Why is a popped nail in a shingle roof a problem? How do I fix it?

Repairing a lifted nail, like the one pictured below, can be accomplished by prying the edge of the shingle loose enough to slip a small piece of wood (like a paint stirring stick) between the head of the nail and the underside of the shingle above it. Another piece of wood on the top side of the shingle will protect it while striking lightly with a mallet to set the nail back in place. If the fastener has already forced itself through the face of the shingle, replacement of the entire shingle is required. A dab of mastic at the hole is only a temporary repair.

Most of the time when we see a few popped nails on a roof, they are called out for repair; but, occasionally, a roof has large areas of popped fasteners and requires partial replacement.

Any roofing repair beyond setting a few popped nails should only be performed by a licensed professional. Also, if you are uncomfortable with heights or not used to working on an inclined surface, we recommend letting a roofer do your nail pop repairs.

While we hope you find this series of articles about home inspection helpful, they should not be considered an alternative to an actual home inspection by a local inspector. Also, construction standards vary in different parts of the country and it is possible that important issues related to your area may not be covered here.
©2015 - McGarry and Madsen Inspection.

A popped nail looks like a wrinkle in a line of shingles when you look up the roof, as in the photo above that has them at multiple locations. The wrinkles typically occur somewhere in the middle of the front edge of a shingle and It differs from curling shingles, which turn up at the corners of the shingle and means that a roof is at—or very near— the end of its lifespan. Nails lifting and eventually popping through a shingle roof covering can cause small leaks in several different areas and lead to rotted roof sheathing and even damaged roof framing over time if they are not repaired.

The reason nails back themselves out of roof sheathing has to do with how well the nail is set in the wood, as well as expansion and contraction of the decking and framing. Nail guns have adjustable pressure settings and it is important that the tool be adjusted properly so that the fasteners are not compressing the shingle too flat, and also are not setting the heads above the surface of the shingle.

A nail that is not anchored well in the wood sheathing can be vulnerable to movement with the daily and seasonal expansion and contraction of the wood. Changing moisture levels also have an effect on fasteners.