Stapling was the most preferred option for attaching roofs. The option was convenient, profitable, the materials were cheaply sold, and the working equipment was amazing. Today, roofers prefer nailing to stapling because of the improvements made.
But, which of the roofing attaching methods is better? Although preference plays an important role while roofers determine the best choice, let us look at the similarities and differences between the two. From the information, you will decide which the best option is. Visit this site for more info about roofing.
Nailing
Thanks to their big and round heads, roofing nails offer a strong holding. Unlike staples, the nails do not require a lot of precision as long as they are fixed perpendicularly to the roofing material. With nails, roofing contractors can determine the depth to fix them. It helps with preventing damages to light roofing materials.
With roofing nails, the possibility of over-driving or under-driving is negligible. The heads lay on top of the roofing material, which is the maximum length a contractor can drive the nail. This quality assures a property owner of a tightly fixed roof that standard wind cannot easily blow off.
Roofs that are fixed using nails are easy to insure. Even insurers understand that nailing provides significant strength, and roofs attached this way are not prone to being blown.
New Innovations
We had mentioned that nailing had poor attaching equipment that was tedious and difficult to use. But, this challenge has been overcome through the innovation of better nailing guns. These have a higher holding capacity than the previous, allowing contractors to cover large areas before the next reload.
Also, the modern nailing guns are light, allowing contractors to work faster. As part of the innovations, manufacturers are also producing roofing nails that are corrosion-resistant. This quality ensures nails do not stain your roof with rust.
Stapling
It was the most preferred roofing option in the early days. Before roofing nails became revolutionized, stapling had many benefits that most contractors preferred. Although not as popular, stapling is still used today, but not in new construction houses.
When using staples, a lot of precision is required. Otherwise, you will end up having loosely fit roofs. As a result, skilled and experienced contractors are used for installing roofs where staples are used.
The downside of stapling is it cannot be used to fix roofs in houses located in areas with strong winds. Roofs will be blown up, and insurance providers do not provide covers for stapled roofs. So, property owners bear losses caused by such occurrences alone.
Like nails, staples have crows that act like the nails’ heads. But, the crowns can be under-driven or over-driven. When too much pressure is applied, the crowns disappear in the roofing material. This does not provide a strong attachment to the roof. Similarly, when the staples are not driven straight through the roofing material, they become crooked and become over-driven.
New Inventions
Unlike the nailing guns, little has happened with the stapling guns. They still use the old technique, which is considered inefficient in the modern era. The holding capacity of the equipment is small, requiring contractors to keep reloading after a short while. It can slow down the contractors, especially when working against time. Re-loading can also be tedious.
The good thing, though, is that the stapling guns are not heavy despite requiring lots of reloads and provide flexibility to the roofers.
Building Codes
Most regions, especially those with harsh weather conditions, prohibit stapling for new buildings. They take such measures to minimize risks to people and property caused by exposure to such elements. Not that staples are not good, but because very few contractors know how to fix them. So, most stapled roofs end up either over-driven or under-driven. The poor installation is what makes regulators go against this option.
Several roofing nails are required while attaching roofs in areas with strong winds. Unlike normal roofing, the building codes require reinforcing a single nail with several others in a single part of the roofing material. This step ensures your roof is strongly attached, and even when the wind blows, it will not likely be blown away.
It is unlikely for you to find a contractor using staples to install your roof. The expertise is rare, and most building codes are against it. If yours is a new roof, you will get nailing as the best option. Stapling cannot be completely disqualified too. You will still find contractors that prefer this option, especially when working on old properties.
