nails guns and decking

Ron Harden

Interested if anyone is experiencing homeowners requesting hand nailing shingles instead of nail guns?

Grumpy

Until I started my company I had never touched a roofing nailer. Infact all the roofs I had sold were hand nailed. It's hard to find guys willing to hand nail, but those that have been doing it for their entire careers and do it every day will be equally as fast as a crew using guns.

I used to think that a gun nailed roof meant a bad roof. I have changed my opinion on that. While it is easier to make a mistake if you rusha nd go too fast with a gun nailed roof, you can still definetly get a good roof if you have installers who care about what they are doing.

Finding guys who care doesn't matter if they are using a gun or not, it's a whole other discussion... but if your guys don't care the roof will suck regardless.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

bolga

Hand nailing whats that?
On a more serious note in the last 12 short years ive been at this ive had only one customer request a hand nailed roof. And lucky for me it was only a 5 sq pump house, which still left 3 of my fingers blood blistered.

Ed the Roofer

It happens about a few times, not that they specifically request it, but that they want to know the difference.

I just tell them that the nail has no intelligence. Either type can be put in right or wrong.

That is what I tout about having the same employees year in and year out, who have been trained on how i want the jobs to be done, per spec.

Ed

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chb70

Some people will ask about it, but I ask them if there something about using a gun that they don't like and explain that a good roofer can use either method and be as good or bad as anyone else.
But to answer the question only a couple times a season.

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RSC Builders, Inc
Can You Dig It! http://www.completeroof.com

Roofsafe

I started using a nail gun 18 years ago, hand nailed for 20 years before that, like Ed and Grumpy said, the only difference is the quality of the roofer. It's rare anyone asks about hand nailing, sometimes on exposed soffet I'll ask if they want me to hand nail using 3/4 inch nails to keep the exposed nails to a minimum, they like the fact that I asked them.

Grumpy

Here's the deal. Hand nailing is good marketing! Find something to set yourself apart. I used to make a huge deal about hand nailing in my sales presentations. I know it mattered, because the whole point was: quality quality quality. They didn't care that I was hand nailing or gun nailing. INfact they probably forgot after I left their presence. The point was I was making a huge deal about how we care and how we go the extra mile.

So I have been convinced, like Ed said, either can be done right or wrong. But I still beleive in quality and I still explain the fact that we are goign the extra mile, I just now leave out the part about hand nailing.

Ditto to roof safe on the exposed soffit. I don't ask though, I bring it up and state. "Oh and BTW on your exposed soffit, you don't want to see a bunch of nails do you? Did anyone else bring this up with you (set yourself apart)? Yeah it's very important we use shorter nails in this area or else you're going to see each and every nail from the bottom, and that's going to be very ugly. We use 1 1/4" roofing nails on the rest of the roof but on this section we'll be using 3/4" or 7/8" roofing nails so they don't poke through."

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

Roofsafe

Right on Grumpy, Oh but those short nails are hard on these older fingers. They seemed to have grown in size since I started roofing, they are no longer thinner than a 3/4 inch nail.

ronbryanroofing

Second generation roofer. Its a beautiful thing having the ability to set wack set wack with a light hatchet. This Spring marks my 21st year roofing. The first five I swung a hatchet and you couldn't tell me different was better. Then starting at 8 AM one morning a rival started a new house across the street (new construction) 3 guys with 2 guns and there were 5 of us 4 with hatchets and at lunch we were finishing the back and looking across the street they were ready to cap the ridge. At the chump change we were doing for back then we were working too hard. Needless to say we finished the front with guns and have not looked back. Ever.
I have been asked and the response is simple, no we don't staple, yes we shoot nails. I don't see the difference.
I was wondering how my speed is holding out with my age, so on a wide open walkable I was timed 4 minutes 13 seconds per square. Nobody will ever do that with a hatchet.

Grumpy

You can do a square in 5 minutes? I'll just give you a blank check to come work for me. I don't see how that's possible and have never heard anyone ever say they could do a square in anywhere near 5 minutes.

I'm assuming you mean after the felt was all set... but still 12 squares an hour?

LOL I personally can't do 12 squares in a day. I'm out of shape, fat and lazy though.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing