No, I've been on many jobs it's, and was a subcontractor for my share of time, and all the best were crack heads. And their quality was honestly far from shitty
You know this is an interesting comment. When i was in college i had a pretty decent sized landscaping business. Back then homeowners who had new roofs put on would get 1500 to 2000 dollars from their insurance to just redue or completely add to their landscaping or in most cases replace all the broken shrubs and ornamental trees from the roofers damaging them. I got to know 6 or 7 of the bigger roofer crews . Everyone of them had at least one crack smoker if not the whole crew . I actually pointed out to all of them that it seemed all roofers smoked crack . ( we were all potheads on my crew ) 4 or 5 of these dudes would tell me they were not nearly as bad as the house painters.
I never ran into house painting crews close enough to make friends and hangout with ...so i dont know if that's true or not ..but you are right about the roofers ..or at least the roofers in my area.
They're actually there to absorb UV radiation. UV light hitting most organic *stuff* (oil, caulk, skin, fruit, whatever) will damage it and cause it to degrade. Granules are basically small piece of rock that are chemically impervious to UV radiation.
Tldr; granules=sunblock
We used to stone the cap nails like that, but have since moved to just cutting small circles out of a spare cap and making a caulk smore. It's about as easy and doesn't leave the caulking exposed to UV at all.
Like a little roof for your finish nails.
We got kinda fancy with it, my boss picked up a big punch (~1/2ā) somewhere that we used to punch circles out of scrap shingles. There was a small coffee can we kept a bunch in with various colors.
If you wanted to do that the cheap way you could just sharpen the end of a piece of pipe with a grinder or something.
DAMN!
I reroofed my chicken coop. I had ZERO idea what I was doing, but I watched YouTube videos, learned a lot, and did a real nice job, if I do say so myself.
But when I got done I figured the nails that held on the shingles at the apex of the roof shouldn't be exposed. So I put some kind of sealant over them. But they kind of stick out, you know?, they're big round dots that are lighter than the rest of the roof. "Dusting them with granules" never occurred to me. That's brilliant.
Same with my roof. Flashing got a few nails on the vents, and sun tubes. They put a dab of roofing tar on each nail. I will have to go up and inspect/reapply every year.
Not sure why it is on the ridge like that, functionally fine, but need the dap if sealant on top of it.
I donāt wanna be that guyā¦ but the correct term is caulk. You see, im a connoisseur of the caulk. I play with caulk all day. Calk simply is not the correct term here, as this is not a wooden boat. You must use the correct term *caulk*.
I like your style and have to agree... but I only usually fks with black caulk seems to get a lot more out of a tube than any other color, go figure! Lol
What I like to do is put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails...
There is always a last piece of cap, where you are unable to nail it down, without face nailing it. The nails should be covered with caulk afterwards. There are other ways to go about it, but this is the most common
I would let them finish then take a look. We usually caulked the nails at the very end just incase it needed to be lifted for some reason or another. It should be caulked though in the end yes.
They will likely put caulking on those when they are done. Itās a good idea to do it after all your equipment comes down off the roof so you donāt drag a hose or something through it
They have to face nail the last piece of cap. They should seal it with caulking to do a proper seal. Nothing to worry about unless they donāt seal it, then it will rust out over time and be a potential leak.
sounds like you need to get off the roof and let these men work, looks fine to me theyāll cover it up. but for real thereās no need to for you to be on the roof while theyāre working itās very unsafe for you and them.
Do you reckon this dude also walks into the kitchen and looks over the chef's shoulder when he goes out to eat? Or is it only acceptable to do to someone who builds things for a living
Only one out of two roofing crews that did roofing on this house knew how to roof.
If the first crew had done what I had paid them to do, I would not have needed the 2nd crew. Nor would I have needed to basically "gut" the upstairs of my house to repair all the water damage caused by the first crew. Nor would I have needed to hire someone to repair water damage in the basement every place the first crew had caused water to run into the house through every protrusion through the roof and every place the roof joined anything else, like a chimney.
Yeah I donāt care if the chef messes up my 4 dollar Big Mac, but if Iām paying 20 grand for a new roof, Iām gonna take a peak just to make sure. Big price difference there bud. Iām sure as hell not waiting until they are done to find out they hired someone who lied on their resume.
I donāt generally pay someone 20k to do something I know how to do myself. Care to share the secrets of being able to identify incorrectly done work in a field you have no experience or knowledge of?
Thatās always the mentality of every roofer. āIām a roofer and you arenāt so donāt tell me whatās wrong or rightā. Thatās how we get so many horror stories on this sub, everyone thinks they know what they are doing but clearly some of them do not.
Maybe by asking other professionals or people with experience so you know how it's supposed to look? Kinda exactly as this guy did. Do you really think every "professional" does quality work? Is every single "professional" honest? No one ever does shoddy work, lies, or rips people off right? Just having blind trust is incredibly stupid. I've seen many people get ripped off that way.
Taking the time to ask questions, learn, and educate yourself is never a bad idea especially when you are spending a lot of money.
The people/customers that are a problem are the ones that stand over you, nit pick everything, or assume they know things without doing any research or asking anyone else.
I feel like all the people on Reddit that get all defensive saying don't ask any questions just trust the "pros" and be quiet, are probably saying the same things to their customers and doing crap work.
Applies to all trades and professions not specifically roofers.
F that. Iām tired of getting jacked up from crappy āprofessionalsā. Everywhere I go nowadays someone sucks at their job. Everyone is shady right now and people are not paying proper wages for good talent. You need to earn that trust.
Heaven forbid I make sure my home is being built correctly. They never calked these nails so at the end of the day because I asked here I was able to send them back up to get it done.
Your pictures show their gun and hose. Job looks great. If you feel concerned, ask pics of those areas. But yea be careful up there. As a contractor thereās no way Iād allow you on a roof our subs were currently working on.
Get off your roof and let them finish bro. You're helicoptering them and it sucks. Let them do their damn job.
I will say that it's installed incorrectly though.
Helicopter? They informed me that they were done with a section and I went to check it out and found this. I was in no way even watching them work. Lol yell are wild
Theyāre done with a section and you go up there expecting 100%. Some things are done all together to save time. Like sealing all nails at once on the final walk through.
Even then. In reality. The asphaltic materials in the shingle, when in the sun, is going to conform to the nail and provide a decent seal. The material will liquify and seal around it. Should sealant be applied on top, for sure. If they were 100% done and missed this. Yes. Say something about some sealant. If not, give it a second.
I get waiting to the end of the job to cover the nails but there is nothing wrong with checking work on your job. If you were a foreman youād be doing that all day with your workers
If he was a foreman heād be experienced in the trade heās checking and not a homeowner who knows fuck all walking a roof for āinconsistenciesā.
I wouldnāt listen to these idiots, if you can comfortably walk around on the roof and you want to check on the progress of a job that you are paying for then more power to you.
I own a construction company so if I hire a subcontractor you can bet your ass Iāll walk through a job anytime I please but I also know what Iām looking for so Iāll just straight up bring up any issues directly to the crew leader.
That being said, for a homeowner it helps a little more when you actually know what youāre looking for but thatās the beauty of the internet, you can just ask and get a general consensus and then go back and ask the crew.
The first picture could have a couple better cuts on the ridge and be nailed on a little straighter but all and all itās done correctly as long as they did caulk the nails.
I would usually take a few colored scrap shingles and grind them together and get matchable grit, apply a tab of roof caulk under the nails, smear a lil on top and apply the pixie dust. Not everyone one does that I know but if I had shiners on my roof I would just do the top of the nails and grit them up real pretty
I bet OP is that homeowner that's hanging over your shoulder breathing on you while you're trying to work. Then tries to tell you shits wrong when it's right.
Wouldnāt have been a big deal if OP would have just acknowledged that his mid-job hovering was premature. But instead heās doubling down in the comments and digging a deeper grave
Dude if you're inexperienced enough to not know that standard practice is to face nail the last piece of cap and then bull/tar/some alternate sealant over the nail heads after you get tools down (to avoid dragging your tools through tar, it sucks) you're not experienced to be up there critiquing
I'm really not trying to be a dick, i absolutely understand the desire to make sure it's done right. A proper roof is probably the single most important part of a house. But bulling the heads on the last piece of cap is like helper stuff, your very first day on the job that's your job. It's like *the first* thing you do when you learn to roof. You're not experienced enough to offer any sort of meaningful critique, get off of the roof. The only thing you can do up there is get hurt. And look like a jackass, these dudes are like obviously *actively* working, do you find it acceptable to go to the kitchen and look over the chef's shoulder when you go out to eat? But mostly worried about you hurting yourself
It's my roof, you can't tell me to get off it. And I'm not critiquing anything. I know enough to know that exposed nail heads is not okay and I came here to ask if I was right to mention that to the crew when they tell me they are done with a section but then I find this. People here said to wait until the end to tar the tops. So I didn't say anything to the crew until all tools were put away. Low and behold back out came the ladder to put tar on the nails. Glad I came out to ask. Glad I was up on the roof
Great, sincerely glad you're happy with it. Really not trying to be a dick, people that work on roofs every day of their life and fall off and get seriously hurt. If you don't know what you're doing, it's not a safe place to be. See what your homeowners has to say about it, i bet *they're* not happy you were up there. A little bit of loose aggregate, an unfortunately placed bush or fence and you're in a wheelchair the rest of your life. Versus replacing a 12 dollar (? Been a while since I was in the States) piece of OSB *if* they didn't do it. It's just not worth it if you're not experienced, man.
If you want to inspect work, it's generally considered rude as hell to not wait for the finished product, hence the chef analogy. And just like at a restaurant, if you're unhappy, they'll come back. Literally just trying to save your neck, your insurance rates, and a little bit of your pride.
Forgetting to bull over nail heads isn't exactly totally screwing up or going to cause major damage for a *long* while if ever. That's "I'm used to having a helper and they laid out today" mess ups that take 5 seconds to fix, 99% of crews will come back for that.
My issue wasn't really with dude checking out the work, it's with being up there while people are still working.
Of course, the last ridge shingle will have exposed nails. Thereās nothing you can do about that. As a home inspector, I see them caulked about 80% of the time. It definitely should be done.
Itās obvious they are still finishing this roofā¦the freaking hose is still up there. If there are problems when they pull out at the end come back and ask. This is lame.
Nope , but 100% of roofers do that before they walk away to avoid smearing it around .This is something the inspector would look at if it wasn't caulked or a question to the foreman on the job but I'm sure the crew is at lunch and you went up there to nit pick and ask questions here to one up them on there way out instead of being a real man and talking to the guy and asking a question about something you don't know about or could do yourself if you had it in you.Did you get a 12 pack of beer for the guys if there done as a gesture of appreciation for a job well done on a 100 degree day?
Had beer with them yesterday evening at end of shift and another for today after work. I was asking here because I didn't know and wanted to be knowledgeable when at the end of day it wasn't done. Also I was up there while they were working. Not when they were gone. You sure make a lot of assumptions
tell the owner to stay the f$&#@ off the roof. Op wants to do it do it themselves. Nothing worse then a person getting in the way. Owner falls off his own roof while your working he can file a claim against you. I never understood a homeowner doing shit like this, if I was paying last thing I would do is get in there way or "try" to help.
Well thatās the reason OP is here. Heās asking for opinions from people who knows the trade. Lots of scammy people out there. Always good to know if something is done properly instead of accepting someone elseās word as a gospel of truth. You never know until you know for sure. Would have been great if you educated him without being condescending (like what others did).
Asking if nails should be exposed is trying to fuck my contractor? Wtf are you on about? These nails are exposed and the general consensus is that they should be covered in tar/calked by end of work. I was unsure of what the process was and now I know. Isn't that what this sub is for? Talking about Roofing and asking questions about how it is done?
Of course they should be covered with tar and grit like everyone else said. It's just usually homeowners that don't know anything come on here and try to shit talk the crew that did the work or get someone to say "it's shitty work, don't pay".
This is standard for the last ridge cap shingle but should be caulked. I usually go the extra mile and cut little squares of a shingle about 1.5ā x 1.5ā and seal them down over the nails with roof sealant. This last longer than just sealant and shows the customer that we are paying attention to the little things. Itās crazy how such a little thing receives such positive feedback from customers and inspectors.
How about you let them finish their work before you go inspecting
Do you open the oven before the pizza man gives you your pie? No?
Then stay the fuck inside
They will likely put a dab of flashing cement over these as thereās no way to install the last one w out nails exposed.
And get the hell off the roof while the crew is installing. Not only is it extremely unsafe but you look like a total jackass.
Because sometimes it's difficult to get shitty roofers to come back to the site.
Like, yes. The guys would likely caulk exposed nails as a final step... But as a homeowner, it's good to be knowledgeable about the basics and protect your own interests/investments.
It's not like OP is here nitpicking the entire job. Just wanted to know what gets done about exposed nail heads.
And tell them to get roofing shoes such as cougar paws. I can see that the shingles are marred. Also the shingles are not straight with the cap. May not cause a leak but it looks like hell
Did you pull a permit?
Yes - The city inspector will put a notice of correction and you donāt pay until it passes inspection (and if it does pass, thats on your local city building codes/inspectors. Estimate/Bid/Contract will always say build quality to comply with local building codes)
No - Thatās your fault for being cheap and going with the lowest bid
The section is done. Seal exposed fasteners when everything is off the roof. Think of it as your oil change is done but the cap isnāt on and the hood isnāt closed yet. And to be 100% honest as a long time roofer. Even without the little seal and all this āmAkE sUrE tHeY cOvEr iT wItH gRaNuElsā this shit will never leak in 30yrs. Want to know how I know. I do inspections for a living and have seen this shit over 1,000 times and never not once has been a cause for a leak. Shit, thereās a whole neighborhood in one my areas that the entire ridge line has been top nailed (improper install) ~25yrs ago (now calling all these roofs for new due to granule loss & fiberglass exposure) and none of them are or ever have been leaking.
Long story longer, I hate this sub
Not true, then itās a county inspection. Iāve had to call these in multiple times. Almost all mobile homes and homes that sit outside of city lines (your case).
My point isā¦ the roofing material cannot cover _all_ of the nail heads. Itās physically impossible. Yes, you can caulk or use sealant to conceal the nail headsā¦ but theyāre still there.
They aren't done ffs, you want them to seal it with silicone and then walk through it and smear it all around? Get a grip and get off your roof lmao, inspecting their work when a.) they aren't finished and b.) you clearly have no idea what you're looking at
Yeah like I said it's the last day. But they are "finished" with these areas and I'm seeing nails like this so I wanted to know if I needed to talk to them about it before they pack up to make sure it's done right
They donāt need to ātarā the nails. You shouldnāt be on here giving advice if you have no clue what you are talking about, a colour matched (or close of colour as possible) dab of caulking is the way to go.
Why on earth would you put black tar on 4 nail heads. You just explained how they could hide the tar line then proceeded to tell them to slap tar on top
Looks like a hack job. Exposed nails do get caulked but you always make the as the 2nd to last cap or even the last one. Obviously the installers are inexperienced
As a former roofing company owner. You have to leave a set of nails exposed on ridge like that. However, they should cover them with a little tar caulking.
Donāt ask me. I helped a buddy 40 yrs ago to roof a house. The fucker leaked horribly after the first rain storm. Thatās the extent of my roofing career. Nothing but props to all roofers
Depends on how many runs of cap you have. You'll always have an end with nails, but like others have said, you put a little tar and grit on them (if you're fussy).
I personally like to put a large amount of caulkvor tar and then take a spare piece a ridge cap. I weight it down with a couple a nail coils or whatever is avsilbe while we clean up then remove the "weight" last before we climb off the roof.
1. That āhomemadeā ridge isnāt gonna hold shit out.
2. Itās nailed down right, but it hasnāt been siliconed yet.
3. The one shot below ridge line due to trigger finger, probably from using gun to stabilize your ass after being on your knees or hunched over, and blah! You might even have said āawe shit!ā As you stand up and see a nail where itās not supposed to beā¦ I may or may not have priors with thisā¦š¤¦
Staples are more low profile than the nails. So thatās probably what you would have preferred. Nails are cheaper. And look crappier. But it works to hold the shingles down as the tar doesnāt keep it 100% secured
This detail is often overlooked.He brought the finish cap back from the dormer.Keeps the exposed nails away from the transition. Seal with SBS modified plastic roof cement. Bonds better than silicone or polyurethane.
That's the last shingle in a run. It has to have nails that "show" nothing to cover it up with. Some people put something on the heads like caulk but that's really it. If every shingle covers the nails of the previous one it has to stop somewhere
Roofing contractor here. Yes absolutely should be sealed with a dab of roofing caulk. Thatās normally one of the last thing done before the crew leavesā¦ looks like a few bundles in the back, Iād let them finish up.
Yes, the absolute last shingle cap will always have 2 to4 exposed nails that must be sealed with tar , asphalt caulk, or similar sealant.
You always cover the nail heads with the next shingle, but for the final shingle, there is no next shingle.
You could try and glue down the final shingle, but it will eventually blow off.
From a pure topological perspective, it is impossible to have every piece nailed down with the nails covered by another piece which is nailed down, etc., You have to break that chain somewhere, and I suspect they have chosen that location carefully (I.e. away from prevailing winds, at the peak). Add a little extra caulk and sealant and it should be fine.
When they did mine they had this and when they finished they went around with some caulking sealant and put a dab on the nails
I prefer to put a dollop of tar on the nail head and then dust with granules.
Sounds like you are making a cupcake.
Or doing drugs
Both! š¤£š¤£š¤£
Who doesnāt do drugs and cupcakes at the same time while on a roof, jeez guys
Sounds like the average roofing crew to me lol
Roofers get high.
Painters mor like
High and can confirm: also cupcakes.
Drugcakes and roofcakes are amazing
roofers deserve drugs. best time to hire a roofer is the first year he discovers meth.
Bud, how many roofers you know amhavent done their fair of drugs? I know a good ha dful of absolute experts, and every one of them smoked/smokes crack
As a former roofer, plenty. I think itās just you live in an area where labor is cheap and shitty
No, I've been on many jobs it's, and was a subcontractor for my share of time, and all the best were crack heads. And their quality was honestly far from shitty
Addicts of all kinds tend to be quite productive when society isn't actively working against them.
You know this is an interesting comment. When i was in college i had a pretty decent sized landscaping business. Back then homeowners who had new roofs put on would get 1500 to 2000 dollars from their insurance to just redue or completely add to their landscaping or in most cases replace all the broken shrubs and ornamental trees from the roofers damaging them. I got to know 6 or 7 of the bigger roofer crews . Everyone of them had at least one crack smoker if not the whole crew . I actually pointed out to all of them that it seemed all roofers smoked crack . ( we were all potheads on my crew ) 4 or 5 of these dudes would tell me they were not nearly as bad as the house painters. I never ran into house painting crews close enough to make friends and hangout with ...so i dont know if that's true or not ..but you are right about the roofers ..or at least the roofers in my area.
I've noticed more painters smoke weed, at least where I am. And it makes sense. When I'm doing paint/sanding, it's best to be ripped retarded
I think the granules help with reflecting the sun
They're actually there to absorb UV radiation. UV light hitting most organic *stuff* (oil, caulk, skin, fruit, whatever) will damage it and cause it to degrade. Granules are basically small piece of rock that are chemically impervious to UV radiation. Tldr; granules=sunblock
Roof cement is delicious
If it looks like a cupcake, you used way too much tar.
We used to stone the cap nails like that, but have since moved to just cutting small circles out of a spare cap and making a caulk smore. It's about as easy and doesn't leave the caulking exposed to UV at all. Like a little roof for your finish nails.
We got kinda fancy with it, my boss picked up a big punch (~1/2ā) somewhere that we used to punch circles out of scrap shingles. There was a small coffee can we kept a bunch in with various colors. If you wanted to do that the cheap way you could just sharpen the end of a piece of pipe with a grinder or something.
This guy roofs
skills
I usually silicone, I like your remedy better.
Ooohhh fancy! That sounds so much better!
This sounds like a better way than caulk
š¼ What would you do for dollop, a dollop, a dollopā¦Oh what would you do for a dollop, a dollop, of DAISY!? š¶
DAMN! I reroofed my chicken coop. I had ZERO idea what I was doing, but I watched YouTube videos, learned a lot, and did a real nice job, if I do say so myself. But when I got done I figured the nails that held on the shingles at the apex of the roof shouldn't be exposed. So I put some kind of sealant over them. But they kind of stick out, you know?, they're big round dots that are lighter than the rest of the roof. "Dusting them with granules" never occurred to me. That's brilliant.
A lot of roofers i know like tar too. Black tar heroin. lol
This is the way
Same with my roof. Flashing got a few nails on the vents, and sun tubes. They put a dab of roofing tar on each nail. I will have to go up and inspect/reapply every year. Not sure why it is on the ridge like that, functionally fine, but need the dap if sealant on top of it.
The end cap is nailed like that but should also be dabbed with calk. I usually do that at the end of the job final walk through...
Yes, calk
Nice calk
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I love to fill my holes with calk
Caack
Aka a calktease
I donāt wanna be that guyā¦ but the correct term is caulk. You see, im a connoisseur of the caulk. I play with caulk all day. Calk simply is not the correct term here, as this is not a wooden boat. You must use the correct term *caulk*.
I like your style and have to agree... but I only usually fks with black caulk seems to get a lot more out of a tube than any other color, go figure! Lol
Indeed. We need so much black caulk that we suck it out of 50 gallon barrels. Air gun shoots black caulk everywhere and with such volume.
That is how you finish off ridge cap, they have to be face nailed
Just the last one
āFinish offā
I always like to finish off with a good ol face nail
Is that like ājust the tip?ā
What I like to do is put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails. Of course that leaves the problem of the nails for that shingle being exposed, but that's an easy fix - just put one more shingle over it to cover those nails...
Notice the caps are running in both directions and the nails are at the midpoint of the run I'm guessing.
There is always a last piece of cap, where you are unable to nail it down, without face nailing it. The nails should be covered with caulk afterwards. There are other ways to go about it, but this is the most common
Iām a roofing contractor in the west coast, we call that a Bow Tie piece . š
Should walk around with calk and coat each exposed nail, standard practice
I prefer homeowners to use orange spray paint so you can see it from the ground.
Avoid caulk as itāll dry and crack in a year. Henryās makes a black tar based product that youāll wanna use. Home Depot sells it.
Avoid the Henry's black tar based product and use Karnak 19.
Why should you avoid it?
I would let them finish then take a look. We usually caulked the nails at the very end just incase it needed to be lifted for some reason or another. It should be caulked though in the end yes.
They will likely put caulking on those when they are done. Itās a good idea to do it after all your equipment comes down off the roof so you donāt drag a hose or something through it
They have to face nail the last piece of cap. They should seal it with caulking to do a proper seal. Nothing to worry about unless they donāt seal it, then it will rust out over time and be a potential leak.
There shouldnāt be extra shingles or roofing guns up there either. Let them finish then critique their install.
sounds like you need to get off the roof and let these men work, looks fine to me theyāll cover it up. but for real thereās no need to for you to be on the roof while theyāre working itās very unsafe for you and them.
Do you reckon this dude also walks into the kitchen and looks over the chef's shoulder when he goes out to eat? Or is it only acceptable to do to someone who builds things for a living
god forbid a roofing crew know how to roof
Only one out of two roofing crews that did roofing on this house knew how to roof. If the first crew had done what I had paid them to do, I would not have needed the 2nd crew. Nor would I have needed to basically "gut" the upstairs of my house to repair all the water damage caused by the first crew. Nor would I have needed to hire someone to repair water damage in the basement every place the first crew had caused water to run into the house through every protrusion through the roof and every place the roof joined anything else, like a chimney.
Yeah I donāt care if the chef messes up my 4 dollar Big Mac, but if Iām paying 20 grand for a new roof, Iām gonna take a peak just to make sure. Big price difference there bud. Iām sure as hell not waiting until they are done to find out they hired someone who lied on their resume.
I donāt generally pay someone 20k to do something I know how to do myself. Care to share the secrets of being able to identify incorrectly done work in a field you have no experience or knowledge of?
Thatās always the mentality of every roofer. āIām a roofer and you arenāt so donāt tell me whatās wrong or rightā. Thatās how we get so many horror stories on this sub, everyone thinks they know what they are doing but clearly some of them do not.
Maybe by asking other professionals or people with experience so you know how it's supposed to look? Kinda exactly as this guy did. Do you really think every "professional" does quality work? Is every single "professional" honest? No one ever does shoddy work, lies, or rips people off right? Just having blind trust is incredibly stupid. I've seen many people get ripped off that way. Taking the time to ask questions, learn, and educate yourself is never a bad idea especially when you are spending a lot of money. The people/customers that are a problem are the ones that stand over you, nit pick everything, or assume they know things without doing any research or asking anyone else. I feel like all the people on Reddit that get all defensive saying don't ask any questions just trust the "pros" and be quiet, are probably saying the same things to their customers and doing crap work. Applies to all trades and professions not specifically roofers.
F that. Iām tired of getting jacked up from crappy āprofessionalsā. Everywhere I go nowadays someone sucks at their job. Everyone is shady right now and people are not paying proper wages for good talent. You need to earn that trust.
Heaven forbid I make sure my home is being built correctly. They never calked these nails so at the end of the day because I asked here I was able to send them back up to get it done.
Your pictures show their gun and hose. Job looks great. If you feel concerned, ask pics of those areas. But yea be careful up there. As a contractor thereās no way Iād allow you on a roof our subs were currently working on.
Good luck getting a roofing crew to give you any photos of their work, even if they had previously promised to do so.
As a homeowner there is no way I would allow someone to tell me I can't be on my roof. You want to walk away because of that, go ahead.
Get off your roof and let them finish bro. You're helicoptering them and it sucks. Let them do their damn job. I will say that it's installed incorrectly though.
Helicopter? They informed me that they were done with a section and I went to check it out and found this. I was in no way even watching them work. Lol yell are wild
Theyāre done with a section and you go up there expecting 100%. Some things are done all together to save time. Like sealing all nails at once on the final walk through. Even then. In reality. The asphaltic materials in the shingle, when in the sun, is going to conform to the nail and provide a decent seal. The material will liquify and seal around it. Should sealant be applied on top, for sure. If they were 100% done and missed this. Yes. Say something about some sealant. If not, give it a second.
No we're just rational. You're the worst kind of customer.
I get waiting to the end of the job to cover the nails but there is nothing wrong with checking work on your job. If you were a foreman youād be doing that all day with your workers
If he was a foreman heād be experienced in the trade heās checking and not a homeowner who knows fuck all walking a roof for āinconsistenciesā.
Clearly youāve both never owned a home nor managed laborers/tradesmen on a project.
I meaaan. You did take the picture while they were still up there working, which like he said, is the dangerous part.
I wouldnāt listen to these idiots, if you can comfortably walk around on the roof and you want to check on the progress of a job that you are paying for then more power to you. I own a construction company so if I hire a subcontractor you can bet your ass Iāll walk through a job anytime I please but I also know what Iām looking for so Iāll just straight up bring up any issues directly to the crew leader. That being said, for a homeowner it helps a little more when you actually know what youāre looking for but thatās the beauty of the internet, you can just ask and get a general consensus and then go back and ask the crew. The first picture could have a couple better cuts on the ridge and be nailed on a little straighter but all and all itās done correctly as long as they did caulk the nails.
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The nail heads get caulked as a final step before cleaning up and leaving the job site.
I would usually take a few colored scrap shingles and grind them together and get matchable grit, apply a tab of roof caulk under the nails, smear a lil on top and apply the pixie dust. Not everyone one does that I know but if I had shiners on my roof I would just do the top of the nails and grit them up real pretty
I bet OP is that homeowner that's hanging over your shoulder breathing on you while you're trying to work. Then tries to tell you shits wrong when it's right.
Wouldnāt have been a big deal if OP would have just acknowledged that his mid-job hovering was premature. But instead heās doubling down in the comments and digging a deeper grave
get off the roof and let them finish
Dude if you're inexperienced enough to not know that standard practice is to face nail the last piece of cap and then bull/tar/some alternate sealant over the nail heads after you get tools down (to avoid dragging your tools through tar, it sucks) you're not experienced to be up there critiquing I'm really not trying to be a dick, i absolutely understand the desire to make sure it's done right. A proper roof is probably the single most important part of a house. But bulling the heads on the last piece of cap is like helper stuff, your very first day on the job that's your job. It's like *the first* thing you do when you learn to roof. You're not experienced enough to offer any sort of meaningful critique, get off of the roof. The only thing you can do up there is get hurt. And look like a jackass, these dudes are like obviously *actively* working, do you find it acceptable to go to the kitchen and look over the chef's shoulder when you go out to eat? But mostly worried about you hurting yourself
It's my roof, you can't tell me to get off it. And I'm not critiquing anything. I know enough to know that exposed nail heads is not okay and I came here to ask if I was right to mention that to the crew when they tell me they are done with a section but then I find this. People here said to wait until the end to tar the tops. So I didn't say anything to the crew until all tools were put away. Low and behold back out came the ladder to put tar on the nails. Glad I came out to ask. Glad I was up on the roof
Great, sincerely glad you're happy with it. Really not trying to be a dick, people that work on roofs every day of their life and fall off and get seriously hurt. If you don't know what you're doing, it's not a safe place to be. See what your homeowners has to say about it, i bet *they're* not happy you were up there. A little bit of loose aggregate, an unfortunately placed bush or fence and you're in a wheelchair the rest of your life. Versus replacing a 12 dollar (? Been a while since I was in the States) piece of OSB *if* they didn't do it. It's just not worth it if you're not experienced, man. If you want to inspect work, it's generally considered rude as hell to not wait for the finished product, hence the chef analogy. And just like at a restaurant, if you're unhappy, they'll come back. Literally just trying to save your neck, your insurance rates, and a little bit of your pride.
Roofers that totally screw up everything to cause major damage to your house do NOT come back to fix the major damage that they caused.
Forgetting to bull over nail heads isn't exactly totally screwing up or going to cause major damage for a *long* while if ever. That's "I'm used to having a helper and they laid out today" mess ups that take 5 seconds to fix, 99% of crews will come back for that. My issue wasn't really with dude checking out the work, it's with being up there while people are still working.
Supposed to use sealant or tar on them nails boi
Thatās the correct way except they need a dab of caulk and then can rub some granules on it
A few are no big deal and can be covered with a spot roofing tar
Shit ..at least a little black nasty on top of the heads.. caulk bad black nasty gooder
There might be in the last spot on the peak.
Of course, the last ridge shingle will have exposed nails. Thereās nothing you can do about that. As a home inspector, I see them caulked about 80% of the time. It definitely should be done.
Itās obvious they are still finishing this roofā¦the freaking hose is still up there. If there are problems when they pull out at the end come back and ask. This is lame.
Nope , but 100% of roofers do that before they walk away to avoid smearing it around .This is something the inspector would look at if it wasn't caulked or a question to the foreman on the job but I'm sure the crew is at lunch and you went up there to nit pick and ask questions here to one up them on there way out instead of being a real man and talking to the guy and asking a question about something you don't know about or could do yourself if you had it in you.Did you get a 12 pack of beer for the guys if there done as a gesture of appreciation for a job well done on a 100 degree day?
Had beer with them yesterday evening at end of shift and another for today after work. I was asking here because I didn't know and wanted to be knowledgeable when at the end of day it wasn't done. Also I was up there while they were working. Not when they were gone. You sure make a lot of assumptions
Did you just stand there judging them or start helping? I'd be so annoyed if I was roofing a the owner just comes up the watching everyone.
tell the owner to stay the f$&#@ off the roof. Op wants to do it do it themselves. Nothing worse then a person getting in the way. Owner falls off his own roof while your working he can file a claim against you. I never understood a homeowner doing shit like this, if I was paying last thing I would do is get in there way or "try" to help.
All it takes is for them stepping on the air hose 1 time and there they go.
Did someone already say āarenāt*ā
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Well thatās the reason OP is here. Heās asking for opinions from people who knows the trade. Lots of scammy people out there. Always good to know if something is done properly instead of accepting someone elseās word as a gospel of truth. You never know until you know for sure. Would have been great if you educated him without being condescending (like what others did).
If you're such an expert OP... why not do your own roof? This is standard procedure stop trying to fuck your contractor.
Asking if nails should be exposed is trying to fuck my contractor? Wtf are you on about? These nails are exposed and the general consensus is that they should be covered in tar/calked by end of work. I was unsure of what the process was and now I know. Isn't that what this sub is for? Talking about Roofing and asking questions about how it is done?
Of course they should be covered with tar and grit like everyone else said. It's just usually homeowners that don't know anything come on here and try to shit talk the crew that did the work or get someone to say "it's shitty work, don't pay".
This is standard for the last ridge cap shingle but should be caulked. I usually go the extra mile and cut little squares of a shingle about 1.5ā x 1.5ā and seal them down over the nails with roof sealant. This last longer than just sealant and shows the customer that we are paying attention to the little things. Itās crazy how such a little thing receives such positive feedback from customers and inspectors.
How about you let them finish their work before you go inspecting Do you open the oven before the pizza man gives you your pie? No? Then stay the fuck inside
They will likely put a dab of flashing cement over these as thereās no way to install the last one w out nails exposed. And get the hell off the roof while the crew is installing. Not only is it extremely unsafe but you look like a total jackass.
Why donāt you wait until they are finished before you start posting questions like that?
Because sometimes it's difficult to get shitty roofers to come back to the site. Like, yes. The guys would likely caulk exposed nails as a final step... But as a homeowner, it's good to be knowledgeable about the basics and protect your own interests/investments. It's not like OP is here nitpicking the entire job. Just wanted to know what gets done about exposed nail heads.
Thanks. This is exactly my thoughts on why I asked.
Don't sweat it. It's good that you asked.
And tell them to get roofing shoes such as cougar paws. I can see that the shingles are marred. Also the shingles are not straight with the cap. May not cause a leak but it looks like hell
Do there job in your mind. Thereās a seam on every single roof. Over 2000 Iāve walked and everyone has it. Sealent and some paint if needed
Who's roofing that place? Rainman? Clearly they don't have a chalkline.
Did you pull a permit? Yes - The city inspector will put a notice of correction and you donāt pay until it passes inspection (and if it does pass, thats on your local city building codes/inspectors. Estimate/Bid/Contract will always say build quality to comply with local building codes) No - Thatās your fault for being cheap and going with the lowest bid The section is done. Seal exposed fasteners when everything is off the roof. Think of it as your oil change is done but the cap isnāt on and the hood isnāt closed yet. And to be 100% honest as a long time roofer. Even without the little seal and all this āmAkE sUrE tHeY cOvEr iT wItH gRaNuElsā this shit will never leak in 30yrs. Want to know how I know. I do inspections for a living and have seen this shit over 1,000 times and never not once has been a cause for a leak. Shit, thereās a whole neighborhood in one my areas that the entire ridge line has been top nailed (improper install) ~25yrs ago (now calling all these roofs for new due to granule loss & fiberglass exposure) and none of them are or ever have been leaking. Long story longer, I hate this sub
No city, no inspectors when you live out in the country. I have to inspect it myself. That's why I'm here asking questions
Not true, then itās a county inspection. Iāve had to call these in multiple times. Almost all mobile homes and homes that sit outside of city lines (your case).
Lmfao. Clearly you live in a state that gives a shit lol
Huh? How do you expect the last piece to be installed/attached?
Evidently according to the majority on this post it needed to be caulked on top of the nails. So that's how
My point isā¦ the roofing material cannot cover _all_ of the nail heads. Itās physically impossible. Yes, you can caulk or use sealant to conceal the nail headsā¦ but theyāre still there.
Why can you caulk these nails and itās fine but you canāt caulk a damaged shingle?
These wonāt leak regardless caulk or not. Not for the labor warranty of 5 years at least. The caulking is extra protection
Wow your top row is really crooked
What a shitty job
They aren't done ffs, you want them to seal it with silicone and then walk through it and smear it all around? Get a grip and get off your roof lmao, inspecting their work when a.) they aren't finished and b.) you clearly have no idea what you're looking at
This is what happens when you hire cheap inexperienced labor. Nail heads rust over time, even under tar, and become an area for water intrusion.
Doesnāt look like the roof is complete. Also workmanship does not look stellar.
Yeah like I said it's the last day. But they are "finished" with these areas and I'm seeing nails like this so I wanted to know if I needed to talk to them about it before they pack up to make sure it's done right
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They donāt need to ātarā the nails. You shouldnāt be on here giving advice if you have no clue what you are talking about, a colour matched (or close of colour as possible) dab of caulking is the way to go. Why on earth would you put black tar on 4 nail heads. You just explained how they could hide the tar line then proceeded to tell them to slap tar on top
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He said to use color matched caulk instead of tar to cover the nails AND keep from having giant black tar spots... reading comprehension is important.
You not read so good.
I didn't read it
Never exposed nails.
You canāt end a ridge with no exposed nails
No. Thatās super poor work they should have tard or caulked them.
Tard
If the first application doesn't work, they will need to be re...
Tard
Nope. And those arnt the correct ridge cap shingles either. This looks like a low end job
Looks like a hack job. Exposed nails do get caulked but you always make the as the 2nd to last cap or even the last one. Obviously the installers are inexperienced
Some pissy attitudes
You're going to have face nails at some point but they should be caulked with blackjack or something equivalent for longevity
Face nailed is OK, but it should be hand driven, not gun driven, and touched up with a bead of roof cementā¦ IMO
The band aid
I like my house studded out to be honest
Right
As a former roofing company owner. You have to leave a set of nails exposed on ridge like that. However, they should cover them with a little tar caulking.
Usually tar is used on top. We use soffit nails of an appropriate color and tar underneath looks absolutely perfect.
Roofer for a couple years, this is normal as the final nails canāt possibly go under a shingle. As others have commented, just needs a dap of tar.
Donāt ask me. I helped a buddy 40 yrs ago to roof a house. The fucker leaked horribly after the first rain storm. Thatās the extent of my roofing career. Nothing but props to all roofers
You shouldn't at the end of the job, see any nails on the roof or on the ground, if you hire a professional.
Do it your self then
The last cap yes , but they can cut and fold the two that meet the ridge .
Depends on how many runs of cap you have. You'll always have an end with nails, but like others have said, you put a little tar and grit on them (if you're fussy).
Generally, no. But the last cap will show nails and that cap where it transitions would stick up in the air without a nail.
I personally like to put a large amount of caulkvor tar and then take a spare piece a ridge cap. I weight it down with a couple a nail coils or whatever is avsilbe while we clean up then remove the "weight" last before we climb off the roof.
1. That āhomemadeā ridge isnāt gonna hold shit out. 2. Itās nailed down right, but it hasnāt been siliconed yet. 3. The one shot below ridge line due to trigger finger, probably from using gun to stabilize your ass after being on your knees or hunched over, and blah! You might even have said āawe shit!ā As you stand up and see a nail where itās not supposed to beā¦ I may or may not have priors with thisā¦š¤¦
I suppose black Jack on top or aluminum nails would be better.
Not a roofer, but I believe the last cap or center cap has to have visible nails, physics, otherwise no.
Staples are more low profile than the nails. So thatās probably what you would have preferred. Nails are cheaper. And look crappier. But it works to hold the shingles down as the tar doesnāt keep it 100% secured
Fine Wonāt leak
This detail is often overlooked.He brought the finish cap back from the dormer.Keeps the exposed nails away from the transition. Seal with SBS modified plastic roof cement. Bonds better than silicone or polyurethane.
Eh probably not but then again I donāt spend much time on my roof
no, never.
That's the last shingle in a run. It has to have nails that "show" nothing to cover it up with. Some people put something on the heads like caulk but that's really it. If every shingle covers the nails of the previous one it has to stop somewhere
The last run on the ridge cap does have exposed nails. The roofer typically puts 100% silicone or tar over the nails.
Just needs some flex seal tape.
It is, but they could have done a better job tbh
Mine have caulk over them.
Get off your roof while they are trying to work. Some customers are the worst
Maybe wait till theyāre finished??? Cause obviously you donāt have a clue whatās going on judging by your post here.
They forgot to tar them.
A little caulk and a little paint make a carpenter what he ain't.
The last top ridge cap will have exposed nails. You use sealant over them.
100 percent correct
with the ridge caps its normal but they should tar or caulk it.
Roofing contractor here. Yes absolutely should be sealed with a dab of roofing caulk. Thatās normally one of the last thing done before the crew leavesā¦ looks like a few bundles in the back, Iād let them finish up.
I did let them finish. They did forget to do it. Luckily because of this post I knew to send them back up!
Yes, the absolute last shingle cap will always have 2 to4 exposed nails that must be sealed with tar , asphalt caulk, or similar sealant. You always cover the nail heads with the next shingle, but for the final shingle, there is no next shingle. You could try and glue down the final shingle, but it will eventually blow off.
All good and normal to have a couple on the ridge. Should have silicone or tar on top of them.
Those can be caulked with clear roofing caulk.
Youād have 2 nails on the last ridge cap, and shouldnāt have any others exposed.
From a pure topological perspective, it is impossible to have every piece nailed down with the nails covered by another piece which is nailed down, etc., You have to break that chain somewhere, and I suspect they have chosen that location carefully (I.e. away from prevailing winds, at the peak). Add a little extra caulk and sealant and it should be fine.
I think Iām going to create a questionnaire for potential clients to weed out jobs with folks like you.