Repair or replace - Loose nails

Have you noticed nails starting to work their way up through your shingles? Seen shingle tabs starting to get pushed up by the nails underneath? Wondering if it’s time for a new roof or a simple repair will suffice? Let’s take a closer look!

There are several reasons nail heads can start poking up through your roof, it happens mostly on “builder grade” new construction roofs (the first roof installed on the home).

• Roof decking isn’t sufficiently thick or sturdy to hold the nail in place.

• Improper nailing, if the nail goes in at an angle or is sticking up slightly it can work its way out.

• Rotten or damaged decking will fail to hold the nail securely.

• Installing the roof in cold temperatures can break the shingle where the nail goes through, preventing it from sealing around the nail.

• If the nail goes in on a join in the decking or right by a knot in the sheet/plank it won’t hold the nail in properly.

All of the situations above result in a nail not being held securely by the decking, but it’s the expansion and contraction of the roofing system that slowly pushes them out, here in Ottawa, with the extreme temperature variation from summer to winter, we have the perfect conditions for nails to work their way out of your roof.

So what does this mean for you, the homeowner? well of course.. it depends….

Is there just a couple of rogue nails coming through but the rest of the roof looks in pretty good shape? Just having your contractor lift the shingles, reseat the nails and caulk/seal the shingle back down will get your roof system back in action.

Are there dozens of popping nails and bulging tabs all over the roof, shingles slipping out and becoming detached from the roof? It may to be time to replace that section of roof, get your contractor to give you a quote for repairs and a quote for replacement and work out which option works best for you!