Roofing Staples Vs Nails

Note the differences in the specification and length of the fasteners as well as the nail staple patterns.

Roofing staples vs nails.

Staples are much more compact. Staples cost less money. Similarly 19 32 osb roof sheathing would be 8d common box or casing nails at 6 on center at the panel edges and 12 on center in the field or 2 16 gage staples at 4 on center at the panel edges and 8 on center in the field. Roofing staple guns were light and easy to use over the newer and heavier roofing nail guns that were coming onto the market.

Staples are far less prone to jamming up in a gun than nails. For one staples cost less than nails adding to their profit per roof. Staples are the method used years ago that gave machine roofing a bad name. Coil nail guns are literally fed with a coil of nails and the holder for the nails makes the gun much bulkier.

3 4 staples pull out with 5 10 lbs. 1 1 2 galvanized roofing nails require 30 50 lbs. They rust they back out they don t hold and they put two holes through the roof shingle whereas a nail only one. Staples also offered excellent holding strength and could be installed over a larger roof area quickly.

Local codes residential say that either 2 nails or staples can be used and that s for roof and wall sheathing. I ve had nothing but problems with our roof because of them. Spirals and ring shank nails require more than 100 lbs. Click to enlarge any image.

We are talking nails hand or gun. A roofer can hold a bunch of sticks of staples in their pocket and reload their gun very quickly. Does underwriters laboratories ul recognize the use of staples. Staples should be totally banned from the roofing industry.

Make no mistake we are in business to make money. Hodges roofing only uses nails. Any re roofing of my home will not be with staples. Also the roofer fires off more than needed into the shingle.

Another point is roofing nails do not have the barbs. Of force per staple. Of force to pull out. From my understanding properly places staples vs properly placed 2 nails have little to no difference in holding power the argument is that staples will break easier.

The nails must be long enough to penetrate at least 3 4 into wood decks or just through plywood or osb decks. Although staples are allowed in some jurisdictions they do not provide the same holding power. The brad nail can be used in places where other nails and staples are simply not small enough to fit into the gap and they can also be used where you want to show off a piece of work without the nail being visible. Hand naming will not do it.