top of page
Writer's pictureDardanoi Group

Is It Okay To Attach Something To A Shingle Roof?


There are many home accessories that you may want to attach to your roof, from security cameras at the front door to flower baskets in the backyard. We recommend you choose a professional roofer to safely attach these items to your roof.

Besides, it is wise to look into alternatives before asking a roofer to attach something to your roof. If you can avoid adding stress to your roof, you should.

The manufacturers of your home accessories may not warn you against nailing them to the roof because they might not understand roofing materials and why you shouldn’t attach accessories to them. The truth is, you can increase your risk for leaks if you try to attach something to your roof without professional guidance.


Can You Nail Into Your Roof?

A roofing system is designed to keep water out of your home. Roofing professionals achieve a quality roof by layering various materials on top of the decking, or the wooden foundation, of your roof. There are many components of a pitched roof, from felt underlayment and ice and water protector to roof shingles and flashing. Together, these components force water to run off your roof into the gutters and away from your home.

If you drive even one nail into the top of your roof, you may compromise its entire system. That one nail will puncture the shingles and underlayment of your roof, creating a hole through the whole system. When it rains, water can enter the hole, bypass every layer of security on your roof and trickle into your attic. This nail may cause a small leak, and even small leaks can cause significant problems for your home.

You may be asking: Don’t roofers use nails when installing roofs? Yes, professional roofers use nails to apply shingles, but they do so in a very specific way so that each nail is covered by the shingle above it. Adding another nail above the shingles compromises your roof system.


Can You Attach an Antenna to a Roof?

While an antenna can be attached to a roof by a roofing professional, it is best to look into other options. While antennas were once nailed up on roofs regularly, the resulting holes in the roof could cause leaks. Now, antennas are most commonly placed in attics. Modern digital signals can bypass your roof without suffering too much of a reduction in signal quality. There are other options. Your antenna installer may suggest mounting your antenna to your chimney, so long as it is light enough. They also have methods of securing the antenna to your roof without driving in nails, using a strap system. Or you can mount a freestanding antenna directly in your backyard.

If your antenna came with a bracket to attach it to a roof, your antenna provider may not understand why using the bracket isn’t a good idea. We suggest you check with a roofing professional you trust to make sure that the method your antenna installer plans to use is safe and won’t damage your roof.


Can You Mount a Security Camera on a Roof?

The rooftop may seem like a natural place for a security camera, but camera manufacturers actually do not recommend putting your security camera up there. Though most surveillance cameras are now weatherproof, rain and snow can still limit their life span. Inclement weather can also distort their view, and no one wants to run outside after every drizzle to clean off their cameras’ lenses. So, manufacturers recommend you mount your security cameras to the soffit.

The soffit is the underside of your roof’s eave. The structural component of the soffit is wood, but the bottom layer is thin vinyl or aluminum that has vents, which allow the attic space to breathe. In order to secure a camera base to the soffit properly, it would need to be fastened through the vinyl sheet and onto the wooden truss, as the soffit’s bottom layer is not strong enough to hold a security camera on its own. The security camera may fall out if it is only attached to the vinyl or aluminum panel alone.


Can You Attach Flower Baskets to Your Roof?

You shouldn’t attach a flower basket to your roof, nor should you attach them to your roof’s soffit. While you might see some flower baskets hanging from the home’s soffit by a chain, that is not a wise way to hang them unless the chain is connected to a structural portion of the soffit. Your roofing professional will know how to properly attach the chain.

The thin aluminum part of the soffit can’t handle the weight of a basket of flowers. Remember, flowers get even heavier after you’ve watered them. Instead, flower baskets should be attached to the wooden beams and supports of your porch or the face of your home. There are special flower-hanging brackets you can use to hang your flowers.






10 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page