PENSACOLA — REBUILD Northwest Florida is advising local homeowners impacted by the recent tornado winds to be aware that in most cases, the roofing contractor is required to re-nail the roof’s decking at the same time they are replacing the shingles.
To that end, the organization advises that any roof repair should include the 8-penny nails approved in Florida Building Code.
The type of nail used to repair a roof is very important to the overall safety of the home. The spacing of the nails is also a critical factor.
These details are so significant – it can mean the difference between a home standing after a storm, and one that does not withstand storm force winds.
According to the current Florida Building Code, reroofing, repairs and roof deck attachment require 8-penny ring shank nails, spaced 6 inches or less across the roof. The length of the 8 penny nails (2.5 inches) and the nail spacing of 6 inches or less is the construction standard.
“When we walked through neighborhoods and saw that the REBUILD-fortified homes were left intact while surrounding houses had significant damage, we wanted to send an urgent message to homeowners who are anxiously trying to repair their roofs quickly,” said William Merrill, RNWF licensed structural engineer. “We urge everyone who is contracting for roof repair to be aware of the code requirement and insure their roofer observes these Florida Building Code requirements.
"This method of re-nailing roof/deck is very simple and should cost very little, but is very critical to the future windstorm worthiness of the house.”
RNWF has helped more than 12,500 homeowners fortify their homes as part of their wind mitigation program. They’ve witnessed damage from Hurricane Ivan and other extreme storms and have seen that once a roof is damaged, the entire house becomes less stable and more susceptible to impact from high winds and storm debris. To learn more about wind mitigation and what RNWF offers, go to rebuildnwf.org.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Roof repair tips to help prevent storm destruction