Can you bend roofing nails on the inside?

[DA]

Here is what I mean by that: I have some useful space in the attic above the garage. The previous owner had installed a pull-down ladder and nailed a couple of plywood sheets to the top plates. I just want to expand on that and make more room covered with plywood so I can store stuff up there.

There is one problem though: the roofing nails are protruding about 1" to

2" into the inside making this space literally a hard hat area. Having scratched my head couple times already, I'd like to do something about the nails if at all possible.

So, can I use my trusty pliers to bend the nails (to the side or all the way back up) so the roof does not look like bed-of-nails from the inside or I am running the risk of disturbing the shingles?

Is it a bad idea to just snip them (almost) flush?

What would you do? Any suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks!

D~

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[Noozer]

No, you can't bend them without loosening them.

Snipping them would be better, but that is a lot of work, and you are sure to miss some.

[aemeijers]

If they are head-pokers (like in an attic or cabin), wine corks pushed over them provide decorative and artistic-looking protection.

aem sends....

[Mike Dobony]

Per code, they must protrude a minimum amount, about 3/4" I believe. Therefore snipping is bad. It seems to me that there should be some rafters hanging below the nails. Cover them with some cheap plywood strips to keep the head from hitting the nails.

[DA]

Thank you for your suggestions, Mike. It appears that touching the nails in any way is just inviting some trouble. I'm going to investigate a possibility of covering the nails with plywood nailed the rafters.

Well, frankly, the idea of the wine bottle corks on the nails appeals even better to me due to no need to mess with any structural elements of the roof but I'm afraid my liver is not going to make it all the way through the roof, so to speak. There are hundreds upon hundreds of nails to cover :-)

Cheers! D~

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[mm]

When my father died and we were moving back to my mother's home town, she didn't want to pay to move the liquor, so she was drinking as much as possible every day. It was slow going, and she decided that if she ever did get up to speed, the price she'd pay would be more than the money she'd saved on moving costs. So she stopped drinking and paid to have the stuff moved.

She moved it a couple other times and eventually left it to me, and I think some or all of the liquor in the cellerette is the same as my father had 52 years ago.

[mm]

I keep a hard hat in the attic. Seriously.

When I go to parts of my attic, the nails were a problem for 24 years, but after the second roof it was worse because he used longer nails.

Most of the time, I'm in the part that is taller than my head, and most of the rest of the time, I'm close to the floor or I keep my head down so as to not be hit by a nail, but I learned the hard way (and my hair is thinner now**, so without the hard hat, I don't have as much protection.)

**Although it hasn't turned grey and the hairline hasn't receded, but I only have half as much hair or less. I would find lots of it on my keyboard between 51 and 56, but it seemed to mostly stop when I was about 56.

[buffalobill]

lose the stuff, it's cheaper.

[Bob]

I just love that decorative and artistic-look look in an attic. If you buy it, I'll help dispose of the wine cause you'll need a lot of corks. Bob-tx

[HeyBub]

Here's a spot for corks: 1000 for $40.00. They also have wood plugs, shelf pins, hole plugs, fastcaps, rubber stoppers, wine corks, and other fun stuff.

[Mike Dobony]

:

However you might loosen up some nails and help them to blow off in a good wind by pressing corks on the nails.

[willshak]

on 8/6/2007 10:45 PM DA said the following:

Just cover the rafters with plywood, sheetrock, cardboard, or anything else that will keep your head from hitting the nails.

[Harry K]

Others have made the suggestion to cover with plywood or wood strips. Another possible is foam sheets (maby be glue them up there).

For sure _do not_ bend the nails or you will suffer the consequences when it comes time to re-roof.

Harry K

[Al Bundy]

Harry K wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Foam sheets - exactly my thought. 1.5" thick, used for foundations I think. Or maybe sheets of cheaper regular styrofoam from a craft store or something. Just cut and press onto nails. That should easily hold it without glue.

HOWEVER!

I don't know if this would be good or bad.

I'm wondering if it would cause additional heat to be trapped in the attic and screw up everything from sheathing to shingles. You think your head hurts now...

-or-

actually prevent some amount of heat from naturally entering the attic from the sun beating on the roof.

[Harry K]

innews: [e-mail]:

Giving it just a bit more thought. The foam idea, while attractive is not a "good idea" (tm) due to the additional fire hazard. Also upon sale or inspection (for whatever reason) of the house that would all have to be removed or covered with fireproofing.

Harry K