Nails vs Screws to Fasten Your Steel Roof

One of the unique features of a Hy-Grade Steel Roofing System is the use of smooth shank galvanized nails vs screws as the shake fastener. The Hy-Grade Steel Shake is engineered with a unique fastening socket that allows movement away from the fastener during expansion and contraction. It’s been specifically designed to use nails as the fastener in order to accommodate this movement over time without failure.

Metal expands and contracts with heating and cooling. Metal, if held stationary, like on your roof, and exposed to heat and cold (during summer/winter and during daytime/nighttime), will fight to move during expansion and contraction. This fight occurs at the points where it’s fastened. If held stationary, under enough repeated stress over time the fasteners can loosen, break off or tear through the roofing material. This can create holes in the metal, exposing your home to potential water leaks.

Hy-Grade-Steel-Roofing-System-Metal-Roofing-Fastening-Socket
Expansion Socket
Hy-Grade-Steel-Roofing-System-Metal-Roofing-Shake
Miracle Shake

EXPANSION & CONTRACTION

It’s critical that a steel roofing system is designed with the natural and normal expansion and contraction process in mind. The design of Hy-Grade’s unique socket takes the stress off of the fastener and allows steel expansion and contraction out, up, and away from the nails. The smooth shank of the nail means the metal is not met with resistance when moving. Over long periods of time and repeated movement the metal will never loosen or break the fastener and the fastener won’t work holes in the system. An additional benefit of this design: water never flows over the nails, always around them.

A video demonstration of nails vs screws for shear strength

WITHSTANDING THE TEST OF TIME

Hy-Grade manufactures, sells and installs one ideal shake profile because it’s the only one that lives up to our HY-standards. We use nails vs. screws as our shake fastener because that’s the fastener the system is designed for.

With its unique fastening socket and fastener (2″ hot dipped galvanized nails inserted at a precise 30°angle) the Hy-Grade Steel Roofing System has withstood the test of time. Never once, in over 36 years, has Hy-Grade been called back for a popped fastener.

The Hy-Grade Steel Roofing System has the best E&C (Expansion & Contraction) of any steel roof on the market! Learn more HERE.

If you’re interested in seeing what a permanent Hy-Grade Steel Roof can do for your home, call and speak to us toll free at 1 (855) 494-7233 or fill out our online form here!