Your roof is one the most important aspects of your home. It’s no surprise that a lot of consideration needs to go into its materials and construction. For most people, this extends to whether they’re utilizing tiles, perhaps opting for metal or ceramics. It might include the general aesthetic style of the roof. However, nails rarely get much of a thought from the general public.
Yet, it’s important to understand that nails are instrumental in making certain that your roofing materials not just stay in place but are effective in keeping it sealed and functional. By neglecting to pay close attention here, you can find yourself having to undertake roof repairs.
So, what do you need to know about roofing nails’ sizes? Let’s dive into the subject a little further so that you can make more informed decisions about your home.
In General
There is no single roofing nail size. Just going to your local hardware store and asking for a standard roofing nail is unlikely to get you what you need. It’s a nuanced area, and the size is very much dependent on the material, the job, and even the style of fastening you really need. However, from a very generalized perspective, here’s some of what you need to know about size.
- The listed size usually refers to the shank. This is the long shaft of the nail that inserts into the roof material. This might come in smooth shank or ring shank styles — the latter tending to give better grip.
- Sizing can also make reference to head diameter. After all, you don’t want a nail with a head so narrow that it’s likely to work its way through the hole. At the same time, a nail head that is too large can expose it to potential damage. As such, you’ll find most standard roofing nails heads are ⅜ of an inch in diameter.
- In most cases you’ll find that roofing nails sizes are measured at quarter inch fractions between 1 and 2 inches in shank length. However, particularly in older hardware stores, you might find that they are measured in “penny inches”, denoted by a number, followed by the letter D. 1 inch is 2D, 1 ¼ inch is 3D, 1 ½ inch is 4D, 1 ¾ inch is 5D, and 2 inches is 6D.
- Gauge can also be an important factor when assessing the size of your roofing nails. This refers to the thickness of the nail shank. The lower the gauge number, the thicker and therefore sturdier the nail tends to be. Many roofers will use 11 or 10 gauge nails. However, for most locations in the U.S., the minimum gauge of roofing nail that building codes will allow is 12.
The Right Nail for the Right Job
Often, knowing which roofing nails sizes are most appropriate to your needs comes down to how you happen to be using them. While it might seem like a relatively straightforward issue, making certain that you are using the right size for the job can make a difference to the lifespan of your roof.
The size of the nail usually comes down to the following aspects of roof installation.
Material Thickness
This is probably the most obvious indicator of how thick your roofing nails should be. However, just because your panel material happens to be 1 inch thick, that doesn’t mean to say that a 1 ¼ inch nail will be enough. Be sensible about how much shank length to penetrate the roof structure. There are no solid standardized protocols to go with here. Indeed, by engaging with a roofing expert you also have the benefit of their using years of experience to make the most appropriate choices on nuanced issues such as this. This isn’t something you really want to guess at — after all, mistakes can be costly in both time for re application and potential damage caused from getting it wrong. As such, it tends to be better to go over length, than go under.
Expansion Potential
One of the aspects of your roofing installation that you need to consider in respect to nail size is the potential for expansion. Is the material that you are attaching to the roof structure, or even the roof structure itself likely to be subject to expanding or contracting over time. This is often an issue with wood and shingle. Particularly if you live in a part of Texas that sees some dramatic shifts in temperature throughout the year. Both heat and cold have the potential to make some materials swell and contract, which in turn can serve to gradually work nails that are not of an appropriate length out of the structure. If either the panel material, structure, or the climate can make your roof vulnerable to this, it’s best to go for a longer nail, as well as having the roof inspected on a yearly basis.
Exposure Risk
It’s no secret that the weather seems to be getting wilder each year. Indeed, as climate change and global warming get more intense, the likelihood and severity of extreme weather rises. Believe it or not, this actually impacts the size of nails that you should be using on your roofing. An awareness of the strength of wind gusts and perhaps hurricanes that have an impact on your area can mean that you can decide if your roof and its other elements, like flashing and underlayment, will require sturdier nails. This isn’t just from the perspective of longer nails, either. The more extreme wind that your roof is subjected to, it can be wise to also install a lower gauge thickness of nail.
What to Look Out For
There are some issues that can come from choosing the wrong nail size, so it’s worth being cognizant of what these could be.
Some of the common issues include:
Gaps
The wrong size nail for the material can leave the underlying structure exposed to the elements. This isn’t just from the perspective of a nail being too small. One that is too large can cause additional splintering to the wood. This in turn can make the structure vulnerable to moisture. This can result in rotting over time. In addition, when your home is subject to extremes of temperature, you can find that the moisture can freeze, expanding the damage over time.
Breakage
When you choose nails that are too short, there’s a tendency to overcompensate by trying to drive them deeper into the roofing structure. This puts your roofing panels at greater risk of damage. This is particularly the case if you’re installing tiles.
Injury Hazard
Often, the best rule of thumb when choosing a nail size is that there should be a small piece of the shaft exposed on the other side of the structure. However, when the nail is too long this can leave too much of the spike exposed. Not only is this an aesthetic issue, but it can also be a health hazard for anyone moving around in the loft space — particularly if visibility is limited there.
Wrapping Up
Roofing nails sizes might seem like a minor issue, but it is an important factor in your roof’s construction. The right length and gauge of nail can help to make sure that your roof material is secure and effective for years to come. However, it’s important to remain aware of the potential issues making the wrong selection can cause, and seek advice if you’re uncertain.