Should Roof Tiles Be Nailed Down

Does anyone know if cement roof tiles need to be nailed down.

Should roof tiles be nailed down.

Lumpy bumpy or curling shingles that do not. For pitches of 55o and above including vertical the tail of each tile should be mechanically fixed. Every tile along the eaves up verges and along the ridge should be nailed but otherwise only nail every fifth tile horizontally and every third tile up the roof. If your home or tile roof is new less than 10 years old this is the most likely cause.

The shingles on your roof serve a dual purpose. This method has been disappearing from the roofing industry. Have a look at the bottom of the tile you will see where the wire goes through. Roof shingles are not lying flat.

Tiles with projecting anchor lugs are hung on the battens and fastened to them. This method is by far the most frequently used method of installing roof tiles. They give the roof a finished look while forming a protective seal. When the pressure is set too high the nails simply get driven into the shingles too far.

Tiles can be nailed either directly into the roof sheathing or tiles with lugs can be nailed to battens. Usually the one on the edge are. How tile is attached to your roof depends on the slope of the roof the manufacturer of the tile and the type of tile installed. Double nail down application uses two ring shank nails.

When the nails are overdriven the heads of the nails punch right through the mat of the shingle. For nibless tiles two nails should be used to secure each tile. Corrosion resistant nails must be minimum 11 gauge with 5 16 inch heads and long enough to penetrate the sheathing by 3 4 inch typically 8d nails. For all roof areas and pitches every tile should be mechanically fixed with at least nails clips or a combination of these options that provide adequate combined resistance to the wind uplift loads on the tiles.

Single component foam and two component foam adhesive uses foam adhesive. Battens are usually 1 inch x 2 inch wood supports nailed or stapled horizontally to the roof decking. The purpose of battens is to provide space for water and debris to drain below the tiles as well as to allow the system to ventilate. Screw down application uses one or two screws depending on the wind speed.

It is not necessary nor desirable to nail every single tile nailing as described here will provide a fully functional roof while allowing individual tiles to be remove later if necessary. It could be that when your tile roof was installed it wasn t installed as it should have been. Many roofers use pneumatic nail guns to nail down the shingles. The rest are tied down with a bit of wire.

For roof pitches of 45 and above each tile should be fixed with at least one nail.