Thread: exposed roofing nails

Greetings from Oklahoma!

First I appreciate y'all being so gracious as to help. I did an inspection yesterday and the roof is about 3 days old. If my picture has loaded you will see several nail heads exposed, I wrote this up as a defect and plan on getting a call from the roofer. If things go as norm he will probabally want to put sealer on the nail heads or tell the seller/buyer everything is OK. I looked at installation guides and none allow the nailheads to be exposed as shown. I stopped counting after about 8-9 exposed. Is this not leak waiting to happen. Thanks for yur input

Willie

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It is just wrong.

Go here and download one of the shingle manufactures installations instructions.

Roofing Links

What is the appropriate repair, My thinking is replacement of the shingles. As a consumer I would not want some roofer running around on my new roof with a caulk gun of sealer spotting the exposed nail heads.

thanks willie

Originally Posted by William Mize

What is the appropriate repair, My thinking is replacement of the shingles. As a consumer I would not want some roofer running around on my new roof with a caulk gun of sealer spotting the exposed nail heads.

thanks willie

I would recommend replacement of the roof.
All of the manufacturers have nailing instructions. The instructions on that roof were not followed. In some places, like here in South Florida, there has to be six nails in the appropriate area. If the person who nailed the shingles in did the entire roof, I suspect that there is more improper work under the shingles.

Added with edit: I just saw that the roof was 3 days old. Here are a few more that were days or weeks old:
Roof

Willie, I call those out every time I see them and have yet to receive a call from an agry roofer. The bottom line is that if it was done right, you shouldn't see the nails.

Originally Posted by William Mize

What is the appropriate repair, My thinking is replacement of the shingles.

Yes, replacement of those shingles, all of them with an exposed nail, even if only part way exposed.

And, of course, replacement of any and all shingles damaged during those repairs. Which not only includes breaking, cracking or tearing of shingles being lifted, but of shingles damaged by the roofer's boots from kneeling down and making the repairs (if not careful, the toes of their boots will damage the shingles below and they will not even think of looking down to see if they damaged those shingles).

Eric....
on your web page, the link to Owens Corning ie; 3 tab shingles installation instructions there is this:

High Ridge Hip & Ridge and High Style

® Hip & Ridge available by region.
If cutting three tabs for Hip & Ridge shingles, adhere to the following
instructions.
Cut full three-tab shingles into three 12" x 12" (13-1/4" x 13-1/8" metric)
Hip & Ridge shingles. Start hips at the eave and work up to ridge. Apply
ridge only after hips have been applied, beginning on end of ridge opposite
prevailing wind direction. Leave 5" (5-5/8" metric) exposure per shingle for
Hip & Ridge application. Bend over the ridge; fasten on each side 5-5/8"
(6-1/4" metric) from exposed end, 1" up from the edge. Cover exposed nails with asphalt plastic cement.

Bold is mine.

I would read it again. They are referring to the two nails at one end that won't be covered with a shingle.
Here is the section you are referring to:

Correct,

They are referring to ONLY the nails in that last shingle which HAS TO BE surface nailed. Typically 2 or 4 nails.

Perhaps I should have stated my reason for posting that info. I thought that the previous posts to mine might cause someone to report that replacement was needed for all shingles with exposed nails.... obviously this is one exception. If they are covered with roof cement, they aren't exposed!

Originally Posted by Richard Stanley

Perhaps I should have stated my reason for posting that info. I thought that the previous posts to mine might cause someone to report that replacement was needed for all shingles with exposed nails.... obviously this is one exception. If they are covered with roof cement, they aren't exposed!

No, that's not a correct statement either.

I'll try it again.

"I thought that the previous posts to mine might cause someone to report that replacement was needed for all shingles with exposed nails.... "

That is a correct statement.

"obviously this is one exception."

Obviously, but not as stated below:

"If they are covered with roof cement, they aren't exposed!"

Totally incorrect.

The *obvious* "one exception" is that last ridge shingle which must be face nailed with its nails exposed. This is because there is no other shingle to be installed over it, it *is* *the* *last* shingle to be installed.

So, with that "one exception", the nails in *that one shingle* are allowed to be covered with plastic roof cement.

Covering *other* nails in *other* shingles does not constitute them 'not being exposed', they still are, they are exposed out from under a shingle. Those *other* nails in the *other* shingles are exposed, meaning that *those shingles need to be replaced*.

Obviously. (So I thought ... obviously.)

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

No, that's not a correct statement either.

I'll try it again.

"I thought that the previous posts to mine might cause someone to report that replacement was needed for all shingles with exposed nails.... "

That is a correct statement.

"obviously this is one exception."

Obviously, but not as stated below:

"If they are covered with roof cement, they aren't exposed!"

Totally incorrect.

The *obvious* "one exception" is that last ridge shingle which must be face nailed with its nails exposed. This is because there is no other shingle to be installed over it, it *is* *the* *last* shingle to be installed.

So, with that "one exception", the nails in *that one shingle* are allowed to be covered with plastic roof cement.

Covering *other* nails in *other* shingles does not constitute them 'not being exposed', they still are, they are exposed out from under a shingle. Those *other* nails in the *other* shingles are exposed, meaning that *those shingles need to be replaced*.

Obviously. (So I thought ... obviously.)

To continue the thought, the nails in the photo at the top of the thread are exposed and moreover, were not installed according to the nailing pattern. Some shingles have lines where the nails must go.

The last ridge shingle is not the only place where there will be exposed nails. There is also where shingles meet a wall such as on a roof over a front porch with a second story. Those last shingles will all have exposed nails. The accepted installation is to caulk the nail heads.

William,
You were right to call for repairs. Irrespective of what a roofer may tell you, nail heads are not suppose to be showing as illustrated in your photos.

Rich

Originally Posted by Jack Feldmann

The last ridge shingle is not the only place where there will be exposed nails. There is also where shingles meet a wall such as on a roof over a front porch with a second story. Those last shingles will all have exposed nails. The accepted installation is to caulk the nail heads.

Those shingles had better not have exposed nails, in fact, that last course along the wall covering the next course down and those nails had better not have any nails period.

Those small shingles (their size depends on how the roof layout and dimensions work out) should just be glued down with plastic roof cement.

Nails through those shingles will mean nails through the flashing underneath it, the base flashing at the roof/wall junction, and you do not want nails going through flashing (except those which hold the flashing in place, and those are sealed over, or should be). Nails through that base flashing will be leaks.

At least that's the way and reason it's been done like that every place I've been.

Nails through that flashing means a ruined flashing.

Hello everyone,

I am a little late in posting this but I thought I would add my two cents.

I would definately point out that the shingles will need replaced. I would also go as far and explain to my client the correct nailing pattern for this shingle and why it is important.

With the number of obviously visible nails, I would worry that the nailing pattern I cant see. I would most likely refer my client to the manufactures rep and have them ask the rep to come out an look at the roof. In our area (pittsburgh) the reps regularly come out and evaluate a problem. Most of the time the require small repairs, but they have come down on some roofers, hard.

Aaron Flook
AM Inspection Services LLC

I would have definitely had them replaced the shingles instead of caulking the nail heads. Since the roof was new, you would not have an issue matching color and/or disturbing the surrounding shingles. Plus, caulk will not hold up as long as the shingle's intended life and will likely cause a leak in time.