Nails Vs. Screws: Which Are Best For Metal Roofs?
Whenever you are doing any type of home construction, one of the issues you will always need to address is which type of fastener to use. It is always critical that you use the right type of fasteners for any job since this will determine many things from how safe the house will be to how expensive it will be to construct. A good example of this is when you are putting up a metal roof on your house. In such cases, it’s critical that you make the right decisions regarding this, since it will determine how safe it will be. You may come to a point where you need to make a decision about whether to use nails or screws for construction of a metal roof.
A few background basics
In order to get a good idea as to which type of fasteners to use, you first need to consider the way in which roof installation works. When you are installing a metal roof, you need to consider the fact that it’s likely to expand and contract with time. The goal of choosing fasteners is to ensure that you pick one that will counteract this effect. In most instances, screws will turn out to be marginally better than nails when it comes to this, and so should be one of the first choices you make when the time comes.
Why screws are likely to be better than nails
One of the main reasons why screws are better than nails at metal roof construction is the fact that they tend to hold for much longer. The fact that they have threads means that they will grip the anchoring surface of the roof well. Normally when you use the cheaper and easier to install nails, expansion and contraction will result in withdrawal of the nail from the roof and wood. This causes a number of problems including reduced aesthetic value as well as leakage of the roof. This is why most serious developers will prefer to use Inconel hex head cap screws or nitronic 50 socket set screws in roof construction.
The issue of cost
One of the main disadvantages of using screws over nails is the fact that they tend to be much more expensive. In addition to that, it also needs more technical expertise to put them in place, something that most people might not be willing to do. However, you only need to consider the long term benefits of using screws for you to realize that in the end, it’s actually a great deal. The fact that you will have fewer roofing problems in terms of leakages and other issues means that you may not need to spend as much as you initially would on the roof. This often more than covers for the extra cost associated with the use of the screws in roof construction.
The next time you are constructing a house and need to put in place a metal roof, you should consider the merits of using screws. As seen from the above, it does make a lot of sense to use them.
