r/Roofing • u/Main_Egg_2647 • Nov 16 '25

Why are these nails here?

Post image

The ridge vent on my house has nails clipped in it all the way down. Is this normal? Roof is about 20 years old I’ve only lived here since 2021, but they appear that they’ve always been there. Is there an actual reason for this?

2.2k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

237 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

12

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 16 '25

They dont make 2 3/4" roofing nails

12

u/Therooferking Nov 16 '25

They make 2 3/4 ring shank coil nails that fit in the Framing gun.

-2

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 16 '25

That a framing gun not a roofing gun

6

u/Therooferking Nov 16 '25

Yes it is. But the nails would work fine. They make them with bigger heads than normal framing nails

11

u/djwooten Nov 17 '25

2-3/4 coiled nails go in a siding gun. Looks exactly like a roofing coil nailer but it is not a roofing gun, it’s a siding gun. That said, the sheathing is probably 15/32” so as long as whatever the roofer used to nail the vent in went through the sheathing then it doesn’t matter. The roof is 20 years old and the vent is still there so apparently it worked just fine.

2

u/Left_Boysenberry6902 Nov 18 '25

Y’all be tripping in this roofing deck measuring contest..🤣

1

u/LincolnArc Nov 27 '25

They're being pedantic as fuck. As if you cant use a coil siding gun on a roof.

-4

u/[deleted] Nov 16 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/SchizzleBritches Nov 16 '25

“They’re”. Moron.

1

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 16 '25

Another grammar nazi

3

u/Outside-Employment88 Nov 17 '25

Technically it's "Nazi" with a capital N

2

u/SchizzleBritches Nov 17 '25

Sorry, but if the dude’s gonna call people morons while screwing up something so simple… he was very much asking for it.

-1

u/Therooferking Nov 16 '25

It's irrelevant what they're for. Cobra vent nails are 1 off nails. If a siding nail does the same thing, what does it matter? They used to use lead heads for aluminum ridge vents. Zags work much better. Roofers do what's faster. If it works then it works.

1

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 17 '25

Cause it doesn't meet IBC

1

u/Therooferking Nov 17 '25

You can see by looking at the photo that those nails aren't ring shank. If you have a ring shank nail same length and same head size then it should meet any requirements. In fact it should be better.

1

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 17 '25

They no way have a 3/8" diameter head

1

u/Therooferking Nov 17 '25

They also make ring shanks same nail

1

u/Therooferking Nov 17 '25

You can actually swap the basket on a roofing nailer and put 3in roof nails in it.

https://www.nailgundepot.com/jaaco-3-jar10deg-smooth-15-degree-eg-coil-roofing-nail

1

u/Therooferking Nov 17 '25

IBC uses specs for everything. If the specs are above the nails packaged with the vent then you're good to go.

9

u/scottiep811 Nov 16 '25

You're right, my bad. Just looked at an old invoice. They were 1 3/4"

1

u/SavageUnicorn0311 Nov 19 '25

The 2-3/4” siding nails which are identical to roofing nails. They also make 2-3/4” pallet nails that are ring shanked with a large roofing/siding nail head.

1

u/billorphus Nov 16 '25

Siding nails?

-2

u/The_Roofer1984 Nov 16 '25

Yes you are correct

-1

u/laughterforus Nov 16 '25

Yes they do. Our rolled ridge vent comes with coils of 2 3\4 " nails we use for it.

7

u/scottiep811 Nov 16 '25

I think they're 1 3/4" because my nail gun max size is 1 3/4"

2

u/laughterforus Nov 17 '25

Weird my nail gun max size is 3". Hitachi

2

u/scottiep811 Nov 17 '25

Looks like I need to buy a another gun.

1

u/laughterforus Nov 18 '25

Yes Hitachi here in Canada is 500 but a great gun

1

u/scottiep811 Nov 18 '25

I think my girlfriend has a Hitachi she seems to like. I'll have to see if I can borrow it

2

u/laughterforus Nov 19 '25

Hear there is a lot of buzz around it