How to Cut Roofing Nails
There are many different materials that can be used for roofing, but the majority of them require you use nails or similar fasteners to hold them in place. Some roofing nails may hit harder areas beneath the roof, causing them to not go into the roof all the way. You might try to pull the nail and replace it, but you risk the nail being loose in the previous hole or creating a larger hole that could cause a small leak.A similar problem comes when trying to strip off old roofing materials and finding nails that are difficult to remove without damaging the roof you're working on. You may be able to remove the roofing materials around the nail, but the nail will still give you problems when you start applying new roofing materials. Either way, you will need to do something to get rid of the nails that are in your way.Both of these situations are ideal for cutting the roofing nails. It's easy to do, and you will end up with nails that are flush to the roof or materials that you are using. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Reciprocating saw or rotary tool with a cutting disc
- Grinder or grinding disc for a rotary tool
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Instructions
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How to Cut Roofing Nails
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Using your hand or a brush, clean loose debris or gravel around the nail that needs to be cut. This should only take a moment, but it's an important step; not only can debris cause you to not cut the nail as closely as you otherwise might, but your reciprocating saw or rotary tool could launch gravel or debris with enough force to bruise or cause eye damage.
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Place the blade of the reciprocating saw or the cutting disc of the rotary tool next to the nail you wish to cut, making sure that it is as close to the surface of the roof as you can get. Make sure you aren't actually touching the roof with the blade or disc, which could damage the roof while cutting the nail.
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Cut through the nail using your saw or rotary tool. There should be a small portion of the nail still sticking up once you've cut through it.
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Using either a dedicated grinder or a grinding head on a rotary tool, place the grinding head on top of the cut nail and begin grinding it down to the level of the roof. Do this a little at a time in order to make sure that you don't grind too far and damage the roof itself. You should be able to grind the nail down to the point that it is flush with the roof around it.
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Tips & Warnings
Use new blades or cutting heads if you have problems cutting through the roofing nails.
Always wear eye protection when cutting roofing nails in order to protect your eyes from sparks, metal slivers, and the possibility of the nail head being thrown by the blade when it is cut free
