High-Wind & Hurricane Roofing Fasteners
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What separates true high-wind and hurricane roofing fasteners from everyday nails
The 10 cent difference that holds the roof on
In hurricane and tornado country, the difference between a roof that holds and one that ends up two streets over is often a 10 cent fastener. Ring shank coil nails grip the deck roughly 40 percent harder than smooth shank, exactly the margin you want when 120 mph gusts get under a shingle tab.
Required by Florida HVHZ, accepted as the wind uplift solution in most coastal jurisdictions, and inexpensive insurance everywhere else.
How ring shank actually works under load
The shank (the body of the nail) has annular rings rolled into it. As the nail drives, those rings displace wood fiber sideways instead of just compressing it.
When wind tries to pull the nail back out, the fibers have to either shear or compress, and both take a lot more force than letting a smooth nail slide back. Net result is roughly 40 percent higher withdrawal resistance in 7/16 inch OSB and 50 percent or more in plywood.
Code triggers and length picks for high-wind hurricane fasteners
Florida HVHZ (Miami-Dade, Broward), coastal SC, NC, GA, TX, and LA either require ring shank outright or accept it as the wind uplift path. Top tier shingle warranties like GAF Golden Pledge and CertainTeed SureStart Plus require six nail plus ring shank for the 130 mph rating. The IBHS FORTIFIED Roof program also requires ring shank.
Use 1-1/4 inch ring shank for new construction over 1/2 to 5/8 inch deck and 1-3/4 inch ring shank for tear-overs and thicker decking. Skip 1 inch, it does not have enough engagement to take real advantage of the rings. Within half a mile of saltwater, jump to 316 stainless ring shank. See our ring shank deep dive for the full breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
- How much more pull-out strength does ring shank give?
- Roughly 40 percent more pull-out resistance than smooth shank in standard 7/16" OSB. In hurricane code testing (Miami-Dade NOA, Florida HVHZ), ring shank is what passes the wind-uplift requirements at 130+ mph design speeds.
- Is ring shank required by code in hurricane zones?
- In Florida HVHZ (Miami-Dade and Broward counties), yes — ring shank is effectively mandatory. Most coastal SC, NC, GA, TX, and LA jurisdictions either require it outright or accept it as the path to meet the wind-uplift spec without other reinforcement.
- Six-nail vs four-nail pattern for high wind?
- Most shingle manufacturers require six nails per shingle (instead of the standard four) to qualify for their high-wind warranty (typically 110 to 130 mph). Combined with ring shank, that's the belt-and-suspenders setup. It uses ~50% more nails per square; plan accordingly.
- Will ring shank wear out my driver blade faster?
- A little. The deformed shank puts slightly more stress on the driver. Replace your driver blade and bumper at the manufacturer-spec interval (usually 200K to 500K shots) and it's a non-issue.