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Roofing supplies include a wide range of materials and items needed for roof construction and maintenance. This includes not only shingles but molding, lumber, pipes and vents, roofing cements, ladders and all the useful tools including roofing nails.  

Starting at the top, let’s consider the roofing material. This is considered the roof proper and includes wood shingles, ceramic tiles, asbestos shingles, metal roofing sheets and tiles, rubber roofing sheets and shingles and a lot of other types of materials. The roofing material should be chosen based on location, so that the roof will stand up to the local elements and issues that impact a roof.

The frame or support structure of a roof is lumber. This usually consists of a triangular truss and a lattice of beams. The roof itself is then laid over the frame. Lumber is used for other elements including the cornice, part of the frame that hangs over the wall, the fascia, which is the underside of the cornice, the eave, beam ends of the wood frame that allow water to drip away from the roof, and the soffit, or underside of the eave.

Pipes and vents protrude from the roof. They assist in the house breathing and are also the way out for smoke from a fireplace or cooking hood, as well as for hot air from the attic. The bottoms of pipes and vents are always sealed with a boot, or metal strip, that includes a lead based or plastic sealant. These pipes and vents have one way shields sealed with rubber so that the air or smoke can escape, but water doesn’t flow into the pipe or vent.

Now onto the roofing tools which include the ladder to get to the roof, as well as other items necessary for both installation and removal, as well as for regular maintenance. These include simple items such as a broom and bucket to hold waste shingles, a slater’s hammer complete with a hammer as well as an ax and blade, a slate cutter to saw through shingles, seaming pliers to hold shingles, and a hip runner to install the ridge cap, the portion of the roof on top of seams.

When it comes to roofing nails they must be long enough to extend through the shingles and go further to about 3/8 inch below the underside of the shingle. Anything that interferes with the nails biting into the wood might cause the nail to spring out of the shingle and eventually the loss of shingles. This includes shingles with ridges, some under shingle materials, and of course short nails. A skilled roofer can drive a roofing nail with one solid hit. A homeowner doing it themselves should be able to drive most roofing nails with one hit within a few minutes of work.

Like a well roofing supplies are a deep subject, but satisfying when you get to the bottom of it.