The truth is, shingle roofs just don’t hold up as long in South Florida as they do in other regions of the U.S., and the hot Florida sun may be to blame. The Sunshine State is good for a lot of things; great beaches, warm winters and tropical breezes all year round. However, the sun can be brutal on shingle rooftops, causing them to dry out prematurely and become brittle. Once shingles are dry and brittle, they are no match for Mother Nature. They can easily blow off in high wind conditions, like during a hurricane or tropical storm, exposing the home to severe water and structural damage. If we were to go 20 years without a storm in Florida, dried out shingles might be less of a concern. But just like the sun and hot weather, hurricanes and storms are an expected part of life in Florida. Since you can’t avoid sun and wind and storm damage to your shingle roof, you may need to consider a more durable option for your home’s roof.
In South Florida, many of our neighbors come here from other parts of the country, and from all around the world. These new Floridians soon discover that not everything here is like it was back home – including how long a shingle roof will last.
There are two additional issues with shingle roofs that you might not have considered:
- The Nails
99% of the time, galvanized nails are used to affix shingles to a roof. Galvanized nails have a thin coating over raw steel. This coating was created because raw steel can rust quite quickly when exposed to the elements. Unfortunately, when a nail shoots out of a nail gun, some of the galvanized coating can be scraped off. When a nail penetrates the wood on a roof, again, some of the coating can be scraped off. This process can cause each nail to become less protected against rust as soon as it goes in. Nails can also rust faster if a roof is low-pitched. The lower the pitch of a roof, the longer the water sits on a roof, which leads to rusted nails. If you live within a mile of salt water or brackish water, that will speed up corrosion and disintegration even more.
Nails can also puncture the base sheet of a roof, which can cause a leak after the nail has rusted out. Since every shingle requires 6 nails to meet current Florida building codes, that amounts to thousands of nails, all with the potential to puncture the water proofing membrane which can cause a roof leak. This type of roof leak is called a random or field leak. The nails are not warrantied by the manufacturer or the roofer. Stainless steel nails are resistant to rust, but unless a homeowner specifically asks for stainless steel nails, galvanized nails are likely to be used on a shingle roof.
- Tongue & Groove and Board Decking
This type of decking is susceptible to unembedded nails due to the seams which are scheduled every 6 to 8 inches. This means there is a good chance that a nail can miss the board and not be fully embedded or properly secured. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this happen. It’s often recommended to install a layer of plywood over the board decking to prevent this problem.
You can ask for stainless steel nails and ask for a new layer of plywood over your whole roof, which of course will increase your overall costs, or you can ask for an estimate on a better roof option: a new tile roof. Tile roofs are a bit more expensive, but they don’t require exposed nails that can rust and cause leaks. Investing in a tile roof instead of a shingle roof can increase your home’s curb appeal and resell value in South Florida. Tile roofs also stay cooler than shingle roofs, which makes a big difference during the hot Florida summers. Better insulation from the sun’s rays translates to a lower electricity bill. For a FREE roof estimate, call Southern Certified Incorporated at 954-977-4368, email us at: info@southerncertifiedinc.com or visit our website for more information.