Roofing

When you find roofing nails poking through

Sep 05, 2023

Ever climb up your attic and thought of transforming it into an exclusive hide-away area just to escape from the daily activities?


Not only your attic is a great helper for extra storage, but also asks a question of safety. If you have seen roofing nails impaling the walls, would that be hazardous for anyone who visits and potentially lead to water seepage into the things kept there?


Nailing mistakes are commonplace, and these nailings are known as 'shiners'. They happen due to the Kansas City roofing contractor positioning the nails off-kilter, causing them to penetrate the wood frame of the roof instead of attaching firmly to the trusses or rafters.

It's easy to make this mistake when using a modern pneumatic nail gun. And so shiners pop up in your attic space, which is an undesirable feature if you use this area frequently or need frequent access.

Roofing nails are an absolute necessity for installing shingles, as they keep them in place amidst even the strongest of winds. Available in various sizes and shapes, these nails must be set every few inches along the row of shingles to provide stability, especially with the weather in the Kansas City area.


These nails go through the house decking or sheathing (being the base layer of plywood at the top) and penetrate directly into the space of your attic.
In an optimal scenario, the builder drives in nails directly into the trusses and rafters which are the crisscross pieces of plywood that form the roof structure.


Alternatively, shorter nails can be used on areas where those trusses don't exist. These smaller nails tend not to protrude into the attic. In any case, it isn't necessarily a bad thing for these nails to be visible since there is no extra risk of roof leaks unless there's harm to the wood encircling them.


For instance, if the decking is decaying then the nail could further tear apart the defective timber, creating bigger fissures and holes thus increasing leakage risk. Generally, your Kansas City roof contractor will not affix fresh material over an inadequate deck.
If it is broken, the probability is high that the roof must be fixed (not just referring to the nails appearing in almost all scenarios.


When you find roofing nails breaking through the surface and visible in the attic, and wishing to make something out of the space, then some measures need to be taken. Poking out nails can be removed and replaced with shorter ones; nevertheless, that requires an experienced roofer's aptitude to eliminate them properly as well as insert new ones without creating excessive punctures on the outer shell.

Besides that, there is another method to hide them. A thin layer of plywood situated along the top part of your attic will cause them to become almost invisible online since it allows them to embed into that wood. But be sure not to shield any ventilation openings since it might cause damage against the uprightness of your roof.


For a creative touch, try adding a few wine corks onto the nails. A small scatter here and there will bring an interesting look to the ceiling.


Why not hang a decorative item from it?


Alternatively, using a saw for eradicating any overhanging parts of nail could be another practical solution. Be sure to carry out this process without causing any damage to the nails or roofing material. To finish off, apply some epoxy and seal off that area. Check out Herntro Roofing in the Kansas City area, they do their best to make you happy with a roof replacement done right!

Read More: https://www.herntro.com