Nailing Sheathing On Roofs

During a hurricane the strength of the sheathing on the roof can greatly impact the homes ability to weather the storm.

Nailing sheathing on roofs.

Roof sheathing comes in grid marked 4 by 8 foot sheets and should be installed perpendicular to the frame. Roe osborn a senior editor at jlc responds. They attach to the roof with nails but don t use roofing nails. This video shows how some roofs fail under heavy winds in uplift situations.

The problem exists because nail sizes and spacing used to attach the sheathing to the roof s structural members rafters or trusses do not provide enough strength to keep the sheathing on. Ventilate the roof according to current building codes. The connection between the roof sheathing and the structure is a vulnerable point that is known to fail during a hurricane. Although the heads are broad roofing nails are short their shank diameters are small and their heads pop off easily.

8d ring shank nails should be used instead. Roof jacks provide safe platforms on sloped roofs. Tighter nail spacing is recommended 4 inches on center maximum. The critical fasteners occur at the gable framing member not necessarily at the edge of the sheathing.

Keep these tips in mind when roofing in hurricane areas. Never attach roof sheathing with staples. Nailing accuracy is crucial along this member. Method for maintaining a continuous load path at the roof ridge by nailing roof sheathing.

We go in depth on how to install roof sheathing. Roof sheathing and the gable truss. Sheathing should be a minimum of 19 32 inch thick. When you replace a roof on a home that was built before the implementation of the statewide florida building code on march 1 2002 the nailing of the roof sheathing decking must be brought up to current standards for hurricane resistance as part of the installation of the new roof.

Can screws be used instead of nails for attaching wall sheathing to framing. It s true that screws have a highly effective withdrawal resistance which makes them excellent fasteners for tasks such as avoiding squeaks. The typical thickness range for sheathing is 3 8 to 3 4 inch. A structure s roof truss spacing can vary from every 12 to 24 inches.

Check the nailing surface is level. There is a common misconception in the building industry that screws always outperform nails when attaching wood to wood. The requirement became effective on october 1 2007. The number of nails needed for a roof varies on multiple factors such as board face width length and roof truss spacing.

Boards used for sheathing range from those with a 4 inch face to 48 inch long plywood sheets. Properly fasten panels including fastening and spacing hints.