The History of Roofing Nails

Roof repair contractors use roofing nails by the 5-gallon bucket. It's hard to believe these humble pieces of hardware started out about 5,000 years ago by hand- melting metal and hammering it into the right shape. In today's construction industry it would be laughable to make nails one at a time.

In 1606 an inventive builder in England designed a machine that would cut iron into strips that made it a bit easier to pound out the nails into various thicknesses. This was a highly time-consuming task for pre-Revolutionary American colonists.

Thanks to some creative American minds, nail manufacturing technology improved in the late 1700's. A machine was patented that could cut and head nails in a fell swoop. It produced 200,000 nails a day making them available widely for 3 cents a pound, dropping from 25 cents. A veritable quantum leap occurred in the mid-eighteen hundreds when a machinist figured out how a machine would cut nails from wire. Currently manufactures can mass produce around 300 varieties, popping out 500 per minute.

Roofing nails are designed to be short with wide heads. The length is enough to attach the shingle to the roof deck but not puncture a hole all the way through. The wide head provides better coverage for the hole and spreads out the pressure on the shingle, making it less likely to tear. Using any other type of nail to secure roofing materials to the roof is not appropriate. Fortunately, roofing nails are now available in rolls that can be used in quick application nail guns.

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Comments

4 Responses to "The History of Roofing Nails"

Ottawa Roof Repair says:
December 7, 2011 at 11:38 PM

I personally like 1 1/4 roofing nails for the roofing gun. If i'm hand banging inch nails are perfect. Guns can be quick but, you can only nail a shingle in specific spots.

Roofer911 says:
December 8, 2011 at 6:16 PM

Also, homeowners should know that roofing nails need to penetrate the wood sheathing 3/4" or if the sheathing isn't 3/4" thick, the nail needs to go all the way through. Too many roofers nowadays are using roofing nails that are too short which is causing shingles to blow-off and having the homeowners manufacturers warranty voided.

Ottawa Roofing Companies says:
February 27, 2012 at 1:37 PM

There are instructions on the bundles where to and where not to place the nails but some contractors just want to get the job done and get paid. Especially the flyby roofing contractors who will do the job way cheaper than any established roofing companies.

League City Roofing Contractors says:
May 25, 2012 at 7:05 AM

Nail guns are great however they require maintenance which does get performed as much as needed. Hand nailing is always best.

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