Why You Don’t See Us Using Nail Guns On Your Roof

While technology has changed significantly in the three decades Atlanta Roofing Specialists has been around, especially in the roofing industry, one thing has not changed for us, our one strictest rule: We NEVER use nail guns on any roof we install or repair, EVER.

It may sound like we are being technophobic or “old-fashioned” but the truth is there are solid, practical reasons for hand nailing all our roofs that have nothing to do with being “old-fashioned” or nail-gun adverse.

Nail Guns Are Nice But They Aren’t For Roofing

For most of the construction industry nail guns certainly have their perks, they have been around since 1950 and have improved significantly over the years, especially as technology has progressed.

Nail guns make a lot of jobs much quicker and easier for the company and in many industries, it works just as well or better than a hammer.

Nail guns have had a huge impact on the construction business by eliminating the labor costs associated with hand nailing every nail. This results in less costs for the contractor and lower costs for the homeowner.

While nail guns have their benefits, when used in roofing installations they’ve been nothing but a disaster!

Roofs installed using nail guns have problems 100% OF THE TIME

Nail gun technology has improved since their introduction 68 years ago but they still function basically the same and are subject to the laws of physics. The unfortunate fact is, even with progress in technology, nail guns still have the same flaws they did when they were introduced when it comes to roofing applications.

The reasons for this are up for debate, whether it’s a flaw in the technology or the specific user (the tendency to just pull the trigger and rush through the job will result in problems) but regardless of the reason, roofs installed using nail guns have problems 100% of the time caused by improperly driven nails.

The same problems occur, every single time! The nails simply aren’t consistent, some are driven much too deep, others not deep enough, some are at awkward angles (causing damage), or some are missing altogether.

In 28 years, every single nail gunned roof we’ve come across had problems. Every single one.

The problem is so bad, GAF, the largest roofing manufacturer in North America,  issued a Technical Advisory Bulletin a couple of years ago advising against the use of nail guns when installing roofs as they may void the warranty.

As one of the major problems with nail guns is lack of consistency, GAF advises hand nailing to ensure the nails are flush to the surface of the roof.

It’s much better to simply take your time and do the job right. At Atlanta Roofing Specialists, we hand nail every single nail on your roof, it may take a little longer and cost a little more in labor, but having it done right the first time is worth the extra effort.

Atlanta Roofing Specialists has been serving the Metro Atlanta residential and commercial communities since 1993. Call us for a free estimate at 770-419-2222 today!