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Roof shingles coming loose - am I nailing wrong?
So I spent last weekend redoing part of my roof because some shingles were coming loose after just a couple years. Thought it was just bad luck or cheap shingles, but my neighbor came over and said it might be how I'm nailing them down. Um, I didn't even realize there was a "right" way to nail shingles - I mean, nails are nails, right? But apparently there's some kinda pattern or spacing you're supposed to follow to keep them secure.
I checked online and now I'm even more confused. Some sites say four nails per shingle, others say six if you're in a windy area (which I am). And then there's something about placement - like exactly where on the shingle the nails should go. Honestly, it's making my head spin a bit.
Has anyone else run into this? Is there really a noticeable difference if you don't follow the exact recommended spacing or number of nails? I'm not looking forward to climbing back up there again anytime soon, you know...
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6 replies
Yeah, been there myself. First time I did my roof, I just eyeballed it and figured "close enough." Couple years later, shingles were flapping around after every storm. Proper nail placement really does matter, especially in windy spots... learned that the hard way.
- Curious, did you use a nail gun or hammer? Heard nail guns can sometimes drive nails too deep, weakening the shingle.
- Also, did you check the manufacturer's nailing guide? They usually have specific spots marked out.
- I'm still learning myself, but my boss always stresses proper nail depth and placement - guess your story explains why...
Good points above, especially about nail guns. I've done a few roofs myself and found that nail guns can actually be fine if you dial in the pressure correctly. Most people set them too high, which definitely buries the nails and damages the shingles. If you take a few minutes to test on scrap shingles first, you can usually find the sweet spot.
Also, placement is super critical - manufacturer guidelines are there for a reason. I learned the hard way years ago when I ignored those little lines printed on the shingles...ended up with loose tabs after just one winter. Ever since then, I've been careful to follow their specs exactly, and haven't had issues since.
One other thing worth mentioning: temperature matters more than you'd think. Shingles get brittle when it's cold, so nailing them down in freezing weather can cause cracking or splitting around the nail holes. Learned that lesson too, unfortunately.
Yeah, the temperature thing is spot on. I redid part of my roof last fall when it was pretty chilly out, and a few shingles cracked right around the nails. Didn't even realize it until spring when I noticed some tabs lifting up again. Lesson learned, I guess. Also agree about nail placement - those little lines aren't just decoration apparently...who knew?
Had pretty much the same thing happen to me last year. Decided to tackle my roof on a weekend that turned out colder than expected (thanks, weather forecast...), and ended up cracking a few shingles without even noticing. Come springtime, I had these weird lifted edges and thought I'd nailed wrong or something. Turns out shingles get brittle when it's cold - who knew roofing had a temperature sweet spot? Live and learn, I guess.
Yeah, cold weather roofing can be sneaky like that. A couple winters ago, I helped my brother redo his roof - figured we'd save some cash doing it ourselves. Temps dropped way lower than forecasted (typical...), and we ended up cracking shingles left and right without realizing it. Come spring, same deal: weird lifted edges and random loose shingles. Learned the hard way that shingles have their own comfort zone. Definitely a lesson you only need once, haha.