The hammer head is larger than the driver in a nail gun so an overdriven nail is rare for the hand nailer because the hammer stops at the surface of the roof.
Nail gun vs hammer roofing.
A nail gun is exactly what it sounds like.
When hand nailing the head of a hammer is much larger and when it hits the nail it lands flat on the roof s surface.
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When you use a roofing hammer you can feel in your hand when the nail strikes the wood of the roof s decking.
I feel like i m the last carpenter to believe the hammer makes a tighter cleaner frame than a gun.
An amateur roofer is more likely to place their nails incorrectly whether they re using a hammer or a nail gun.
What matters most during roofing installations is the experience of the roofer.
Using a compressor highly pressurized air shoots nails out of the nail gun at high speeds.
Having spent a good part of my life framing houses i would argue that for framing nail guns are of little value.
This is critical for performance and for a manufacturers warranty.
A roofing gun does not give you this sensory feedback.
On the other hand a roofer that s succeeded in producing years of quality results that last that s the type of professional you want on the job.
This allows you to be sure the nail is properly secured.
Never use a nail gun on a roof and do not hire contractors that use a nail gun for everything it shows they want to be fast also nail guns are very dangerous to everyone near them cause leaks in shingles do not catch wood blow threw soft spots and most of the time they break down bend nails explode air hoses and make a hell of a lot of noise you can be sued by the person using the gun if he shoots himself or someone else no one shoots there self with a hammer with a hammer you can feel the.
However most manufactures claim that either method is a viable option.
Nail guns vs hammers like any tool pneumatic nail guns can be misused.
Hand nailing shingles is better than using a nail gun or a pneumatic nailer because it allows the roofers to feel the nail placement and ensure optimal installation.
Improper nailing will void your warranty and cause problem later.
It s very uncommon to have nails that have been over driven when hand nailing simply because they don t have the pressure from the compressor like the air guns do.
I use nail guns to hang shear roof sheathing things like that but when it comes to framing its all about the hammer.
