*
I’m putting on 8 squares of cedar shakes, square & re-buts, and I’d like to know what type of hand nails to use. I hear a lot of you guys talking about gun nails, but I’ll be handnailing this one. Box nails, splitless, drywall? They will be at 4″ exposure and blindnailed, of course, so is galvanized necessary? These will be going on 6 dormers after a new roof job, for what it’s worth.
Red dog
The LED-cure products from LED Coating Solutions offer a fast-curing, zero-VOC finish that works well for trim and cabinetry in small shop settings.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
*
Minimum....galvanized. I would prefer stainless or aluminum. Do not set the nail heads...will cause shingles to crack. And leaf in tarpaper...every course...
L
*Red I've always used a 6p ring shank shingle nail.The shank is thinner than a standard 6p nail so it tends not to split the shake. They are galvanized but they can also be found in aluminum. Good luck Skip
*i'm a little confused about the term cedar ((shakes))) if these are 18inch taper sawn red cedar shingles.. then we would use either our gun nails (bostich SS 4d ring shank in a c83 sidewall coilnailer) or our hand nails will be a galvanized 4d box nail..if these are a ((shake)) which is a thick hand split .. or a thick hand split with a sawn back then you have to size up to get 3/4 inch minimum pentration into your roof sheathing..so maybe a 6d box (galvanized) or SS coil nail..i wouldn't use an alminum nail with a cedar prouct, the tannic acids react with the aluminum.. besides, the aluminum nail is thicker to give it strength and it will split the cedar....are you sure you want 4 inch exposure ? that is going to give a lot of build-up and you will have problems with your trim and rakes... the shingles are going to be very proud of the trim.. and will not fit under the normal rake trim and freize boards... an 18 inch shingle will normally have 5 inch to 6 inch exposure which will need a 1.25 inch space to fit shingles under....b but hey, whadda i no ?
*I ended up using Maze, galvanized, splitless 6's. They are working great, hasn't been a split yet. No corner boards either, shingled corners. Ended up with a 5 1/4" exposure. The six dormers are on the 20/12 pitch of a gambrel barn in good shape with a lot of style. There is a window in the face of each one with some storage shelves inside which we are able to utilize for a work station. Mike, 18" taper sawn red cedar shingles are what we're using. It's very common around here for these to be called shakes. Probably a regional thing. We got them primed a medium gray by a local supplier @ $150/ square. Nice stuff, for today's cedar.Red dog
*red dog... i don't think it's a regional thing... i think most of the world calls them shakes..buta shake is a whole different beast... they're split...not sawn..kind of like the whole world calls the little wooden divider bars that hold the glazing in place (mullions) when they're muntins...and most people say gravel to describe crushed stone....on your shingled corners... do you let anyone nail em tight with a 4d finish nail ?do you shave the contour with a plane ? a shingle hatchet ... or a trim-saw ?do you hold your shingles 3/4 inch off the roof , or bring them down onto the roof shingles ?do you tuck your tips under the rakes and freize, or butt them. ?do you cut your top shingles to a point or clip them to a minimum of say 1.5 inch ?how do you nail your top shingles ? with your regular nails ? or do you use finish nails ?b ah, well , if the world were only a more perfect place....sigh
*Mike,The only nails I used were the splitless, even to nail the corners into each other. The end shingles in the rakes were cut off to finish at about 1 1/4" perpendicular to the rake. I used a jig saw to cut everything, worked very well. Shingles are 3/8" off the roof. Where I was able to slide the shingles behind the rakes, I did. Should I be using finish nails for any exposed nails? I thought about it but didn't like the holding power and these dormers are up high where nobody will see what was used.Thanks for the comments. I appreciate your comments and time spent on this board. I don't think I'm alone in that thinking. When I wrote the question, I was hoping to get your input, and you didn't let me down.Red dog
*well, thanks..clipping them to a 1.25 inch end is what i think of as good practise... if you let them taper to a point .. many of the points get broken in installation and many more will wind up on the ground next ear..we only use a headed nail to nail shingles.. i have seen (and was taught) the use of galvanized finish nails.. but every time i've seen them used i find them not holding.. so why bother..we try to line up a nailing pattern so all the heads look like soldiers in rank and file for any exposed nails.....i was also taught to nail the corners closed on a shingled corner by driving a finish nail thru the corner and into the butt on the other side.. this never works either...anyways.. we always try to incorporate details that take advantage of the material....i think having a good mental picture of where you're going is the key... so you can get the sequence down and plan the work..storey poles... chalk lines and lasers help a lot..b still learnin every day in every way..