Roofing nailer

[blucoondawg]

I've only used the Bostitch line of coil nailers but have worked around senco guns too and they seem dependable. I picked one up at a pawn shop a couple years ago it looks like brand new bit I looked it over and saw it was missing a small spring, I offered the pawn broker 100 bucks for it and ordered a 3 dollar spring online and it's good as new

 

[blucoondawg]

I've only used the Bostitch line of coil nailers but have worked around senco guns too and they seem dependable. I picked one up at a pawn shop a couple years ago it looks like brand new but I looked it over and saw it was missing a small spring, I offered the pawn broker 100 bucks for it and ordered a 3 dollar spring online and it's good as new

 

[JKR]

I have a Bostitch and Senco and Hitachi all very good nailers. I do like the lighter of the Hitachi. I buy what's on sale when I need a tool. The HF guns are to heavy for me.

 

[TugHillDog]

Only gonna chime in here 'cuz I didn't see anyone mention it in this thread: I have a Porter Cable coiled nail roofer [fits on my shelf next to the PC framer and the PC finish nailer that started it all]. I used to pound roof nails for food, not that I ate well, but just the same, I think this is a great piece of equipment. Bought mine at a local Harbor Freight as a reconditioned tool. $ was fan-freaking-tastic and the 15 yrs I've owned it, all I have done is oil it run it. I put the conversion trigger in it so it runs on single shot or full auto, depending on the trigger switch.

But let me just put some wind behind EddieWalker's post: if the nail ain't long enough to get significantly through the roof decking, there will be the devil to pay later...so its about making sure you can get nails of appropriate size through the mixture.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Only gonna chime in here 'cuz I didn't see anyone mention it in this thread: I have a Porter Cable coiled nail roofer [fits on my shelf next to the PC framer and the PC finish nailer that started it all]. I used to pound roof nails for food, not that I ate well, but just the same, I think this is a great piece of equipment. Bought mine at a local Harbor Freight as a reconditioned tool. $ was fan-freaking-tastic and the 15 yrs I've owned it, all I have done is oil it run it. I put the conversion trigger in it so it runs on single shot or full auto, depending on the trigger switch.

But let me just put some wind behind EddieWalker's post: if the nail ain't long enough to get significantly through the roof decking, there will be the devil to pay later...so its about making sure you can get nails of appropriate size through the mixture.

I may as well chime in here as I also have a PC coil roofing gun that I bought to speed up roofing a barn I had. Like my PC finish and narrow crown stapler nailers, I bought based on my personal needs and price. The narrow crown stapler is only about a year old but the finish and roofing nailers are about fifteen. I had to replace the rubber "nose" pad on the larger of the two finish nailers recently. Nice to have parts available on a 15 year old tool.

 

[Hiltz]

But let me just put some wind behind EddieWalker's post: if the nail ain't long enough to get significantly through the roof decking, there will be the devil to pay later...so its about making sure you can get nails of appropriate size through the mixture.[/QUOTE]

Where do you guys get this stuff. Nails do not have to penetrate entirely through the decking for holding power. Why would exposing the nail thru the lumber give it more holding power? (maybe if you bent them over they would be harder to pull out)

 

[TugHillDog]

Where do you guys get this stuff. Nails do not have to penetrate entirely through the decking for holding power. Why would exposing the nail thru the lumber give it more holding power? (maybe if you bent them over they would be harder to pull out)

1. it was the way I was trained.
2. Research indicates that nails tend to do less moving out of the decking if they penetrate through.
3. With the hand method using hot dipped nails, the friction activates the coating some and when it solidifies [having penetrated the decking material] it IS harder to pull them out, both by action of the coating with the wood and the coating outside the wood].

To be fair, I was going on the assumption that most decking was 15/32" plywood and so the nails should just stick out a touch. If the decking is inch board, then it really doesn't matter now, does it?

 

[chopped]

Minimum requirement for roofing nails sticking through sheathing? | GreenBuildingAdvisor.com

 

[SPIKER]

FYI

Home Depot has a on-line special for Bostic Nailers today log onto their HD site to see specials.

M

 

[EddieWalker]

Where do you guys get this stuff. Nails do not have to penetrate entirely through the decking for holding power. Why would exposing the nail thru the lumber give it more holding power? (maybe if you bent them over they would be harder to pull out)

The tip of the nail has no holding power. The shaft bends the fibers of the wood as it goes through the wood, or into the wood on larger pieces of wood. On decking, sheething, plywood or OSB, the material is too thin to nail into, you have to nail through it. This also brings in the debate of which holds the nail better. OSB or half inch plywood? In my opinion, OSB does not split and fall apart like plywood does, which means you get more consistent results. If the plywood does not splinter, then it's the same, but the bottom layer,one third of the wood, tends to break off regularly when a nail goes through it. If there is no void at that spot, you only have a third of an inch of wood holding that nail in place. OSB does not doe this.

Nails into larger lumber does the same thing, but with the longer shank, you have more holding power. I use 3 1/4 inch nails when framing because I can see the tip come through two boards when nailed together, which gives me the maximum amount of holding power from that nail. Remember, the tip does not have any holding power, it's just there to allow the nail to penetrate the wood.

Roofers have a terrible reputation in my area of taking advantage of people. They give them a price for the job, then cut all sorts of corners to get it done for less and pocket more money. Not flashing the valleys, reusing old vents, not removing the old paper and sometimes just using it again are all pretty common. But the one that shows up the fastest is when they use short nails. If you have ever seen this cost cutting technique, you will understand how important it is to use long nails when shingling. The short nails penetrate into the decking just like tacking something to the wall. Then when you get a big storm come through, the shingles just start blowing off.

Eddie

 

[ultrarunner]

Roofing is one area where cut corners often don't show up for years... long after everyone has been paid.

The cost of doing a good job really isn't that much more when it comes to material.

A local property management company has a retired roofing contractor on retainer to supervise jobs and finds his fee is money well spent... he also writes the specifications and make sure the owner gets what is paid for.

 

[Hiltz]

I see a lot of misinformation on the internet but this idea that nails have more holding power if they protrude thru the decking has got to be one of the most ignorant things I have ever read. Nails that stick thru the decking is caused by laziness, sloppiness, and just plain ole carpenter not having any pride in their work. I have never seen it on any older classic home with 1 by decking nor have I seen it on any new high end construction jobs. This must be some sort of regional old wives tale that has taken hold.

 

[blucoondawg]

It stands to reason that the more surface area of nail is in contact with the wood the stronger the nail will hold, the longest possible amount of surface area is achieved when passing through the sheeting

 

[PILOON]

"Roofers have a terrible reputation in my area of taking advantage of people. They give them a price for the job, then cut all sorts of corners to get it done for less and pocket more money. Not flashing the valleys, reusing old vents, not removing the old paper and sometimes just using it again are all pretty common. But the one that shows up the fastest is when they use short nails. If you have ever seen this cost cutting technique, you will understand how important it is to use long nails when shingling. The short nails penetrate into the decking just like tacking something to the wall. Then when you get a big storm come through, the shingles just start blowing off."

Eddie,
That is not only in your area, seems to be everywhere.
In many cases re covering a roof wont solve the problem as you probably have discovered.
Aeration, ventilation can be more important.

Today's roof designs have many roof angles with lots of hips valleys fake windows etc. All that looks pretty but in real practice the ventilation gets limited between the zones causing hotter spots that result in ice dams.
In colder areas ventilation is even more critical.

I have observed 2-3 year old homes with massive ice problems that in my opinion are design caused.
There is only one way to lay a shingle, one over the other and overlapping the lower.
Flashing, flashing -never enough and I am a believer in good roofing membrane, IMO more important that pricier shingles for protection.

 

[ultrarunner]

The Fire Marshall is no longer allowing rafter vents in my area... so the attics are very much sealed off and hotter.

My home is one of the last in the area with a true shake roof... very light and breathes well with plenty of rafter vents... if and when I re-roof I will need to put down sheathing because shake has been banned for a long time even though it was required when the roof was installed and no vents at the eves...

 

[blucoondawg]

What do you mean by rafter vents? I hope that doesn't mean they don't allow for ventilated attics at all, hot sealed attics can cause a lot of problems with heat and ice damage

 

[SPIKER]

What do you mean by rafter vents? I hope that doesn't mean they don't allow for ventilated attics at all, hot sealed attics can cause a lot of problems with heat and ice damage

Sounds pretty dumb to me, first thing fire fighters do is chop vent holes in the roof to get the smoke out so they can see flame and battle it. Most deaths are due to smoke not fire anyhow. Having HOT attics is bad all way around summer AND winter so sounds like some BS somewhere.


M

 

[ultrarunner]

Rafter vents are on the outside walls between the rafters... either a screened vent or a series of large round holes with pop in screen inserts.

Fire Marshall said flames running up the stucco can be drawn into the attic space be convection so no vents...

My neighbor built a very nice home and had to knock out all the blocking drilled for vents to get his final... had to put in solid blocking...

My shake roof went in 1990 and the Fire Storm also resulted in a Shake Ban...

Most new roofs are much heavier than shake and many homes here have 2 x 4 rafter designed for Shake... plenty of roofs here with sway...

All this is a result of the Oakland Fire Storm in 91 where 3000+ homes were lost...

 

[/pine]

Lack of circulation in an attic is a primary cause of premature shingle curling...

 

[blucoondawg]

I would think building code would require properly ventilated attics and supersede some dumb rule by the fire Marshall, if it doesn't it certainly should. I wouldn't build anything without ventilation, bad ventilation will ruin shingles in a hurry.