I've definitely noticed the temperature thing too. Last summer, I tackled my garage roof on a scorching weekend—big mistake. The shingles were practically melting in my hands, and every cut felt like slicing through warm butter. Sure, it was easy to cut, but I ended up tearing more than a few shingles just trying to position them. Learned my lesson there.
About the nailer vs. hand-nailing debate, I'm with you on hand-nailing around tricky spots. I borrowed a friend's roofing nailer once, and while it sped things up overall, I had a couple of nails punch straight through the shingle because I wasn't used to adjusting the compressor pressure. Ended up having to redo those sections by hand anyway, so it didn't save me much time in the end.
Speaking of tricky areas, has anyone found a good trick for keeping ridge shingles aligned evenly along longer runs? I've tried chalk lines, but sometimes they rub off or fade halfway through... maybe I'm just doing it wrong though.
I feel your pain on the chalk line issue. I tried that myself once, and halfway through the ridge, the line was so faint I was basically eyeballing it. One thing that helped me later was marking every few shingles lightly with a carpenter's pencil instead—held up better than chalk. Still wasn't perfect, but at least I wasn't completely winging it by the end...
Totally agree about the chalk lines fading out—been there myself. Carpenter's pencil is definitely a step up, but I've found snapping a line with blue chalk instead of red or white helps it stick around longer. Blue seems to resist wind and moisture better, at least in my experience.
Another thing that helped me was using a straight edge or a scrap shingle as a quick guide every few feet. I'd line it up with the marks I made earlier and double-check alignment before nailing down the ridge shingles. It takes a bit more time, but it's worth it to avoid that frustrating drift halfway through.
Also, watch your nail placement carefully—too high or too low can cause issues later on. Learned that one the hard way...
Good points, especially about nail placement—seen plenty of ridge shingles pop loose from sloppy nailing. Couple other things:
- If you're dealing with windy conditions, heavier shingles or even architectural-grade ones hold up better on hips and ridges.
- Consider ridge vents—helps airflow and reduces moisture buildup underneath. Bit more work initially, but worth the effort in the long run.
- I've found that snapping lines in the early morning helps chalk adhere better (less heat and dryness).
Just my two cents...
"Consider ridge vents—helps airflow and reduces moisture buildup underneath. Bit more work initially, but worth the effort in the long run."
Definitely agree on ridge vents. Had a property a few years back where we skipped them initially to save time... big mistake. Ended up dealing with mold issues in the attic space later on. Lesson learned the hard way. Also, heavier shingles have saved us headaches during storm season—worth the extra cost upfront for sure.
