Can I use roofing nails to attach house wrap?

Author: Marcel Ratke MD  |  Last update: Sunday, December 21, 2025

INSTALLATION - GENERAL Secure TRI-BUILT® house wrap products with non-corrosive roofing nails or staples spaced approximately 8″ along the top and bottom plates and 24" apart in the field of the roll. Fasteners should be of sufficient length to penetrate framing or fastening substrate.

Can you use roofing nails for house wrap?

Plastic cap nails or staples are best from preventing any water infiltration at the fasteners. Roofing nails and staples are fine if you aren't worried about the moisture.

What can I use to fasten my house wrap?

For fastening house wrap I would recommend a ``stinger'' cap staple hammer or air-driven cap nails. Hand driving cap nails really, really sucks.

Can I use roofing nails for vinyl siding?

Your best bet is to use hot dipped galvanized roofing nails. The electro-plated nails are easier to handle and work with, but they are more likely to rust. Keep in mind that the siding has weep holes drilled in it becasue moisture and vapor do get behind the vinyl.

How do you adhere a house wrap?

The Best Way to Install Housewrap
  1. Step 1: 12-inch overlap and 1-inch overlap on the sill plate. ...
  2. Step 2: Use plastic-capped nails to attach the building wrap. ...
  3. Step 3: Overlap bottom layer by 6 inches, ensure proper shingling, and cover all seams using tape. ...
  4. Step 4: Inspect for rips and tears.

3 Reasons You Need To Use House Wrap

What is the best fastener for house wrap?

Today, most house wrap manufacturers require their product to be installed with cap nails or cap staples. This change definitely slows down the process, but on the upside, capped fasteners hold house wrap to the wall up to 25 times better than staples.

How do you secure a Tyvek house wrap?

Tyvek® Housewrap should be secured with mechanical fixings through to the steel structure, where suitable drill-tip or self-tapping screws may be used. The screws must sit flush (not countersunk) and a rubber or EPDM washer should sit between the screw heads and the membrane to avoid water ingress.

Is there a difference between roofing nails and siding nails?

The main difference between the two nails is that roofing nails are designed to come out, unlike the siding nail, which is meant to be secured into the siding for its lifetime. Roofing nails will need replacing every so often, so the design of the larger nail head allows for an easier grab for removal.

What should not be used on vinyl siding?

Insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers can potentially cause discoloration to your vinyl siding as well. Commonly used household maintenance products like caulking, driveway sealant, tar, motor oil and paint can all potentially damage your vinyl siding.

Can a roofing nail gun shoot siding nails?

While the convenience of a coil roofing nailer might tempt you to consider it for siding installation, it's essential to prioritize using the appropriate tools. Coil siding nails do not fit in Coil roofing nailers. Please always verify tool compatibility prior to ordering Coil siding nails.

Do you tape all house wrap seams?

Most housewrap manufacturers require that every house wrap seam — vertical and horizontal — be sealed with tape, ensuring that the tape is wide enough to sufficiently cover the seam.

Can house wrap be stapled on?

DuPont recommends using the STINGER® StaplePac®, collated cap staples that are a part of the CS150B pneumatic cap stapling system, to install HomeWrap over wood frame construction. We've summarized their guidelines below and given more insight into why STINGER is their recommended fastener.

Is it okay to use two layers of house wrap?

First, let's clarify a crucial point: the best practice for housewrap is not to layer it. Multiple layers of housewrap on a project can hinder the building envelope's drying potential, increasing the risk of undesirable moisture-related failures, and hide water damage to sheathing or structure.

What do you fasten house wrap with?

Simply put, the use of caps seals holes made by the penetration of the fasteners. Studies show that homes where cap nails and cap staples were used to attach housewrap resisted air infiltration and water holdout better than those where caps weren't used.

What kind of nails do you use for Tyvek?

Use one or more of the recommended fasteners below for use with Tyvek® WRBs: DuPont™ Tyvek® Wrap Cap Nails • DuPont™ Tyvek® Wrap Cap Screws • DuPont™ Tyvek® Wrap Cap Staples or other cap staples for Stinger™ Cap Stapler* • Other manufacturers' equivalent fasteners.

What can I use roofing nails for?

Stainless steel nails are best used for slate and ceramic roofs or asphalt shingle roofs in coastal climates. For asphalt roofing shingles, use galvanized nails. Galvanization adds a layer of zinc onto the steel that significantly inhibits rust and corrosion.

What is the most common mistake when installing vinyl siding?

The most common mistake when installing vinyl siding is not leaving enough overlap between panels, which results in a messy and unkempt look.

What ruins vinyl siding?

Items like steel wool, wire brushes and paint scarper can leave permanent scratches, discoloration and even puncture wounds in your vinyl siding and should be avoided when trying to clean a home's exterior.

How do you secure vinyl siding to a house?

Use aluminum, galvanized steel, or other corrosion-resistant nails, staples, or screws when installing vinyl siding. Aluminum trim pieces require aluminum or stainless steel fasteners. All fasteners must be able to penetrate a minimum of 1 1/4” (32mm) into nailable material, such as wood sheathing and framing (Fig.

Is it okay to use roofing nails for vinyl siding?

But the electric nailers that are designed for each job require you to use roofing or siding-specific nails. Although a roofing nailer looks like a siding nailer, it works slightly differently. You shouldn't use a roofing nailer on siding, and vice versa.

Can you use roofing nails for fiber cement siding?

You can shoot Hardie siding on with air powered nailers or use hand driven roofing nails to attach siding to the home or structure. The nails can be ringed- shanked or smooth just make sure you are hitting the studs in the wall.

How long should roofing nails be for siding?

The minimum nail size should be 1-1/2". Example: If you're applying siding over 1/2" structural sheathing, use a nail at least 1-1/2" long (1/2" sheathing + 3/4" stud penetration + nailing hem thickness + minimum 1/16" between nailing hem and fastener head).

What fastener to use for house wrap?

Most house wrap manufacturer installation instructions have minimum horizontal overlaps of 4-6 inches and minimum vertical overlaps of 6 -12 inches. Most also require or recommend 1 in. plastic or metal cap fasteners.

Is it okay to staple Tyvek house wrap?

When staples without caps are used to temporarily fasten DuPont Tyvek® WRBs, no more than 4 staples per square yard should be installed. All staples should be sealed with DuPont Tyvek® Tape when the DuPont Tyvek® WRB is being installed for air barrier and high performance applications.

What is the best adhesive for Tyvek?

Hot animal glue is an excellent adhesive for adhering Tyvek® to paperboard. Water-based synthetic lattices also bond Tyvek® to itself and a variety of substrates. Ethylene/vinyl acetate adhesives are especially useful, as are the acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives.

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