Nails Or Staples For Roofing Felt

Put fasteners at least every 8 inches.

Nails or staples for roofing felt.

Many roofers will tell you that staples are fine for installing the synthetic underlayment. However always consult your local building authority for exact code requirements. When estimating nail or staple usage for your roofing project you should budget 400 nails or staples per square. Click to enlarge any image.

Others will tell you that cap nails are more effective. When the shingles are installed the felt is not going anywhere. Although staples are allowed in some jurisdictions they do not provide the same holding power. Back in the day all i used was staples and or roofing nails now plastic tops are the norm.

Roll out about 10 feet of felt and fasten with staples or roofing nails with plastic washer heads. Use a construction stapler or a hammer. Breaking it down further you ll typically use four fasteners per 3 tab shingle. Cap nails are typically made of steel and feature a plastic cap to prevent roof leaks hence their name.

Staples can be used for tacking it down but not recommended to hold. The preferred fastener is galvanized roofing nails with a minimum 12 gauge shank and head diameter of at least 3 8 inch.