Is there a solution for this? I am a homeowner with a one-story ranch built ca. 1955. It was re-roofed in 1999 — a couple of years before we bought it — with 20 year 3-tab shingles. At that time it was taken down to the 1×6 decking, decking repaired as necessary, 30# felt applied, and the shingles installed over that. Every spring my husband has had to get up on the roof with a flat prybar and a hammer to knock nail pops back in while I spot them from a vantage point on the ground.
I can only imagine this is due to the nature of dimensional lumber, that it expands and contracts with the seasons thus forcing some of the nails out.
In my opinion the roofing job wasn’t done all that well to begin with and of course nail pops aren’t helping the longevity of this roof either. Is there a fix for this at all? The best I can think of although it would be a huge expense for us would be to remove the existing decking next time around (probably in about 5 years the way this roof is going) and replace with plywood. I’ve roofed a few outbuildings before, a stable and such, but that was into plywood and popping nails was never an issue.
Your thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated.
Replies
Are you talking about the roofing nails popping up, or the sheathing nails? It may be the roofing nails are hitting between the sheathing. I would pull the loose nails out and replace them where they hit solid wood. Patch the old nail hole.
It's the actual roofing nails. Also, I'm not sure, I'd have to measure exactly how much the things are actually poking through the decking (I do have attic access, typical framing for the time, no trusses,) but I believe they used 1.5" nails. Might try your solution on a few and mark them to see if they stay put. Hubby I'm afraid is really pretty useless with a hammer :-) although he is a pretty good shade-tree mechanic (It's why I keep him ;-).) It means *I'll* have to get up on the roof to do it. Fortunately it's a fairly low slope hip-roof.
bump
half of good living is staying out of bad situations
Here's my opinion
when you get wind uplift on this roof, the suction where a nail is fitted between boards instead of into solid lumber will pull up on it. The whole shingle area for several inches around is lifting up a mite too. The shingle then lies back down in the heat while the piched nail stays standing.
RE previous advice - do not remove these nails. Thaty will leave a hole in the roof. You never want to leave holes in a roof, even when hioden under the tab.
what you want to do is to drive anotyher nail immediately above or below the offending one. The cap of the new nail sits just over the previous and the shank ios moved into solid lumber. Occaasionally you end up putting tjhree in before finding it solid.
You are going to want to do this in carefully chosen weather. You have to break the seal by sliding the flat bar in while it is chilly, but not so cold that the tab breaks off. Early AM or after a rain
next time, overlay the whole deck with 3/8" ply or 7/16" osb No neeed to remove the 1x6.
Can't help you with your choice of husband. Hope you have a large shade tree to keep him happy at home
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
This is Alabama in the summer. This might have to wait 'til fall then ;-)! I had thought about merely adding sheathing over the decking that is already there, but was somewhat concerned about the additional weight. However, I also know that although it is no longer done since it may contribute to early failure, roofs were at one time designed to take the weight of 3 layers of shingles which would certainly be no heavier per square foot than a piece of OSB or ply.When the time comes I will certainly look into that option. Even though these are supposed to be 20 year shingles, I do not see them lasting much more than 5-6 more years. I imagine part of that is also due to a lack of adequate attic ventilation (which we hope to rectify this year as well.)In the meantime I suppose I'll look forward to some roof time this autumn when we will hopefully have days under 90°F and nights under 70°. These days hubby is much less likely to get under the hood of a car, but as long as he keeps the oil changed in anything with pistons in it and my lawn tractor's blades sharpened, I'm happy :-).
heat does shorten shingle life
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I thought the roofing (shingle) nails poping out was caused by the nails being too short and not going thru the wood decking.
Cindy, we have done several re-roof jobs where the HO requested new plywood or OSB be installed, and we've always installed it over the existing decking. The only time I wouldn't do so is if the roof showed obvious signs of sagging or structural problems.
I also live in Alabama, in Mobile to be exact, and I can tell you, a 20-year shingle will on average last 12-15 years without needing significant maintenance. As a minimum I recommend 30-year architecturals, such as Elk or GAF, or a metal roof. They both provide good service life while being reasonable in cost. Of course good installation will improve any roofing material's chances of holding up, especially in hurricane conditions that we frequently have.
As for your current condition, others have posted several good techniques to combat the nail pops. I suggest either the early morning (around 6 AM) or late evening to try repairs, as the shingles will be pliable enough to bend without being too hot. Make sure you put a dab of roofing cement under each tab you pop up to keep wind from blowing it up; older shingles will not always re-seal.
If you are in the Mobile/Baldwin Co. area, e-mail me and I can refer you to some reputable roofers.Jason Pharez Construction
Framing Contractor
Birmingham area, Jason. I think we'll try the nail thing, sounds the simplest. I've read of a similar technique, I believe, to take care of drywall pops (although personally I rip out the offending nail, stick a screw next to the hole and patch the mess. But that's hardly practical on the roof.) We'll do something, It's not an emergency issue by any means, at this point its more annoying really. I do try to do a visual inspection of the underside of the decking when I go up in the attic to make sure that there are no water issues where a nail might've popped and managed to make its way through a shingle. But it's very good to hear that ply or OSB can be put over the existing decking. At least when the time comes we will have a plan to follow! Thanks so much fellows!
Here is an off the wall idea...
I wonder if excessive moisture in the attic could be causing more than normal moisture cycling of the roof decking boards which in turn pushes the nails up? Inadequate attic ventilation with a fair amount of moisture coming up from the living space of the home? Hip roofs are often not well ventilated. Bath fan(s) terminated in attic? Wet crawl space or damp slab that is causing moisture to permeate up through he entire house to the attic? Just a thought...