Nail pops may seem like minor problems, but they can quickly escalate into much bigger ones that compromise the integrity of your roof and even cause leakage within your home.
Poorly secured OSB or plywood roof decking swells and contracts in response to changes in temperatures and humidity levels, which can force nails loose and dislodge shingles from their positions.
Removing the Shingles
Nail pops are an all-too-common problem on roofs, occurring when nails used to secure the shingles begin “backing up” through wood and the shingle surface. This could happen due to temperature fluctuations, improper installation techniques or both; for instance if nails are too short or installed incorrectly they won’t anchor the shingle properly and water could seep beneath, potentially damaging sheathing and insulation and leading to mold growth underneath them.
Nailed pops are unsightly, creating bumps and humps on your roof that make leaky spots hard to detect. But these nail pops also pose serious threats – they force shingles upward, providing windblown rain an entryway into your home through sheathing layers. Professional roofers use special lifting devices to carefully lift each shingle up, replace any popped nails with new ring shank nails, and apply roof sealant over this area in order to restore roof sealant’s sealant sealant protection and sealant coverage over this vulnerable space.
Removing the Nails
Nail Pops in shingle roof systems are tent-shaped rises caused by nails being driven upward from below, often leading to leakage issues in shingles. Proper identification and repairs must be addressed promptly in order to reduce future costs associated with roof leakage repairs.
Nail pops occur when nails used to secure roof shingles are protruding through their wood sheathing and pushing up from it, often as the result of daily temperature and humidity fluctuations which cause wood swelling causing it to expand and push back against its nails. Other possible reasons could be not drying sheathing properly before installing shingles, or when installers used nails that were too short.
These nails are typically steel roofing nails coated in rust-proof paint or metal; however, this coating may degrade over time. To effectively remove these nails you will require a flat bar (also referred to as pry-bar, crow-bar or wrecking bar) with a claw at one end that measures two or three feet in length and an optional claw on its other end.
Replacing the Shingles
Even though nail pops may seem innocuous, they can lead to roof leaks if left unaddressed. Furthermore, increased likelihood that strong winds will catch raised shingles and blow them off your roof increases with each nail pop, potentially incurring additional damages and creating costly repair bills in the form of roof replacement costs.
Nail pops can result from many sources, including improper installation or daily weather changes such as expansion and contraction. They may also occur if sheathing boards are damaged, not supported fully by their respective roof shingles above, poor attic ventilation causes sheathing to expand causing push up shingle nails to loosen or even come undone altogether.
Step one in fixing a nail pop is replacing and sealing off the damaged nail, which will prevent moisture seepage underneath your shingle causing further issues. Simply drive in a new nail approximately an inch above its old hole. This will stop moisture seepage beneath your shingles resulting in further problems.
Sealing the Shingles
Roof nail pops may seem harmless at first, but they could actually do significant harm to your home if left unattended. They allow water to seep beneath your shingles and leak into the wood decking underneath – possibly leading to structural damage as well as leaks.
Nail pops may occur for various reasons, including improper installation or environmental conditions. High winds and fluctuating temperatures cause the shingles to expand and contract, dislodging nails from their installations. Furthermore, some nails used may have been too short.
No matter their cause, roof nail pops must be addressed quickly in order to limit their effect on your home. Professional roofers use roofing sealant to reseal around each popped nail before installing new ring shank nails into affected shingles with roofing cement as fasteners; then a waterproof roof coating protects against leaks and moisture intrusion – ultimately making roof nail pops an easy fix!