With 1000 per box, the 1/4 length is ideal for tacking roof underlayment. Directly answering if you can use staples for roofing felt depends on your local building authority and fire codes. Cut it at the opposite gable edge, and roll out and staple the next course with the desired overlap. Exposed nails are those with visible nail heads. Point: diamond or blunt. F1667 RSRS-03 (2 " 0.131") nails or ASTM F1667 RSRS-04 (3" 0.120") nails. If there are hips, valleys, or dormers, increase the total by 10 to 25%. Roofers seek to use just the right length of nail so that the decking (or OSB) is completely punctured by the nail. The T-50s are compatible with most brands of staple guns or hammers. This is because the nails are made of a stronger material that can withstand more wear and tear. In addition, staples create a neater finished look. Once you understand what it does, and you know which one you need, you are ready to lay the underlayment for your roof. An 8d nail, for example, cost 8 pennies for 100. Roll out the first course, tacking it down as you go. Some roofing felts are actually glued down. The quality of the material used is also an important consideration. Corrosion is always a concern with any metal roofing fastener. In this case, youll want to use roofing nails made of robust materials such as steel or aluminum. It is required to block any rain that gets under or between shingles from penetrating into the wood decking. Nevertheless, it is essential always to consult the products to see if the producers have a laid-down procedure of which of the two roofing options are best for their products and how you should use them. Continue unrolling and tacking until you near the other gable edge. Tack the next course or layer into place. For roof slopes greater than 4/12, multiply the area by 1.10 to account for the 2 overlap and potential waste. For roofs with slopes greater than 4/12, a minimum overlap of 2-inches between courses is required. Roofing felt isnt designed to be left exposed to the elements. Today, the penny system refers specifically to nail length. Galvanized nails are also available in a variety of lengths and sizes. Nail metal drip-edge flashing, which bends over the roof and down the edge of the facing board, on all roof edges. Use galvanised clout nails to nail the first sheet of felt onto the roof. Both felt nails and staples are great fastening systems for roofing projects. Prevent Ice Dams Use stainless steel to T50 staples or 12-gauge shank 7/8 to 1-1/2 hot-dipped galvanized or aluminum roofing nails with a 3/8 head diameter. There are various roofing nails available in different materials. The seams between sheets use nails at 5cm spacing. In addition, both require similar tools for installation. Taking the time to properly prepare the sheathing will make all the difference in how quickly and easily the felt paper is installed. That depends on the exposure and coverage of your shingles. While this may not be a concern for some homeowners, others may find that staples are not as aesthetically pleasing as nails. If you were considering using screws for their extra security, consider ring shank nails instead. The felt should be secured every six inches with nails or staples. Before securing the end of a row, take time to walk the row, smoothing out any rough spots and matching up the snapped chalk lines. Within the last foot or so, roll back onto the course and push the course down at the edge to create a crease, and cut it with a utility knife or hook knife. The paper should then be nailed in or stapled every three to four inches across. All of these methods could allow water through the roof. The ridge cap used on this roof . Another quality is its ability to withstand intense exposure to the sun over a long period. Corrosion resistant to ensure they last over time, and for use where strong joints are required. The most distinguishing feature of a roofing nail that sets it apart from other types of nails is the size of its head. The two main types are roofing felt 15 and 30. Plus, they may have been otherwise damaged. Strips should always lay flat. First, its available capacity load, adjustable drive depth, and universal design make compatibility easy: the nails and the shingle. Roofing felt is commonly used between roof deck sheathing and roof shingles. The penny system is an old way of classifying nails. Be sure the tar paper lies in flat strips that are absolutely smooth. Conclusion I will also need to overlap the felt, how much overlap should I use? (A Beginners Guide) Done. You can learn more about the sizes of staples here. Felt nails are less visible than staples. On the flipside, if you rush through the initial steps, the felt installation can be compromised by sloppy oversights such as stray nails. 2004-2023 IKO Industries Ltd., IKO Industries, Inc., and their affiliated and related entities. Roofing nail lengths are available in one to two inches. Two or more people are required to help roll out and straighten the paper during the process. It must be covered with waterproofing membrane, usually "roof felt," also called tar paper. Sheradised Square Twist Nails are invalueable when working with timber construction. And while they may seem pretty straightforward, there are various factors to consider when choosing the suitable roofing materials and methods for your project. I hope you found the guide informative and have a better understanding of how to install roofing underlayment. For low slope roofs mark every 17 and snap a chalk line from gable to gable. The RSRS designation indicates the fastener is a ring shank roof sheathing nail. They arent connected, as they are with screws. Due to these, Read More Plywood Under Deck Boards! (Follow Correct Way)Continue. Divide the resulting area value by the area one roll of 15 or 30-pound felt will cover, and round up as its sold in full rolls. Not felt to timber. Roofing felt is made of natural or synthetic materials such as wood cellulose, recycled cloth, fiberglass, or polyester. Most roofers use four nails per shingle and five nails for each roofing felt square. Replace any damaged decking and sweep the deck clean of sawdust and debris. The average roll of 15-pound roofing felt covers about 400 ft2, or 4 squares, while the average roll of 30-pound roofing felt covers about 200 ft2, or 2 squares. You dont need to use cap nails or another special type of nail for this purpose. In addition, the manufacturer's instructions should indicate which side of the roofing felt goes down if that matters for the specific product. However, you may need more (480 nails per square) if you live in an area with severe weather conditions to ensure that your roof can withstand the high winds and heavy rain or snow. A 2d nail is 1 inch long, for example, while a 16d nail is 3 1/2 inches long. removing the shingle and installing a new shingle, choosing between a nail gun and a roofing hammer. Overlay a second layer of felt 2 to 3 inches and fasten it through the overlay so it secures the top of the felt underneath. The caps help prevent tearing and are helpful for keeping the felt in place if it is windy, or if there will be a delay laying the shingles. Align this layer with the bottom of the roof; snap a chalk line the length of the roof, spaced to the width of the felt roll, to aid in keeping layers straight. The most pronounced advantage of the staple over the nail is that roofing staple guns can install four staples at once while nail guns can not. You cannot use screws for roofing shingles, only roofing nails are approved fasteners. This is because the moisture can cause the staples to rust and break down faster. Many manufacturers offer 10-year guarantees for felt. To install roofing felt, you need nails that have very wide heads to keep the felt . The downside of roof nails is that they are bulkier and prone to multiple jams while working with them. Repeat until the roof is covered. This point is expertly designed to keep the decking intact when it punctures through. Rolled roofing is easy to obtain and can be found at all home improvement stores. In addition, the chances are that You can install staples incorrectly or inaccurately. Haring holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri. Tack the gable edge and tack the bottom edge and mid-line as you unroll. For more tips on roof installation and tools, read our article about choosing between a nail gun and a roofing hammer. For irregularly shaped roofs, break it down into smaller rectangles or triangles to calculate the areas. Fixing the nails is simply a matter of removing them, removing the shingle and installing a new shingle. 1 Use a sharp knife to trim that shingle to within about 18 in. What Type of Nails for Felt/Underlayment? Rolled Roofing Basics. Tack or fasten roofing felt using stainless steel " to " T50 staples or 7/8" to 1-1/2" hot-dipped galvanized or aluminum 12-gauge shank roofing nails with a 3/8" head diameter. When preparing to shingle or reshingle a roof, laying roofing felt offers an extra barrier against moisture. Roll out about 10 feet of felt and fasten with staples or roofing nails with plastic washer heads. Galvanized nails are also available in a variety of lengths and sizes. For slopes greater than 4/12 a single layer of felt is acceptable. A staple gun is convenient because it is less bulky and can shoot a lot of staples in a short period. Most professional roofers use staples instead of nails when installing roof felt on larger roofs. Defer putting drip edge on angled gable ends until after the felt is laid, so the metal edge will block wind from lifting the felt. Its general knowledge that nail roofing felt, and staples are almost the same and give desired results: securing or holding the roofing felt. This is because the staples are smaller and have a smaller head, which means they pierce the shingle less. Proper roofing practices call for a plywood roof deck at least one inch thick, 3/4-inch galvanized nails, and 3/8-inch head nails. The roofing nailers are designed for driving 12-gauge nails up to a depth of 1 inch whereas the framing nailer shoots large 16d nails to a depth of 3 inches. Roll out the first course, align it, tack it down with galvanized nails or staples, and cut it to size. The lower the gauge number, the thicker the nail. $3.19 $ 3. The three types are: Asphalt, tar, or bitumen-saturated felt, Synthetic or non-bitumen underlay, and Rubberized asphalt underlay. Thus, you have to carefully plan the shingle and sheathing thickness and also the length of the nail. It effortlessly discharges up to 1500 staples per single 1.5Ah battery charge and has a power adjustment for different materials. Choosing the suitable fastener for your roof or shingle is dependent on four factors; the type of fastener, correct installation, placement, and holding strength. Well explain how to install the roof felt and drip edge, and make some tool and material recommendations. Most building codes regulate that at least a 12 gauge shank with a diameter of 3/8 head be used. Divided by 432 for 15-pound felt or 216 for 30-pound felt and round up for full rolls for this roof theyll be lots of leftover from one roll for the next project. To ensure complete satisfaction you should make final color selections from several full size shingles and view a sample of the product installed on a home. By Maria Goudiss. Nails can pop above the roof surface for a number of reasons. Design depends on type of metal roof: exposed or hidden fasteners; board and batten (pan and ridge) panels; shake and shingle panels; panel or tile system; standing seam; etc. Screws leave small gaps in the material they are driven into, and this may be enough to allow for a leak. The standard size for roofing felt paper is categorized into four. As a bonus, roofing staplers are easy to handle and do not require many repairs. This is because staples are more likely to rust and break over time. Use four roofing nails per shingle, as indicated on package instructions (six nails in high-wind areas). If you need to install new roof decking or OSB, youll need to nail it to the roof truss. All nails and staples should be placed on the lower half of the paper. Have a helper ready to assist with this step, and take care to get the lines straight and clean. Copper nails are most often used on roofs with copper flashing and accessories. Roof Felt Underlayment to Protect Your Home From the Elements Overlap the end of a roll about 4 inches with the start of a new roll and fasten both pieces to the decking. All rights reserved. Roofing nails are a type of nail that is made specifically for use in the installation of the different parts of the roof, like the roofing felt, the shingles, sheet metal, flashing, or roof tiles. Starting at the eave, 36-inch-wide (914 mm) strips of underlayment felt shall be applied overlapping successive sheets 19 inches (483 mm) and fastened sufficiently in place. 18 ($1.06/Sq Ft) $11.99 $11.99. You should check with your building code and local bylaws to confirm. Specification Material: carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper. Check the requirements for the roofing material that will go over the felt. Mark every 34 or 33 and snap a line across the deck for 2 or 3 overlaps on slopes greater than 4/12. This step is vital to the success of your new roof and must not be shortchanged in any way. One MSR roofing roll is usually about 36 feet long by 36 inches wide. They are the most basic type of roofing nail and cheaper than the other two options. FREE delivery Tue, Feb 21 on $25 of items . Roofing felt nails or staples in time past was quite challenging to distinguish which of the two roofing options is better clearly. Note the differences in the specification and length of the fasteners as well as the nail/staple patterns. Some roofers recommend laying a strip of adhesive rubberized membrane over the drip edge at the eave as an added protection. If youre using typical architectural shingles and 3/8-inch-thick sheathing, youll need 1inch nails. You may prefer to use copper roofing nails on a roof with other copper accents. Trim the felt, so it is flush with the face of the drip edge. The added depth that roofing nails provide makes them less likely to come loose over time. Please refer to our Legal Notices for U.S.A. or our Legal Notices for Canada. Head diameter: 0.55" - 0.79". It takes 3 bundles to cover a square if you use 3-tab shingles, the most common type.