# Tin Tabs?



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

Used to roof for my boss when I was straight out of high school and he preferred hammer tackers, slap tackers, hammer staplers, or whatever else you want to call them when installing 30# felt. Of course used in conjunction with tin tabs. That was more than 15 years ago and I've just taken on a roofing project for family. I spend most of my time in finish carpentry now and haven't installed a roof for a while. 

Are hammer tackers and tin tabs still the preferred method for installing felt? Or are people leaning toward plastic cap nails now that there are pneumatic cap nailers available?


----------



## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

forget the tin TABS, dont forget the ice shield


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

genecarp said:


> forget the tin TABS, dont forget the ice shield


Forget the tin tabs? 2 of 3 nights we get canyon winds of 10-20mph for about an hour while the valley temp changes. I won't get shingles up for about a week from the felt install. I think I'd worry too much about the paper blowing off before I could get to it.

Also, the roof is 10:12 pitch and I'd worry about the felt tearing under foot while installing shingles if there were no tabs to prevent tear through.


----------



## OCRS (Apr 29, 2008)

Cache said:


> Forget the tin tabs? 2 of 3 nights we get canyon winds of 10-20mph for about an hour while the valley temp changes. I won't get shingles up for about a week from the felt install. I think I'd worry too much about the paper blowing off before I could get to it.
> 
> Also, the roof is 10:12 pitch and I'd worry about the felt tearing under foot while installing shingles if there were no tabs to prevent tear through.


Ya, but you didn't mention any of that in your 1st post.


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

OCRS said:


> Ya, but you didn't mention any of that in your 1st post.


My fault. :shutup: Shoulda been more specific. Just wondering if staples and tin tabs are still common place.


----------



## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

we have one guy roll out, and throw down tabs, and another guy follow behind with the nail gun and hit all the tabs. we always run our paper straight so we can use it as a guide line so we know right away if courses are getting crazy


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

Patrick said:


> we have one guy roll out, and throw down tabs, and another guy follow behind with the nail gun and hit all the tabs. we always run our paper straight so we can use it as a guide line so we know right away if courses are getting crazy


Jeez, my boss would never afford me that kind of help. :blink: Sometimes, I would be the only guy up on the roof. I didn't work for a roofer, I worked for a builder who did everything from pouring footers to finish work. His rule was that we didn't fix other subs' messes, so we just built the whole thing from the ground up, excluding HVAC, Electric, and Plumbing.

Anyway, I didn't need someone to lay out tabs for me because a little magnet fixed at the end of the hammer tacker would hold the tab while I slammed it down. Just made my way across the roof with a big stack of tin tabs in one hand and a hammer tacker in the other. It was about as fast as a air stapler, but sometimes I found myself wishing that I had an air stapler with a magnet on the tip. I was starting to look like those pro tennis players with one big Popeye arm and one little girly arm.


----------



## OCRS (Apr 29, 2008)

Why not get some extra helpers and do it at once?


----------



## Patrick (Apr 12, 2006)

Cache said:


> Jeez, my boss would never afford me that kind of help. :blink: Sometimes, I would be the only guy up on the roof. I didn't work for a roofer, I worked for a builder who did everything from pouring footers to finish work. His rule was that we didn't fix other subs' messes, so we just built the whole thing from the ground up, excluding HVAC, Electric, and Plumbing.
> 
> Anyway, I didn't need someone to lay out tabs for me because a little magnet fixed at the end of the hammer tacker would hold the tab while I slammed it down. Just made my way across the roof with a big stack of tin tabs in one hand and a hammer tacker in the other. It was about as fast as a air stapler, but sometimes I found myself wishing that I had an air stapler with a magnet on the tip. I was starting to look like those pro tennis players with one big Popeye arm and one little girly arm.


To each his own, we prefer to to get our roofs done in 1-2 days tops. the tins only get used when we will not be able to get shingles on something that will be left unfinished over night, or if the roof is steep and there will be lots of walking on the paper. We always use 30# paper too.


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

OCRS said:


> Why not get some extra helpers and do it at once?


I'll have three other people this time, but I'd still call it a 1 evening job for the felt, and 2-3 evenings for the shingles. 2 of the 3 helpers have roofing experience but they have day jobs and can't help till after 5pm. It'll be a week for sure between felt and shingles because I have to work with their schedules. Free labor may be cheap, but it isn't convenient. Relative would prefer the free price over speedy install.


----------



## OCRS (Apr 29, 2008)

Hope the relatives appreciate everything involved, 10/12, night work, supervising free help, etc. Myself, I'd tarp it after felt, especially with a week between.


----------



## tinner666 (Nov 3, 2004)

Tarp over the felt for sure. If it gets wets, it wrinlkes badly.


----------



## SES Constructio (Mar 1, 2008)

Use one of these http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=15708


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

SES Constructio said:


> Use one of these http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=15708


That's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. Unfortunately, the buyer reviews on the stinger tacker are so bad that I can't justify buying one. Seems like more hassle than it is worth. :sad: That's a bummer because the idea is good.


----------



## Cache (Sep 18, 2007)

Ended up making a decision to just buy a cap stapler. You can pick one up for about $120 now, and between installing felt and house wrap a couple times, it'll be worth the extra cost. Only holds 100 caps at a time which is a bit annoying. I wish it were closer to 200, but as long as it is simple to reload...


----------



## LA_nailer (May 10, 2008)

*bostitch SB150SLBC*

I use this for my felt.


----------

