What is the Number of Collated Roofing Nails Required Per Shingle Square?

Definitions

• Collated roofing nails are stainless steel or galvanized nails that are joined together in a coil. They are used in nail guns to allow automatic nailing with the pull of a trigger. A roofing shingle is a flat material that overlaps with individual elements. It can be made of asphalt, composite materials, slate or wood. If made of split logs, it is often called a shake. A square is a common measurement for roofing and is equivalent to 100 square feet. This is typically 10-by-10-feet square but can be any length and width as long as the final product is 100 square feet.

Requirements

• Standards for roofing installation and other construction procedures generally come from local or state building codes. Though these regulations may vary slightly, they are all based on the International Residential Code or IRC. The International Code Council, which was founded in 1994, developed this code from the then-existing three codes in common use. Consolidation of standards allows shingles manufactured in any part of the country to meet code requirements in any other state. Homeowners and contractors can also rely on the same definitions, no matter where they are.

Calculations

• It normally takes three bundles of shingles to cover a square. And each bundle typically has 29 12-by-36 inch shingles, which is a standard size. The IRC defines the number of nails per shingle, so simple multiplication yields the total number of nails for 87 shingles per square. For example, for wood shakes and shingles, each unit requires two nails per shingle. Multiplying two by 87 gives 174 nails per wood shingle square. The nails must be positioned an inch or less from each edge and less than 2 inches above the exposure line.

Other Types of Shingles

• For asphalt shingles, fasteners must follow the minimum specified by the manufacturer, but there needs to be at least four fasteners per strip or at least two fasteners per individual shingle. For the latter requirement, this also gives 174 nails per wood shingle square. For slate and slate-type shingles, the minimum is two nails per shingle, which must be installed to the manufacturer’s specifications. This also requires 174 nails per shingle square. Slate shingles subject to high winds should use four nails per shingle for a total of 348 nails per square, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association.