Nails for Treated Shakes and Shingles

Although our Maze Hot-Dip Galvanized nails have been used for over 100 years with an excellent corrosion-resistance record in the general application of shakes and shingles, we recommend Type 316 Stainless Steel Nails for the installation of fire-retardant-treated cedar shakes and shingles over water-proofing membranes or rubberized eave protection. Please check with the treatment company prior to installing any preservative or fire-retardant treated product to get their current fastener recommendations. Also check with the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau for their latest fastener and installation recommendations.

In the latest version of their New Roof Construction Manual dated June 2011, the Cedar Bureau cautions against covering the entire roof deck with a water-proofing membrane. Their Technical Bulletin on Asphalt-Saturated Organic Felt dated 03/07 also cautions against applying ice dam membranes or rubberized eave protection over the entire roof deck. This practice does not allow adequate ventilation for the shingles to dry sufficiently. For reasons not yet fully understood, this combination of some types of fire-retardant treated shakes or shingles installed over a water-proofing membrane or rubberized eave protection may have the potential to create a corrosive environment unsuitable even for hot-dip galvanized nails.

Maze Nails offers two grades of nails for the application of cedar shakes and shingles.

* Type 316 Stainless Steel nails offer the highest degree of corrosion-resistance (recommended for the installation of fire-retardant treated shakes and shingles or for installations within 15 miles of salt water).

* STORMGUARD® Double Hot-Dip Galvanized Nails offer a good degree of corrosion-resistance (recommended for untreated cedar shake and shingle applications beyond 15 miles from salt water). Maze has produced these nails using the identical hot-dip galvanizing process for over half a century. But, changes in present day application methods to provide additional protection from roof leaks may have the unintended consequence of causing more corrosion of these fasteners than in the past.

* CAUTION: E.G., Electro-Galvanized or Electro-Plated nails should not be used under any circumstances for the application of any shakes or shingles.

 Download this article