It’s Time to Switch to Cap Fasteners - Fine Homebuilding FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe

Fine Homebuilding Project Guides

Roofing

Guide Home
Chapter
  • Tools and Materials
  • Roof Replacement and Reroofing
  • Roof Ventilation
  • Waterproofing
  • Installing Asphalt Shingles
  • Installing Other Types of Roofs
  • Roof Maintenance and Repair
Tools & Materials

It’s Time to Switch to Cap Fasteners

Gone are the days of hammer tackers for installing housewrap and roof underlayment.

By Mike Guertin Issue 224
Article Image

Synopsis: Once upon a time, a hammer tacker was the best tool for attaching housewrap and roof underlayment to house sheathing. Now, according to builder Mike Guertin, it’s time to switch to cap fasteners. These tools are not only more effective but also are what you need to comply with manufacturer instructions and building codes. Caps are 1-in-dia. or larger plastic or metal disks fastened with nails or staples. The cap increases the fastener’s surface area, meaning less chance for tearing even under windy conditions or foot traffic. Pneumatic cap staplers are available in two styles: tools that attach lighter weight 20- and 21-ga. staples; and tools that attach 18-ga. staples, which have more holding power. Pneumatic cap nailers also are available. Additionally, National Nail makes a hammer tacker that has a manual cap-feed trigger.


Hammer tackers, the tools used to fasten the membrane you’re counting on to back up your siding or roofing, are obsolete. They don’t meet most house wrap and underlayment manufacturers’ instructions and, by extension, don’t comply with building codes. If this is news to you, you aren’t alone.

When I talk with building pros about the now-fading era of hammer tackers, they often respond with skepticism. They claim they’ve used hammer tackers for X number of years without a problem, or they point out that everyone else uses them. Unfortunately, most installers are not aware that cap fasteners — 1-in.-dia. or larger plastic or metal disks fastened with nails or staples — are a more effective alternative.

In fact, of the 52 synthetic-roof underlayment and house wrap installation instructions I recently researched, 43 called for a minimum 1-in.-dia. cap-type fastener. And starting with the 2012 IRC, cap nails are required for fastening roof underlayment in high-wind areas. Have I hung up my hammer tacker? No, but I use it now only to drive enough staples to hold material in place, making sure always to place fasteners where they will be covered.

I suspect that aside from extra cost or just not realizing that hammer tackers are a problem, builders are slow to switch to cap fasteners because the options can be confusing.

The case for caps is strong

Caps hold the house wrap and the underlayment better than staples, they reduce the chance for tears in windy conditions, and they protect the membrane from the nose of the fastener installation tool.

Hammer tackers can cut through house wrap and underlayments when you whack the steel nose against wall or roof sheathing. Synthetic underlayments and house wraps are generally tougher than the tar paper and building paper they replace, but they are still vulnerable to punctures, tears, and stretching around the staple legs.

Although the resulting holes are small, they will leak — and that’s the rub. Many common building materials and building systems today are less forgiving of moisture than those used 50 or more years ago. Even vapor-permeable house wraps may not diffuse moisture that leaks in through holes fast enough to keep rot at bay.

It’s not just leaks, though. Most manufacturers have tested their synthetic underlayments to see what it takes to keep sheets in place and safe to walk on. The thin, narrow-crown staples used in a hammer tacker easily tear through the materials, especially under windy conditions.

And one last thing that raises the bar for professionals: Insurance underwriters often deny claims when negligent work is the root of the problem. When an installer disregards house wrap and roof-underlayment manufacturers’ explicit instructions, the insurance company may not mop up the mess.

Tools come in a few flavors

Installing cap nails by hand is the most accurate approach. It’s slow going, though, and nails preloaded with caps are bulky. There’s a limit to how many fit in a nail pouch. Collated caps and fasteners automatically feed to the nose of a tool, so all you have to do is pull the trigger.

For more photos and details, click the View PDF button below:


Editor’s Note:

Some of the cap tools in the article have been updated and improved, some have been discontinued, and there are new models on the market.

Here’s a mostly-complete  list of what’s on the market in 2020:

Metabo N3803AP

Bostitch SL1838BC

Bostitch NC66BC

SpotNails GCS8116

SpotNails LCS6838

Paslode CS150

DuoFast DF150-CS

DuoFast DCR175-CS 

Senco BC58

PneuTools RC58-11

National Nails Stinger CS150B

National Nails Stinger CS58 

National Nails Stinger CN100B

National Nails Stinger CH38-2

National Nails Stinger CH38A 

Freeman PPCS 

Dewalt DWSL18CAP


From FineHomebuilding #224

To view the entire article, please click the View PDF button below.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up
View PDF
X
X
Previous: RN46 Roofing Nailer Review Next: Throw Away Your Hammer Stapler and Get a Pneumatic Cap Fastener

Guide

Roofing

Chapter

Tools and Materials

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Roofing

Roofing

A complete resource that includes the best materials and the right techniques to build a sturdy, leak-free, attractive roof on any house

View Project Guide

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Roofing Project Guide.

Start Free Trial

Tools and Materials
  • Roof Coverings
  • Roofing Materials
  • Power Tools
  • Handy Helpers
  • Staging and Ladders
  • Safety Equipment
Roof Replacement and Reroofing
  • Preparing the Old Roof
  • Sheathing
  • Installing the New Roof
Roof Ventilation
  • Venting Basics
  • Installation
Waterproofing
  • Underlayment
  • Drip Edge
  • Flashing Adjoining Walls
  • Dormer and Skylight Flashing
  • Chimney Flashing
  • Vent Flashing
  • Gutters
Installing Asphalt Shingles
  • Calculating Shingles
  • Layout
  • Installation
  • Valleys
Installing Other Types of Roofs
  • Cedar Shingles
  • Metal
  • Low-Slope Roofs
  • Slate and Tile
Roof Maintenance and Repair
  • Assessing the Problem
  • Repairing Asphalt-Shingle Roofs
  • Other Roofing Repairs

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in