When you think about the materials that a roof is composed of, you’re apt to think of products like shingles, ridge caps, and ridge vents, not the best roofing nails. But Brent Simmons has another take:
“Things that you can see from the ground,”
Brent is the owner of Restoration Roofing in Memphis, Tennessee.
According to Simmons, nails are the true heroes when it comes to the stability of roofs, and during a recent Roofing Insights video, Simmons took the time to cover all types of nails, including which one he thinks is the best.
6 Best Roofing Nails To Consider
1. Galvanized coil nails
“These are the most inexpensive nails,” Simmons shares, also mentioning that consequently, “these types of nails are also the most common on the market.”
If you go with the galvanized nails, please be aware that they will eventually rust, but don’t fret. Simmons says this happens because the galvanized nails have a zinc coating.
“The zinc is what makes them rust-resistant, but over time that coating of zinc does wear off. It weathers away and exposes raw steel, which will eventually start to rust,”
2. Ring shank coil nail
These nails are slightly more expensive than the galvanized coil nails, and they’re also harder to order,
“but this is a really good upgrade, in terms of a nail,”
Simmons says.
3. Stainless-steel
The stainless-steel nails are Simmons’ preferred type of nail.
He refers to them as the “Mack Daddy” of all nails, while also noting these bad boys will cost you significantly more than other nails.
“These are roughly $150 per box, which is more than double the price of galvanized nails,”
he says before adding that the price alone should not deter contractors from buying them.
“These will never rust because stainless steel does not rust.”
4. Copper nail
Moving down the line, the copper nail is the next nail to make its way into the lineup.
These are great for installing specialty roofing products like slate.
“Even if you’re installing a standard architectural roof, and you’re adding copper valleys, you have to use a copper nail for that,”
If you want to buy nails that won’t rust, Simmons recommends the copper nails because they will patina and change color.
“These are soft to begin with, but if they’re installed correctly, they will last as long as those long-lasting designer shingles and specialty roofing materials,”
5. Plastic cap nail
Plastic cap nails are most commonly used to hold down underlayments on roofs.
Explains Simmons:
“When you `dry in’ a house or put the felt up and you don’t have shingles, this nail is drilled straight into the wood and it should not leak.”
6. Metal cap nail
Simply put: Metal Cap Nails give a larger surface area to secure material.
Metal cap nails are used for rolled roofing.
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