Exposed Nails On Roof Shingles

I ve always considered it necessary to caulk any exposed nail heads on a shingle roof there shouldn t be many.

Exposed nails on roof shingles.

Make sure the shingle has the proper number of nails in it also. Use the hammer to pound on the exposed nail head until it is flush with the shingle. Each shingle manufacturer has its own requirements for proper nailing including where roofing nails should be placed. Wipe the glob of roofing cement over the nail head.

I would recommend doing this on a sunny day and after exposed to sun for a few hours. Covering the exposed nail with any type of roof cement or caulk is not a permanent repair and will be excluded from coverage under gaf s limited warranties. Make sure the roofing cement extends to each side of the nail head covering it completely. Unfortunately many people and even some less experienced roofers will simply caulk an exposed nail or nail pop.

Apply a glob of roofing cement to the spatula or putty knife. Position the nails appropriately according to the shingle installation instructions. However on pipe boots and the last cap shingle you will find exposed nails that are caulked. Accurate nailing affects the performance of roofing shingles and it is also required by the international building.

This is not the correct way to fix the problem. Over time the caulk will age and deteriorate which becomes a roof maintenance issue. That part of the roof leaks 01 percent and less of the time. There should be no fasteners at all exposed on a shingle roof.

It is important to apply roofing nails in the right quantity and location to securely lock a shingle into its place. That last cap alone will have nails exposed and covered with tar plastic cement winter or summer grade depending upon the season. Align shingles properly to avoid nail exposure. Just make sure that you don t damage the shingles lifting them up.

Where to nail shingles. The shingles are asphalt backed and this asphalt forms an adequate seal around the nail. Remove any shingle with exposed nails and replace it with a new shingle. I heard an opposing opinion recently.

Tom the guy who roofed my old house has agreed to try and replace each of the shingles with exposed nails but he said he has to get it on the right day or the shingles will want to tear when he tries to release them from. I must admit i ve seen many builders that do not seal the nail heads. Remove nail lift shingle and apply a small dab where nail penetrated shingle then push the overlapping shingle down and your done. More if the shingles were not installed according to the manufacturer s specifications the shingle warranty will probably not be honored.

Be sure to use the manufacturer recommended number of nails to fasten the shingle to the roof deck. The claim was that nails have to pass through a minimum of two layers of shingles.