Installing Asphalt Shingles

I’ve got a quick tip that will help you when installing asphalt shingles. This tip is very simple but can be easily over looked if you’re trying to find the source of a leaking roof. Anyone with any experience with asphalt shingle installation will have come into contact on more than one occasion with what is known in the trade as a “head scratcher”. One of those dreaded moments when you know the problem is more than likely staring you right in the face but you just can’t put your finger on it. This term is often used when we come across a leaky roof but finding the source of the leak proves to be problematic.

It’s easy to assume that the asphalt shingles simply need replacing or a valley needs replacing if the valley metal has holes rusted through it. Replacing the asphalt shingles or a failed valley will often fix the problem but they are not always the cause and they are definitely not the most common cause that you will usually come across. Let’s move on to the very simple tip that will help you when installing asphalt roof shingles and potentially save you from a head scratching moment. The most common cause for a leaky roof is what is commonly known as “nail pops”. This is the name given to protruding nails.

It is all to common for nail pops to be the cause for a leaking roof but they are so easy to miss. The problem with finding a nail pop is that all too often the protruding nail will have rusted and can be camouflaged into the color of the asphalt shingles making them extremely hard to spot. If you find a protruding nail in line with the leak this could be the source. It’ll only take a few minutes to fix the nail hole. Once you’ve fixed it you can see if the roof leaks again just to make sure that was the cause of the problem. So my tip here is that a protruding nail can cause your roof to leak.

You might be wondering how nail pops can occur. Most of the time it happens because the roofer who completed the installation used a nail gun to fix the asphalt shingles. The main problem when using nail guns is that the nails can pop out slightly and protrude when you use them to install asphalt shingles. Over time this can cause the nail to pierce the shingle above.

Once the shingle has been pierced it can start leaking. I’m not a particularly big fan of nail guns personally. I know they can save you a bunch of time when installing asphalt shingles but I prefer the old fashioned bang ‘em in approach with a hammer. If you do opt to use a nail gun then try to make sure you get into the habit of checking the nails as you go and give any that are protruding a whack with a regular hammer. This is a very simple tip but one that could save you a lot of time I’m sure you’ll agree.