I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.

On May 3, 7:33 am, DJW wrote:
I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.

A plank sheathing roof should be in-filled or lay a plywood nailing
overlayer over the sheathing before laying asphalt shingles to
eliminate the problem. If the gaps aren't wide enough to in-fill w/
1x, you're only choice is (best) the overlay (sounds like too late for
that here, unfortunately) or to adjust the nailing pattern to
accomdate the location of the sheathing.

W/O seeing your particular roof, can only suggest filling in the
portion you haven't reached so far before you get there. If you have
to adjust the nailing pattern excessively, you're bound to have
problems down the road and if there are a large number left in which
nails didn't have anything to hold, those rows will undoubtedly fail
early in a strong blow...if you're where the wind never blows much,
you may get by, but it would never last a year out here where.

On 3 May 2007 07:16:51 -0700, dpb wrote:

On May 3, 7:33 am, DJW wrote:
I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.

A plank sheathing roof should be in-filled or lay a plywood nailing
overlayer over the sheathing before laying asphalt shingles to
eliminate the problem. If the gaps aren't wide enough to in-fill w/
1x, you're only choice is (best) the overlay (sounds like too late for
that here, unfortunately) or to adjust the nailing pattern to
accomdate the location of the sheathing.

W/O seeing your particular roof, can only suggest filling in the
portion you haven't reached so far before you get there. If you have
to adjust the nailing pattern excessively, you're bound to have
problems down the road and if there are a large number left in which
nails didn't have anything to hold, those rows will undoubtedly fail
early in a strong blow...if you're where the wind never blows much,
you may get by, but it would never last a year out here where.

Since it's too late to conveniently fix the decking,
is the skip-sheathing a regular size? If so, you should
be able to shrink the shingle exposure to match the spacing
of the gaps. IOW, if the decking planks are
8.5" on-center, set the shingles with 4.25" exposure instead
of 5", or whatever you'd normally use. If the shingles
you're using have special gluing instructions for high-wind
exposures, follow those.

Goedjn wrote:
On 3 May 2007 07:16:51 -0700, dpb wrote:

On May 3, 7:33 am, DJW wrote:
I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.

A plank sheathing roof should be in-filled or lay a plywood nailing
overlayer over the sheathing before laying asphalt shingles to
eliminate the problem. If the gaps aren't wide enough to in-fill w/
1x, you're only choice is (best) the overlay (sounds like too late for
that here, unfortunately) or to adjust the nailing pattern to
accomdate the location of the sheathing.

W/O seeing your particular roof, can only suggest filling in the
portion you haven't reached so far before you get there. If you have
to adjust the nailing pattern excessively, you're bound to have
problems down the road and if there are a large number left in which
nails didn't have anything to hold, those rows will undoubtedly fail
early in a strong blow...if you're where the wind never blows much,
you may get by, but it would never last a year out here where.

Since it's too late to conveniently fix the decking,
is the skip-sheathing a regular size? If so, you should
be able to shrink the shingle exposure to match the spacing
of the gaps. IOW, if the decking planks are
8.5" on-center, set the shingles with 4.25" exposure instead
of 5", or whatever you'd normally use. If the shingles
you're using have special gluing instructions for high-wind
exposures, follow those.

Good point, if possible. Often, of course, they weren't "even-enough"
for asphalt but worked fine w/ the intended wood shingles. The roofs
here are a combination of everything from 1x4 to 1x12 and what
initially looks nearly random spacing, but works out for wood at
5-6". The other difficulty may be if has sizable gap there's
insufficient support for the asphalt between planks.

Hopefully, they're close enough and even enough closing up will work,
but I'd suspect he'll just change which row(s) don't line up from one
set to another...

DJW wrote in news:1178195587.908169.292690
@n76g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.



Advice alrealy given in other replys but... any nails you see that are
not biting get them out. I would think no nail is better than a loose
one. Will pop through upper shingle and leak. Of course, the water will
actually drip in the house 10ft away.

On May 3, 7:30 pm, Al Bundy wrote:
DJW wrote in news:1178195587.908169.292690
@n76g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

I am applying three tab Owens corning as to their nailing instructions
with a hammer by placing the nail below the seal strip and above the
split that forms the tabs. What should I do if my nail hits nothing?
It is old plank sheathing 1940s vintage and when by chance the nail
area is over the crack between boards I have found that one to three
(or worst case all four) nails just go in fast and hit nothing. I have
then at least been putting two more nails above the seal strip. I can
figure no other option. I assume I should not pull the bad nails
because of the hole created by them. I am concerned down the road that
they may pop up a bit and effect the shingle over them. But what else
could be done. When a nail goes in without hitting anything I try to
adjust the next one over sometime with success and some times with the
same no hit results. I start to use profanity when the next two or
more do the same.

Advice alrealy given in other replys but... any nails you see that are
not biting get them out. I would think no nail is better than a loose
one. Will pop through upper shingle and leak. Of course, the water will
actually drip in the house 10ft away.

I think getting it out would be prudent, but....I once had to do some
repairs to a roof (changing valley tin because the roofer had scored
it with his knife). It was an old shiplap roof, and many of the nails
had missed wood. The roof was 15 years old and still fine. They were
not working up and the condition was not visible until I started
removing shingles. I would just throw in nails above the sealing
strip in your case. Your roof will be fine.