Nailer Roof Vs. Plywood

Types of Nailers

• Four basic types of nailers exist: framing nailers, finish nailers, brad nailers and roofing nailers. Framing nailers exist for fast, powerful work, such as nailing large pieces of framing material together. Finish nailers perform lightweight tasks such as nailing together pieces in furniture construction or attaching trim, finishing or molding to a surface. Brad nailers also perform lightweight, precision work like molding and trim nailing, and roofing nailers exist specifically for nailing down exterior materials like roof shingles, siding, insulating board and composite roofing.

Plywood

• Plywood constitutes a form of engineered lumber. This means it contains natural elements engineered by a manufacturer to create a building material. Basically, plywood consists of wood created by gluing or cementing together different types of lumber in thin layers, with alternating grain direction. Plywood comes in numerous forms, including boards such as 2-by-4s and large pieces like sheathing. Sheathing entails large wooden sheets used to cover wood building frames. You can use plywood in myriad applications, including framing materials, roofing, flooring and more.

Plywood Nailer

• Technically speaking, no such thing as a plywood nailer exists. Types of nailers exist to perform specific functions, while plywood appears in numerous functions. Therefore, the type of nailer used for plywood depends upon the use of the plywood. For instance, plywood used in posts or sheathing applies with a framing nailer, while plywood used to create molding or trim applies with a finish nailer or brad nailer. You can use a roofing nailer with plywood when plywood appears in roofing or siding materials. Plywood may appear in composite roofing materials or roof sheathing. For such applications, you can use a roofing nailer or a framing nailer.

Choosing a Nailer

• If you need a nailer for a project involving plywood, chose the nailer best suited to the needs of the project. For large projects, such as house, barn, garage or shed, you can use multiple types of nailers. Avoid purchasing numerous expensive power tools by renting them for the duration of the project. Or, use one type of nailer for multiple applications. For instance, you can use a framing nailer for all roofing layers apart from the asphalt shingles. When building a barn or other large structure, you can purchase a framing nailer for heavy-duty use and rent a roofing nailer for a limited time to install shingles. Always use nails rated for use with plywood. This may entail switching nails during roofing operations, from plywood nails to shingle nails.