How to Fix Exposed and Popped Roofing Nails and Stop Them Coming Back
A raised nail head lifts the shingle above it and opens a path for water. Reset or replace it, and find out why it moved.
- Advanced
- 1 to 2 hours
- Updated
The short answer
A popped roofing nail is a nail that has backed partly out of the deck and pushed up the shingle above it. To fix it, lift the shingle, pull the nail and drive a new galvanized roofing nail a short distance away, or if the hole is unused, seal it with a dab of asphalt roofing cement. Do not just hammer the old nail back down, and do not smear sealant over the head alone.
A nail head that shows through or lifts a shingle is one of the most common small roof faults. The nail has backed out of the deck, pushing the shingle above it up into a bump, and it can wear a hole through the shingle over time. Each popped nail is a small path for water, and the lifted shingle is easier for wind to catch.
Nail pops usually come from three causes: the deck moving with moisture and temperature, a nail that missed the framing or was driven into a gap between boards, and moisture in the attic that swells the wood. Hitting the nail back down rarely works because the same movement pushes it out again. A reliable repair removes the nail and deals with the hole.
This guide is about the common case on asphalt shingles. If you find many popped nails across a slope, or nails that are rusty or frosted on the underside, the problem may be ventilation or the roof's age, not just the nails. See attic ventilation basics.
Tools
- Flat bar
- Roofing hammer
- Caulking gun
- Hook blade utility knife
- Extension ladder with stabilizer
- Roofing harness and anchor (for steep or high roofs)
Materials
- Galvanized roofing nails, 1-1/4 inch
- Asphalt roofing cement in a cartridge
- Roofing sealant or flashing cement for exposed fasteners
- Small pieces of matching shingle
Safety first
- Work only on a dry, mild day. Wet or frosty shingles are slippery and brittle.
- WorkSafeBC requires fall protection where a fall could be 3 metres (about 10 feet) or more. Use a harness on any high or steep roof.
- Secure the ladder at the top, and do not carry a caulking gun and tools in your hands while climbing. Use a belt or a bucket on a rope.
Step by Step
Step 1: Survey from the ground and the attic
From the ground with binoculars, scan for small bumps in the shingle surface and for bright nail heads showing. Low afternoon sun at an angle shows them well. Mark roughly where they are.
In the attic, nail tips poking through the sheathing that are rusty, wet or covered in frost point to condensation, which can swell and loosen nails. Many nail tips all over one slope mean you should look at ventilation, see how to trace a roof leak from the attic for how to tell the difference.
Step 2: Choose a dry, mild day and set up safely
Cold shingles crack when lifted and the nails you drive will not seal well. Mild, dry weather makes the work safer and the repair more lasting. If the roof is steep, high or mossy, have a roofer do the work.
Watch out: Never work on a wet or mossy roof. A fall from even a low eave can cause serious injury.
Step 3: Lift the shingle and look at the nail
Slide the flat bar under the shingle above the nail, lift just enough to see, and break the sealant strip without bending the tab sharply. On a cold day the shingle may crack, so stop and wait for warmer weather.
Look at the nail. Is it bent, rusty, too short or missing the framing? Note whether it was driven straight. A nail driven at an angle or one that sits in a gap between deck boards will not hold.
Step 4: Pull the popped nail
Slide the flat bar under the nail head and lever it out. If the head is worn off, use the claw of the hammer, or drive the nail in place with a nail set if it cannot be removed. Do not leave a loose nail bent sideways under the shingle.
The hole the nail left in the shingle below is a path for water. It must be sealed or covered.
Step 5: Drive a new nail nearby, into solid wood
Choose a spot in the nailing zone close to the old nail, where the course above will cover the head. A nail longer than the old one helps, because it reaches deeper into the deck. Drive it straight and flush. A nail left proud will lift the shingle again, and a nail driven too hard cuts through it.
If the old nail was no longer needed because the shingle is held by its neighbours, you may only need to fill the hole. Check the nailing pattern for where the nails belong.
Step 6: Seal the old hole
A dab of roofing cement about the size of a dime over the hole keeps water from running into it. Use only as much as you need. Too much spreads, collects grit and can blister the shingle.
If the nail head is exposed on the surface of the shingle where you cannot cover it, such as a nail through a ridge cap or a flashing, cover it with a dab of roofing sealant or cement and set the nail flush first.
Step 7: Press the shingle down and hand seal if needed
Press the shingle down along its length. If the sealant strip has lost its grip, add a small dab of cement under the tab. See how to reseal lifted or unsealed shingles.
Check that the repaired area lies flat and that no other nails nearby are lifted. A line of nail pops often shows a run of the same problem.
Step 8: Look for the cause and recheck after the next weather
A few isolated pops on an older roof are normal. Many pops in one area suggest a wet or swollen deck, poor ventilation or nails that missed the framing. Fixing each nail without fixing the cause means the repair comes back.
After a few weeks of rain and sun, look again from the ground. Any bumps that return mean the nail is not holding and a roofer should look at the deck.
Why Nails Pop
Wood swells and shrinks with moisture and temperature, and plywood and OSB decks move at the panel joints. A nail held by friction alone works up a little with each cycle. Nails that missed a rafter and went into only the thin sheathing hold less. Nails driven at an angle and nails that were too short also back out. Moisture from a poorly ventilated attic makes the movement worse, especially on north slopes that never dry.
Exposed Nails on Flashing and Ridge Caps
Nails that are meant to be exposed, such as those through metal flashing flanges or along the top of a ridge cap, are sealed with roofing sealant, not by hiding them under a course. Check that the sealant is intact each year, and renew it where it has cracked. Exposed fasteners are the usual reason flashing leaks, see roofing sealants.
Common Mistakes
- Hammering the old nail back down. The same movement pushes it out again, and it often damages the shingle.
- Smearing sealant over a raised head. It hides the problem for a season, then the nail lifts through it.
- Using short or non-galvanized nails. They rust, loosen and pop again. Use galvanized roofing nails long enough to reach the framing.
- Driving the new nail in the same hole. It has already lost its grip. Move about an inch to the side.
- Ignoring the attic. Many popped nails point to moisture or ventilation, not just a few bad nails.
- Too much roofing cement. It collects grit, looks poor and can damage the shingle.
When to Call a Professional
Call a roofer if nail pops cover a large area, if the deck under them is soft or stained, if you find rusty nail tips and wet insulation across the attic, or if the roof is steep or high. These point to something larger than a few bad nails.
A roofer can check the deck, the fastening pattern and the ventilation together, and tell whether the roof can be repaired or is near the end of its life.
Fraser Roofing does free roof inspections across the Fraser Valley, from Hope to Abbotsford. See our Emergency Roof Repair service or the towns we cover.
How to Fix Exposed and Popped Nails: Questions
Why are the nails on my roof popping up?
Most nail pops happen because the roof deck swells, shrinks and moves with moisture and temperature, and a nail held only by friction works slowly out. Nails that missed the framing, were driven at an angle or were too short do it sooner. Poor attic ventilation keeps the deck damp and makes it worse. A few pops on an older roof are common.
Can I just hammer a popped roofing nail back in?
It is a poor fix. The nail has already lost its grip in that hole, so the same movement pushes it out again, and hammering can damage the shingle. Pull the nail and drive a new galvanized one about an inch away into solid wood, then seal the old hole with a small dab of roofing cement.
Is a popped nail on a roof an emergency?
Not usually, but it should not be left. A raised nail lifts the shingle above it, wears a hole through the shingle and gives wind and water a way in. Fix it on the next dry, mild day. Many popped nails at once, or a stain inside the house, is more urgent and needs someone to check for a leak.
What kind of nails should I use on a roof repair?
Use galvanized roofing nails with a large flat head, commonly 1-1/4 inch long for asphalt shingles, long enough to go through the shingles and into the deck. Stainless steel is an option in coastal or corrosive settings. Avoid bright steel nails, which rust. Confirm the requirement on the shingle bundle wrapper.
Related Guides
All Roof Repair guides|The full How-To Library
This guide is general education. Always follow the product manufacturer's installation instructions, the BC Building Code and WorkSafeBC requirements, which take priority over anything written here.
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