While roofers in the past have been known to use staples for roof installation, you may have noticed that today’s roofers use nails. In fact, the industry term “fasteners” pertains to nails rather than staples. Read on as local roofing company Ken Morton & Sons LLC discusses why roofers would rather use nails.
Staples were the preferred way to install shingles because they’re cheaper and it’s easier to get staple guns. Nail guns, in comparison, were still in their infancy and were much heavier, making them less ideal for roofing work. While roofing nails were widely available, they had to be installed by hand, which lengthened the installation time and, in some cases, increased the labor cost.
The problem with staples is that it’s not ideal for use on thicker materials, like laminate asphalt shingles (which consists of two asymmetrical layers) and wood shakes. The staples will need to be much larger, and therefore will need correspondingly larger staple guns. Homeowners who wanted a speedy installation using staples would be limited to three-tab shingles or other materials of similar thickness.
Modern nail guns have since become lighter, which made the difference in equipment negligible. Between staples and nails, the latter have always been the ideal fastener because they last longer and penetrate deeper, making them ideal for roofs that require thicker materials and high wind resistance. While nail guns were known to be more prone to jamming, this has been resolved by manufacturers, and roofers who use newer equipment are less likely to encounter this problem.
But perhaps the most compelling reason for the preference for nails is code compliance. Roofs secured by staples rarely meet building codes. For roofers, this usually leads to do-overs, which can impact income derived from the project. For homeowners, this usually means a later completion date, maybe even additional costs, negating whatever savings were derived from choosing staples.
Considering getting a new roof this season? Call Ken Morton & Sons LLC at (856) 582-8800, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve Pitman, NJ, and the surrounding communities.