Roofing, Siding, Gutter,Windows, etc. Service & Supply

Nailing Shingles Properly: Shingles typically are attached with four nails; one at each tab slot. In windy areas, some roofers use six nails, adding one to eaither side of each tab slot. (Fig 1) Note that nails are positioned just beneath the adhesive, but above the tops of the slots. nails also must be long enough to penetrate the sheathing by 3/4". This rule applies whether fastening the shingles to a new roof or to a re-roof.

Fig (1)

Line Up the Shingle: Begin by aligning the
upper corner of the shingle in hand with the upper corner of the shingle already in place.
Tack a nail to hold it in place. (Fig2)

Fig (2)

Tack Its Opposite End: Position the opposite
end of the shingle. (Some people do this by
simply eyeballing where the tab hits the
shingle on the preious course. Others use the gauge built into a roofing hammer.)
Tack it in place (Fig3)

Fig (3)

Check and Nail It: Give the shingle a quick
doubl-check for alignment. Then begining from the left (if you are right-handed), nail
the firsttacked nail home and work across the course, carefully flattening out bulges.
If necessary, remove one of the tacked nails
to eliminate buckling. (Fig 4)

Fig (4)

Hold a Handful: Hold a dozen or so nails loosely in your hand. Using only one hand,
work anail around so it hangs head up between your fingers. Position the nail on the
shingle using the nail hand only. Nail it.
(Fig 5) While one hand is nailing, the other
hand is busy readying the next nail.

Fig (5)

Fig (6)

Fig (7)

Tips for Using a Roofing Hammer: A roofing hammer speeds up any roofing job and, although it is a relatively expensive tool, it is worth the investment for a large roofing job. A roofing hammer's heavy weight is an advantage for quickly whacking nails home,
but be careful of its serrated head which is especially hard on fingers if you miss the nail. With a built-in course gauge set ac-
cording to the exposure desired, this hammer is far more precise and much faster than simply eyeballing the top of the shingles
The guide pin can be set in any one of several holes for the desired course depth.
(Fig 6)

Hook the pin on the course below and let
the bottom edge of the shingle rest against the heel of the hammer. (Fig 7)