On our recently installed roof, I notice that the installers didn’t really hit the middle of the nailing area much. Instead they hovered very much on the bottom line, and some percentage of the nails are slightly below the line (maybe 10% to 15%).
In most cases even when the nails are below the line, they nails are not exposed, but every once in a while I do find an exposed nail.
Thus far the installer has indicated that where the nails are not exposed it’s not a problem at all, and where nails are exposed they will replace those shingles (and not just try to put sealer over the nail).
Apparently the installers try to stay closer to the bottom line to get the best strength against wind damage.
My question is this. Is it really ok for the next shingle to just barely cover the nail, as long as you can’t actually see the nail? It looks to me like if they stayed more in the target nailing area, the nails would be sealed up better by the next shingle above.
If the nails are close to the edge (but still not exposed) couldn’t wind driven rain get back to the nail, and also wouldn’t the nail be more exposed to the elements and more likely to rust over time?
The problem is that they did it this way pretty much over the whole roof, not just one area. So there is no easy solution, other than start over, or me just accept it the way it is, as long as you can’t see the nail. I’m planning to accept it the way it is, as long as there are no exposed nails. Does that make sense?
You said they “hovered very much near the bottom line.”
Congratulations. You got a roofer that knew what he was doing and cared.
All the nails should be “barely covered” by the next shingle.
Thats the way all the manufactures have decided to make them.
Do i think its right? No. I think all the manufactures need to design the shingle where you can place the nail higher(away from the shingle edge) and still be in the double thickness of the shingle.
No one makes a shingle like that.
Who ever designs and makes the shingle that handles this will be rich because everyone will use them.
It is sad that what is the right way is becomming known as the wrong way by the customers. YOu could tell by this guys post that he thought it was all wrong and he got scammed when it was actually done right. Its frustrating for us guys that are good at what we do.
Thanks for the replies. So I guess things aren’t so bad afterall.
I don’t understand why the manufacturer puts an upper and lower nailing line if it’s ok to go below the bottom line and it’s not ok to be just below the upper line. Why don’t they just bring the upper line down and narrow the sweet spot, so that all shingles are always double nailed? But anyway I’ll take your word for it.
I still say things weren’t done that perfectly, because I saw about 3 or 4 exposed nails after looking over maybe a third of the roof (one was just barely exposed, the others more obvious). So I’m guessing there may be about 10 to 12 exposed nails over the whole roof, that they’ll have to work on. They said they can remove and replace a single shingle without disturbing the ones above it. I didn’t know that was possible.
[quote=“clyde”] Why don’t they just bring the upper line down and narrow the sweet spot, so that all shingles are always double nailed?
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As a homeowner that’s re-doing my roof my guess is they spread the lines out to give the sloppy guys more room to shoot into although the ideal would be a narrower nailing space. I’ve found it takes some care to shoot a nail right in the ideal spot even with my gun set to single fire and aiming carefully so I’d think a guy paid by the square and nailing fast would have a hard time without the higher cheater lines?
on a metric 30yr dimensional we almost 99.9 percent of the time use metric if your exposure is 5 5/8" of an inch the GAF says between 5 3/4" to 6 1/2" from the bottom of the shingle believe it or not that chalk line if you center a nail through it your right however it barely covers the nail i’d say their doing it right i’d rather see a few “shiners” than high nail’n because you know for sure their nailed down tight your supposed to go through the shingles backing and its laminate besides the fact that you have to catch the shingle underneath, but alot of people think you have an 1 1/2" nailing strip and you don’t in all reality the manufacturers would fair better if they’d just make the nailing area (where the laminate laps the shingle) higher than this would no longer be a debate… thanks for any reply
Hi Lefty, Can you give a short instruction on the correct method? How does one deal with the nails that are up at the top where the next higher row is nailed thru both layers?
Regards, DaveB
Hi Lefty, Can you give a short instruction on the correct method? How does one deal with the nails that are up at the top where the next higher row is nailed thru both layers?
Regards, DaveB[/quote]
You take them out with a shingle bar.
If it is a newer roof it is easy if you can separate the shingles, the sealing strips are just insane nowadays…
The shingle you want to remove: you must take out the nails in the shingles directly above it.
the AJC slate puller actually can separate 30yr oc durations with ease slide it in at the weeps and go parallel with the adhesive strip and it pulls them nicely also can pull the nails with ease AJC’s is really sharp no damage to the shingles
Hi Lefty, The back ones I’m referring to would be the nails holding the next higher row.I guess to remove a shingle from row A you’d have to also remove the nails from the shingle in row B above?
Regards, DaveB
I’m feeling better about it all the time. When you do find some “shiners”, I’m assuming you always replace the shingle then, correct? That’s what I’m asking for and that’s what they’re committing to do (and without any objection about doing it).
I’m feeling better about it all the time. When you do find some “shiners”, I’m assuming you always replace the shingle then, correct? That’s what I’m asking for and that’s what they’re committing to do (and without any objection about doing it).
Thanks everyone for you help.[/quote]
If you use a good polyurethane sealer like NP1 you can put a dab on the shiner just like you do on the last ridge tab nails and any other exposed nail heads in the pipe flashings, etc.
