Hand Nailing vs Nail Gunning Asphalt Roof Shingles
What are the pros and cons of hand nailing vs using a nail gun to install asphalt roof shingles? I’ll be having my roof reshingled in the Spring. One of the roofers I am considering using advertises that he only hand nails. The other roofer uses nail guns. Does this matter?
Replies
hmm..
A good job or a poor job can result from either method.
Things that really matter include nail placement, they need to go where the manufacturer says.
There are also many other ways to do a bad shingle job that do not involve improper nailing so maybe the hand vs. air method is not a good test of who's going to do the best job.
Shingle Nailing
If everything else was identical, including nail placement, would one nailing method be preferable to the other for any reason?
That is right JIM ...
hone the question. Keep the thread on top. LOL.
Shingle Nailing
All the responses, particularly Mongo's, gave me the info I was looking for.
One of the leading companies in my area also only hand nails shingles. They claim that the warranties are only good if the nailing pattern is adhered to and the best way for the company to assure that their guys do so is to slow them down. It seems to work. And they really aren't all that slow. The company takes good care of other aspect of the job too.
I chose them for my house. Not solely because of the hand nailing part but that was a factor.
I would bet a hand nailing company would be stingy with the nails. A good guy with a gun will place the nails as well as hand nailing and he would go a whole lot faster. The nailing penetration is also more precise once you get the gun set up.
In Florida you need 6 nails per shingle so this adds up to a lot of extra labor over a couple dozen square of roof.
Jim
As has been mentioned a couple times-should make no difference in the application (other than speed) by a quality installer.
I'd pay more attention to cleanup, any carpentry on a reroof, and the ever so important job of flashing. If you have any sidewalls or chimney chase's ask them about kickout flashing.
Best of luck.
I've done both.
The only differences I see in the result is that when hand nailing, you can feel the resistance of what you are nailing in to. Some roof sheathing is plywood, some sheathing is deck boards. When hand nailing I can feel if the nail misses the wood and goes into a board gap or a void of some sort. Is that a huge deal? Not really. A few poorly held nails are not going to kill your roof.
The other is that substrate/sheathing density can vary and affect how the nails are driven. When hand nailing I get the penetration I want. With a nail gun some installers hit a knot and leave a nail proud, or they'll occasionally drive a nailhead deep and tear the shingle. Under- and over-driven nails can affect the roof.
A third is that when hand nailing, I can use the type of nails I want. If I want a heavy galvanized coating, it's easier to find that in bulk nails. Sure, companies like Maze have double hot-dipped coil nails for guns, but the coating is still lighter than that found on some of the bulk nails. If you're in a coastal environment, the specific type of nail coating might matter. But unlike 10 years ago, today for the most part you can find equivalent bulk and coil nails.
Those are small quibbles.
I do see guys go crazy with nail guns, and they do miss their mark. It becomes a race. But a skilled nailer with a gun can do a top-notch job.
I can go fast with a gun, but when hand nailing with a nail shaker box I can go pretty darn fast too. I actually prefer hand nailing with a nail box. No hoses. No compressor noise. No gun. No flying shards of coil.
If you want a good installation your best bet is to choose a good installer. Proper flashing methods. Someone who doesn't skimp on the ice/water membrane. Someone who does proper shingle layout, proper nail placement and proper nailing schedule.
The man will make the roof, not the method.
My expereince makes me agree with every word Mongo said. I want to add one thing: when it's cold out, gun nails will often blow out a disc of shingle under the head of the nail. Sometimes it can be hard to see that damage and the roofer goes on leaving that shingle barely fastened or unfastened. Gun-nailed roofs strip off really really easily if they were installed in the winter.
Ron