What do roofing nails look like?
Short answer. Roofing nails are short, usually 1 to 1 3/4 inches for shingles, with an oversized flat head at least 3/8 inch across and a thick shank, and most are galvanized to a dull silver-gray. Nails for nail guns come in coils held together by thin wire, and cap nails for underlayment have a plastic washer under the head.
Anatomy of a shingle nail
- Head. Wide and flat so it holds the shingle without pulling through. The residential code calls for at least 3/8 inch.
- Shank. At least 12 gauge, which is noticeably thicker than a finish nail. Smooth or ring shank, where small rings along the shank grip the wood better.
- Point. A sharp diamond point.
- Coating. Galvanized steel is standard. Hot-dipped nails look rough and dull. Electro-galvanized nails are smoother and slightly shinier. Stainless, copper and aluminum nails exist for special uses.
Other fasteners you might find
- Coil nails. Roofing nail guns use nails strung together with fine wire in a coil. Leftover wire bits are common in the yard after a job.
- Cap nails. A roofing nail with a round plastic disk under the head, used to hold synthetic underlayment.
- Screws with rubber washers. These belong to metal roofing or vents, not shingles.
- Staples. Sometimes found on older roofs. They are not what the current code calls for on shingles.
What you see in the attic
Shingle nail points poking through the underside of the deck are normal, since the code requires nails to go fully through thinner sheathing. Rust on those points can mean moisture in the attic. A nail head visible on top of the roof, called a shiner, is a leak risk and should be covered or replaced.
Find out where nails sit among the roof's layers in roof anatomy explained, and what cleanup looks like in what to expect on roof replacement day.