Rusted roof nails

5 years ago

Hello! Looking for options/opinions

My parents have a house that was badly damaged by a hurricane in 2019. We were able to get get a quick roof repair, but we're already having issues.

The house has a sloped roof, and the rain water is collected in a cistern as the main water source for the house.

After the storm, we were able to quickly get new plywood and ice/watershield put on. Instead of nice smooth tarpaper, we ended up with very stiff, bumpy tarpaper. And, a miscommunication with the installer means that galvanized roofing nails were used to tack down the edges of the paper. They have now rusted, even though the roof was covered with elastomeric paint.

We have to fix it, and don't want to rip off everything and start over. What would you knowledgeable souls recommend for this old house, located on a very remote island in the Bahamas. (No building supplies nearby, planning to bring 10 lbs of stainless steel nails next trip.)

Featured Answer

strategery

5 years ago

Not familiar with elastomeric paint as an underlayment.

Typical northern roofs have Ice/Water shield over the eaves, then underlayment over the *entire* roof if you can afford it, using plastic cap roofing nails or staples, per mfg, then top layer (e.g. shingles). Pay very close attention to what the mfg says when installing underlayment. Generally avoid staples for the higher tech synthetics.

Stainless steel roofing nails used in coastal environments: 304 SS is common, or 316 as an upgrade. Galvanized roofing nails for non-coastal.

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Comments (8)

User
5 years ago
Hi Leslie,

I repaired the roof of a travel trailer in a humid/hot/rainy area of California.

Do you have any building materials other than 10# of nails?

I used a product called Sno Seal, now owned by Henry’s. Lay a couple of layers of Fiberglas with a Sno Seal/Henrys product. Lay a couple of layers of another Sno Seal/Henry’s product.

I do not know your challenges nor your supplies. Maybe you have Costco/Lowe’s /HomeDepot/Target.

How can we help you, helpyour folks?
LH On the Move
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, Jim! It's a large roof -- 1,000+ sq feet, and I have to make sure that the rain running off it is potable. We don't have any building suppliers near by. I have access to more elastomeric paint. Trying to decide if we remove the rusting galvanized nails, or if there's something we can use to cover them and the new stainless nails to protect them.
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LH On the Move
Original Author
5 years ago
We use the elastomeric as the top layer. The whole roof is covered with the Grace Ice/water shield, then the rolls of tarpaper, then the elastomeric. The Ice/water shield was all that was available after the hurricane.

The main question is -- do we remove the galvanized nails or can we do something to stop them from rusting, or coat them, in a way that keeps our water supply safe and the roof from further deterioration.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Leslie:

I can't believe your nails were hot dipped. It would be a huge PIA to pull them all and replace, but there is no coating that is going to stop those nails from rusting.

Oops, I just reread that you're using the roof runoff. No galvanized nails of any kind please.
LH On the Move
Original Author
5 years ago
Joseph does that mean the nails have to be removed?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
I seriously doubt that nail manufacturers test for lead and other toxic impurities in their coatings. Why would they? They aren't expecting their fasteners to be used in a process to collect drinking water.
LH On the Move thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
formulaross20
5 years ago
In areas close to salt water, 304 stainless won't last, the extra molybdenum and nickel in 316 stainless is the only way to go.
LH On the Move thanked formulaross20