Exposed Nails On Roof Ridge

An exposed nail happens when a nail is placed too low and is not covered by the shingle above is placed in the seam between two shingles or in the gap between tabs in three tab shingles.

Exposed nails on roof ridge.

Covering the exposed nail with any type of roof cement or caulk is not a permanent repair and will be excluded from coverage under gaf s limited warranties. And the last piece of ridge is a complete waste of time and can cause more harm than good. The claim was that nails have to pass through a minimum of two layers of shingles. Should i be worried about the exposed nail heads and cover them with clear silicone caulk.

Exposed nails on ridge shingles there should be no exposed nails. Or even use plastic roof cement and glue a second last ridge cap over the first one with the first one being nailed down and the second one being glued to the. We don t want those flashings ditto. Even when the ridge caps are installed the last ridge cap is face nailed however the nail are supposed to be covered with plastic roof cement and membrane.

There should be no fasteners at all exposed on a shingle roof. Be sure to use the manufacturer recommended number of nails to fasten the shingle to the roof deck. Wipe the glob of roofing cement over the nail head. Because of this if the roofing nails are not driven properly are not long enough or are driven in bad wood or in seams they can back out.

The shingles are asphalt backed and this asphalt forms an adequate seal around the nail. Most often the exposed nails are on the ridge the flashing an improper roof repair or the result of a nail pop. That last cap alone will have nails exposed and covered with tar plastic cement winter or summer grade depending upon the season. When the roof is installed exposed nails should be kept to a minimum but it is unavoidable in certain situations.

Make sure the roofing cement extends to each side of the nail head covering it completely. Use the hammer to pound on the exposed nail head until it is flush with the shingle. I must admit i ve seen many builders that do not seal the nail heads. Caulking exposed nails on flashings.

I heard an opposing opinion recently. To me i have never even heard of a caped area leaking. I ve always considered it necessary to caulk any exposed nail heads on a shingle roof there shouldn t be many. I would think that these are supposed to be covered by the lower row of shingles.

Exposed nails visible at ridge ends are not covered with asphalt plastic cement. We had the roof torn off and redone about a year ago. While cleaning out the gutters i ve noticed that there are some exposed nail heads. Generally accepted building practices and most shingle manufacturer s instructions call for exposed nails and the ridge end location is inevitably exposed to be covered with an asphalt plastic cement to prevent water leakage.

The photo below shows to exposed nail heads. That part of the roof leaks 01 percent and less of the time.