Copper or Aluminium nails for slate?

[Construction Channel]

anyone got a strong opinion on this?

 

Aluminium:

-cheaper

-supposedly weaker

-corrosion resistant

 

copper:

- Just bloody expensive

-what most people consider the nail for slates

[ryder72]

We had fibre cement slates on the garage and the builders used copper spacer type things but I think it was a galvanised steel (or aluminium) nails.

 

Didnt give it any thought.

[Triassic]

Our roofer, with 40 years experience, insisted on copper nails for the slates on  our cabin roof. They were expensive, but so were the slates.

[Mr Punter]

Copper nails or stainless hooks

[Cpd]

Do not go with aluminium as they are really soft and if you hit a knot or even hard bit of wood they bend, you then try and get them out and the heads rip right off...... i got given a load as the local roofers will not use them..... copper every time.   

[Construction Channel]

 that's pretty much what everyone I have asked has said.........

 

ill just bite the bullet, but they just cost so much more.... and you even get less per kilo so they get worse 

[Jeremy Harris]

FWIW, our roofers were the same, copper over aluminium for the reasons given above. 

[bassanclan]

sorry it really has got to be copper

[Ferdinand]

21 hours ago, Construction Channel said:

anyone got a strong opinion on this?

 

Aluminium:

-cheaper

-supposedly weaker

-corrosion resistant

 

copper:

- Just bloody expensive

-what most people consider the nail for slates

 

Slightly surprised you aren't making your own :-)

[Barney12]

Just now, Ferdinand said:

 

Slightly surprised you aren't making your own :-)

 

With yours and Fay's initials on each head

[Construction Channel]

11 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Slightly surprised you aren't making your own :-)

 

 

10 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

 

With yours and Fay's initials on each head

 

 

let's not be silly you two. I haven't finished making a solitary brick out of free clay yet, I doubt I'll get these made by the weekend....

 

but if I was going to press my own nails, yes I would try to put an E&F on the head  

[Cpd]

Now i am not saying this is a good idea especially as i used copper after all my free aluminium ones  drove me mad.... but what is the actual life expectancy of galvanised clout nails  when used in a non harsh environment under a good quality slate roof ? Just asking.  

[bassanclan]

33 minutes ago, Cpd said:

Now i am not saying this is a good idea especially as i used copper after all my free aluminium ones  drove me mad.... but what is the actual life expectancy of galvanised clout nails  when used in a non harsh environment under a good quality slate roof ? Just asking.  

You will probably get 50-60 years out of them, but you might see the rust staining before that. That's how bodgit and scarper roofers would do it

[Tin Soldier]

anyone got a good source for copper nails?

 

What size is recommended?

[Construction Channel]

I think I went for roofing superstore in the end. 

 

What are you nailing into? Essentially you want as long as possible without piercing the felt. 

 

I had 25 mm battens on 10mm counter battens so went for 32mm

[Tin Soldier]

I'll be nailing directly into 22mm Sarking board

 

interesting point about not piercing the felt

 

the build up is OSB panel, covered in membrane, covered in sarking board, another membrane, slates.

 

so Sarking will be nailed through roofshield that's left by the panel company.

[Cpd]

I dont think this sounds right..... should it not be osb and then breather membrane, batten and then cross batten then slates ? 

[Tin Soldier]

not according to the sips company, no, 22mm sarking required.

 

it does seem strange, I'll admit

 

oops, forgot one important thing

membrane, with battens at 600mm, then sarking, membrane, slates

 

important thing to forget

Edited January 26, 2018 by Tin Soldier

[bassanclan]

I used ashbrook roofing

[AndreaICF]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this but here goes. I have a SIPS panel roof with a membrane. Battened and counter battened with 25mm yellow battens. The roofer said he would use copper clouts on the slates but has actually used aluminium nails. The warranty provider inspected the roof at the time and said it was acceptable. The next inspector has indicated that he will not warranty the roof with aluminium nails in. I paid for copper nails so I am very disappointed that they weren't used. Am I going to have an issue in the long term with the fact that they used the wrong nails? I wanted a slate roof so that i didn't get a build up of moss and I understand (now) that it is the properties of the copper nails. Any comments.

[PeterW]

5 hours ago, AndreaICF said:

The warranty provider inspected the roof at the time and said it was acceptable. The next inspector has indicated that he will not warranty the roof with aluminium nails in.

Got it in writing from the first inspector ..??

 

5 hours ago, AndreaICF said:

I wanted a slate roof so that i didn't get a build up of moss and I understand (now) that it is the properties of the copper nails.

Not sure who’s told you that but copper nails don’t stop moss - you can get it on any roof. Copper nails don’t corrode as quickly which is why they are used with slates.
 

Aluminium nails are fine with tiles as usually tiles are hooked over the battens and therefore if the nail fails then the tile doesn’t move.

 

[SuperJohnG]

I've got 350m2 of expensive Cupa slates, put on sarking boards (scotland) by my roofers. All done with aluminium nail and looks great. 

 

I wouldn't worry at all about aluminium nails. 

 

I also have a SIPS roof. Sips panel, breather membrane, 25mm battens, 22mm sarking boards, second breather membrane then slates. 

 

I've also got the over fascia vents, and ridge roll to allow airflow underneather the sarking. 

[Hastings]

I think it may be important for the nails to be of a softer material than steel, so that they can be 'cut' with a slater's ripper, when a broken slate needs removing & replacing.

 

Is this true?