I think it's to make sure you don't hit the nails with the shingle after that's nails and bend nails every few and go off your rhythm, as well as wasting nails.... and too many in the same area would do what the narwhal said, split.
The nails go through the shingles underneath as well, so they probably each get ~6 nails or so, but I'd bet that nailing them lower down helps prevent warping and curling.
The lower nail prevents the shingle lifting like a pine cone opening to dry underneath. However roof angle is very steep which is a critical thing for wooden shingle life
If they are using stainless steel nails and tar to cover the whole roof, then it has a long life span. If not both and the temperature goes below zero celsius now and then, it will last less than 10 years. I would still prefer stainless steel screws which won’t pop up during freezing and unfreezing.
Also what makes a huge difference is how the shingles have been made. If preference is long lasting, then those needs to be made by splitting and not by sawing.
Wow, wooden shingles just looks like a giant fire hazard. Do people really not think about natural disasters and how climate change is making them more likely every day? I guess when the forest fire rolls through this neighborhood, he's gonna be shocked and confused when his house burns down. Or when rainstorms soak all the way through and tear holes in the roof.
Or am I missing something about these things? Are they fire resistant? Are they actually metal?
are you telling me that when a forest fire rolls through your neighborhood whether or not your SHINGLES burn is what you're worried about? The rest of your house is inflammable?
It's all part of the system. And yes, a metal roof will absolutely provide greater protection against fire than a wooden shingle. Why? Because fire doesn't always come from the side but drops embers from the sky. Have you never looked at the recent urban fires where a metal roof saved the house?
So yes, you should also have fire resistant wall coverings, as well as proper landscaping. It's not about perfect, but about effective. Because fire season is everywhere and getting worse.
I dunno, but the nail heads are left exposed. Exposed nails may rust (you can see how the lower shingles are already showing bleed-stains from the nails), and as the shingles weather, they'll shrink and will allow water infiltration around the nail holes.
Got it in my left arm when I was working on an island. 1 week till I could see a dr about it, couldn't use that arm while docking boats and it hurt the whole time
I'll rather have separate tools. They will use too heavy hammer a thousand times for each time they use the axe end. Better to have a regular hammer and separate axe.
This is how it was traditionally done, and they often did burn. There was a famous case in Porvoo, Finland, where in 2006 a freshly tarred shingle roof of a medieval stone church was set alight by a drunk arsonist. The culprit was caught quickly, imprisoned for several years and fined 4.3M€ indemnities (hasn't been able to pay) https://yle.fi/a/20-88065
goddam, That's what I'm talking about, burning churches! /jk
But yeah, the idea that some drunken idiot can burn down something by throwing a bit of fire on it just seems like bad engineering. If I build a house, it's gonna be designed to withstand all the enhanced threats from Climate Change.
Maybe they didn't know about climate change back in the 1400's when the Porvoo stone church originally was built, or in the 1700's when the roof last burned down?
Happily with this fire, like with Notre Dame, the inside ceiling mostly held and the damage to the main church hall was largely smoke and some water.
If you are renovating a historic building you gotta do it the original way to maintain the buildings cultural value. Which I think might be the case here.
So, create a bomb in the middle of town? Wood shingles with pine tar sealant is basically creating whatever is the opposite of a firebreak. A forest fire tinderbox?
I don't have a solution, but this really feels like there could be another solution. Also, those are modern nails, so is it really historic techniques?
I see one other house around. Hardly "middle of town". But even so, we dont know they are sealing it with tar. Thats just how it was done previously.
Not sure about the nails, very difficult to see, but his axe at least does not look like a mordern kind. I cant say what they are renovating as we are only seeing the roof of the building, but either it's a historic build or it's designed by someone who has a lot of money.
Near the house I was born, there was still old burning pit in the 90's and few barrels with some old tar down the hill. No idea when it was last used but certainly some sort of relic for historical purposes.
Those nail holes will be water tight. Consider how wooden boats are built and must sit in water for a bit before they stop leaking. I know this because I built a wooden boat and it leaked the first few hoirs and then suddenly it sealed itself. The wood got wet and swelled, which sealed the planks forever after.
Forever? huh, I'm a fiberglass boater and spent a lot of time listening to wood boat dock neighbors complain about the constant work of resealing and dealing with water leaks over time. I can't imagine that a roof that is constantly being exposed to wind, rain, heat, cold, and general swelling differences is going to stay dry for long.
Exactly. The wood will swell and it will seal for maybe a couple seasons, after that the nail holes will begin to rot. Just like any other nail in a piece of wood that's left out in the elements for a long time, the wood ends up rotting away from the nail.
Should have put those nails a good 2 in farther back up the board so there was no way for water to get at them
I am a builder and I would tend to agree. I personally wouldn't think having the nails exposed would be the best practice. With that said cedar shake is nailed and it does pretty well in the elements even where the nails are exposed. I have been a builder for over 30 years now and when I see someone doing work like that with wood I have never used I ask questions before I decide they are doing it wrong because I have made that mistake before. It seems wrong but the special nature gives me pause
Well, my boat was sealed for as long as I had it. And as a builder of over 30 years, I can speak to the use of nails on the roof with some experience. Not all-knowing knowledge by any means. But the type of material used would be an important factor. There is a type of cork wood used for roofing and rubberized roofing that might seal. Personally I don't see exposed nails as best practice but there may be factors I am unaware of. I have never used that particular roofing before.
I could see a fully qualified woodworker getting the most bang for the buck out of materials, I still see these materials as inherently at odds with your skills. Like you're good with the wood, but does the wood truly submit? Or is it a constant struggle to keep that shit in submission?!
Also, cork is cheating. They also use that in boat building, so you've been DISQUALIFIED! Don't bring that better material shit into this debate! We looking at a loon with carved wood shingles. Who does that?
sometimesarobot
Neat. Looks expensive, gimme
AdventurousDonut480
I'm surprised, most people who got shingles try to get rid of it by medical treatment.
18booma
I wanna see what they look like in the rain
Hortman68
I don't want to see them when there's a fire after a drought.
Lachwen
Scrabble players: "zax" is a word. It's a small axe used for cutting and dressing roofing slates. You're welcome.
itstheendoftheworldasweknowitandifeelfine
First time I've ever seen a shingling hatchet used as intended
SF0X
Wondering why they don’t nail the shingles underneath the exposed area instead of at the exposed area. Seems like that’s not a good idea.
holstery
"home improvement" my ass
MrStealYourGiF
I think it's to make sure you don't hit the nails with the shingle after that's nails and bend nails every few and go off your rhythm, as well as wasting nails.... and too many in the same area would do what the narwhal said, split.
actualnarwhal
The nails go through the shingles underneath as well, so they probably each get ~6 nails or so, but I'd bet that nailing them lower down helps prevent warping and curling.
Hal1918
The lower nail prevents the shingle lifting like a pine cone opening to dry underneath. However roof angle is very steep which is a critical thing for wooden shingle life
MiquelA
If they are using stainless steel nails and tar to cover the whole roof, then it has a long life span. If not both and the temperature goes below zero celsius now and then, it will last less than 10 years. I would still prefer stainless steel screws which won’t pop up during freezing and unfreezing.
MiquelA
Also what makes a huge difference is how the shingles have been made. If preference is long lasting, then those needs to be made by splitting and not by sawing.
freshthrowaway1138
Wow, wooden shingles just looks like a giant fire hazard. Do people really not think about natural disasters and how climate change is making them more likely every day? I guess when the forest fire rolls through this neighborhood, he's gonna be shocked and confused when his house burns down. Or when rainstorms soak all the way through and tear holes in the roof.
Or am I missing something about these things? Are they fire resistant? Are they actually metal?
Lucallia
are you telling me that when a forest fire rolls through your neighborhood whether or not your SHINGLES burn is what you're worried about? The rest of your house is inflammable?
freshthrowaway1138
It's all part of the system. And yes, a metal roof will absolutely provide greater protection against fire than a wooden shingle. Why? Because fire doesn't always come from the side but drops embers from the sky. Have you never looked at the recent urban fires where a metal roof saved the house?
So yes, you should also have fire resistant wall coverings, as well as proper landscaping. It's not about perfect, but about effective. Because fire season is everywhere and getting worse.
freshthrowaway1138
Just a reminder,
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/24/1195331310/red-roof-house-fires-lahaina-hawaii
PimpoMatic
This will go up in flames really fast in California summer forest fire season.
Babushkat42
Obligatory "dude must be getting all them shingle ladies".
PSYchr
I dunno, but the nail heads are left exposed. Exposed nails may rust (you can see how the lower shingles are already showing bleed-stains from the nails), and as the shingles weather, they'll shrink and will allow water infiltration around the nail holes.
adamsonpaul5772
Slate ffs
Narsuaq
Shexy Shingles in your area!
FatalError1337
Untreated wood shingles with exposed nails...
Be lucky if they lasted a year.
Mountons
That's the slowest roofer I've ever seen
straha242
Anyone else bothered by how off center some of them are?
FlyingTigerRose
Looks interesting but I wonder if they'll use some kind of sealant on it. Seems like the design would encourage water damage over time.
IordNeko
Not a single row lines up, putting holes in the exposed area... this is shit.
supervillin
Good news, you've got shingles.
WhiteKnighted
This is a terrible idea. Don't do this. It's bad for SO many reasons.
EdelwoodHikes
Unlike shingles, the disease, which is not nice at all.
realGeorgelucas
ItsMeFromTheFuture
I had that. It was all over my left butt cheek. It was fuckin awful.
Hal1918
For which there is a vaccine
https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/vaccine-considerations
philmoregraves
Got it in my left arm when I was working on an island. 1 week till I could see a dr about it, couldn't use that arm while docking boats and it hurt the whole time
Fulustreka
Damnit, I went to check. Should I have used the word tile? Or roof?
Goldmarble
Shingle has many, many meanings. For unknown reasons
Fulustreka
Today I learned! (The disease, lol)
EdelwoodHikes
Nah, it's fine. "Shingle" also means gravel, like pebbles on a beach, for example. Context is King.
Fulustreka
Ok, thank you ❣️
TheCriticsWereConciseItOnlyTookFourLines
Or toast
br0da
Aww
Whatdoyousaytoanicecupoftea
Hmmm...let's invent a hammer that can also split a head on rebound
Lucallia
are you this lady? /gallery/first-time-every-time-y0HDZVx
Nellisir
Or invent one to split wood shingles AND drive nails, so you don't have to carry two separate tools.
PanNonOpticon
I'll rather have separate tools. They will use too heavy hammer a thousand times for each time they use the axe end. Better to have a regular hammer and separate axe.
drizztx
This is literally a tool specifically for roofing/shingling, called a shingler's hatchet or roofer's hatchet. Been around 100's of years.
IncrediRis
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTY1YjkxZmJlcXJodW5ueXltaWV3NXAwdWIwbW91MnRyamJ2aHdwcHZ6dnlncHZrMSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/bWM2eWYfN3r20/giphy.mp4
mikeknight70
is that a tilers hammer?
ProfFurryPaws
Hot Shingles in your area? ... maybe I'm getting the wrong ads.
tacticalfacepalm
...looking to get nailed.
I know, I'm getting the same ones
andrewcj8
Nightcaste
Every one of them is offset. That house would make my brain itch
PenguinNamedWobbles
Doesn't really look waterproof. What are they gonna do, stain/paint it after?
ExTechOp
Usually with pine tar, which will make it water-repellent.
freshthrowaway1138
And even more flammable! Are people trying to get their roof to explode if there is a fire in the neighborhood?
ExTechOp
This is how it was traditionally done, and they often did burn.
There was a famous case in Porvoo, Finland, where in 2006 a freshly tarred shingle roof of a medieval stone church was set alight by a drunk arsonist. The culprit was caught quickly, imprisoned for several years and fined 4.3M€ indemnities (hasn't been able to pay)
https://yle.fi/a/20-88065
freshthrowaway1138
goddam, That's what I'm talking about, burning churches! /jk
But yeah, the idea that some drunken idiot can burn down something by throwing a bit of fire on it just seems like bad engineering. If I build a house, it's gonna be designed to withstand all the enhanced threats from Climate Change.
ExTechOp
Maybe they didn't know about climate change back in the 1400's when the Porvoo stone church originally was built, or in the 1700's when the roof last burned down?
Happily with this fire, like with Notre Dame, the inside ceiling mostly held and the damage to the main church hall was largely smoke and some water.
Cillellic
If you are renovating a historic building you gotta do it the original way to maintain the buildings cultural value. Which I think might be the case here.
freshthrowaway1138
So, create a bomb in the middle of town? Wood shingles with pine tar sealant is basically creating whatever is the opposite of a firebreak. A forest fire tinderbox?
I don't have a solution, but this really feels like there could be another solution. Also, those are modern nails, so is it really historic techniques?
Cillellic
I see one other house around. Hardly "middle of town". But even so, we dont know they are sealing it with tar. Thats just how it was done previously.
Not sure about the nails, very difficult to see, but his axe at least does not look like a mordern kind. I cant say what they are renovating as we are only seeing the roof of the building, but either it's a historic build or it's designed by someone who has a lot of money.
ChickenChickenBurningBright
every one of those exposed nail heads is a water intrusion path. No thanks.
somethingstupidandclever
The roof is really the underlayment. Shingles basically protect the underlayment / tar paper / membrane. Whatever has been chosen to seal it up.
SaturnineCult
Not really, the wood expands and seals it when it gets wet (but the nails rust pretty fast). Also shingle roofs were often coated with tar.
ExTechOp
With pine tar, which will make it water-repellent.
SaturnineCult
Near the house I was born, there was still old burning pit in the 90's and few barrels with some old tar down the hill. No idea when it was last used but certainly some sort of relic for historical purposes.
MrNardtastic
Water repellant and flammable? Great combo. Or is pine tar not flammable?
senseicombs
Those nail holes will be water tight. Consider how wooden boats are built and must sit in water for a bit before they stop leaking. I know this because I built a wooden boat and it leaked the first few hoirs and then suddenly it sealed itself. The wood got wet and swelled, which sealed the planks forever after.
Lucallia
I always upvote new knowledge.
cepacolusmaximus
fine, but do try to avoid upvoting baseless bullshit
freshthrowaway1138
Forever? huh, I'm a fiberglass boater and spent a lot of time listening to wood boat dock neighbors complain about the constant work of resealing and dealing with water leaks over time. I can't imagine that a roof that is constantly being exposed to wind, rain, heat, cold, and general swelling differences is going to stay dry for long.
BoobJiggle
Exactly. The wood will swell and it will seal for maybe a couple seasons, after that the nail holes will begin to rot. Just like any other nail in a piece of wood that's left out in the elements for a long time, the wood ends up rotting away from the nail.
Should have put those nails a good 2 in farther back up the board so there was no way for water to get at them
senseicombs
I am a builder and I would tend to agree. I personally wouldn't think having the nails exposed would be the best practice. With that said cedar shake is nailed and it does pretty well in the elements even where the nails are exposed. I have been a builder for over 30 years now and when I see someone doing work like that with wood I have never used I ask questions before I decide they are doing it wrong because I have made that mistake before. It seems wrong but the special nature gives me pause
senseicombs
Well, my boat was sealed for as long as I had it. And as a builder of over 30 years, I can speak to the use of nails on the roof with some experience. Not all-knowing knowledge by any means. But the type of material used would be an important factor. There is a type of cork wood used for roofing and rubberized roofing that might seal. Personally I don't see exposed nails as best practice but there may be factors I am unaware of. I have never used that particular roofing before.
freshthrowaway1138
I could see a fully qualified woodworker getting the most bang for the buck out of materials, I still see these materials as inherently at odds with your skills. Like you're good with the wood, but does the wood truly submit? Or is it a constant struggle to keep that shit in submission?!
Also, cork is cheating. They also use that in boat building, so you've been DISQUALIFIED! Don't bring that better material shit into this debate! We looking at a loon with carved wood shingles. Who does that?