The Best Nailer for Cedar Shakes & Shingles

For cedar shakes and shingles the tool is a coil roofing or siding nailer — but the nails matter far more: use hot-dipped galvanized or, better, stainless steel, because cedar's natural tannins corrode ordinary nails and streak the wood. Set the gun so it seats flush without splitting the cedar.

The nails come first

Cedar is acidic. Bright or electro-galvanized nails will rust, bleed black stains down the roof, and fail early. Your options:

• Stainless steel (best): won't corrode, won't stain — the right call for a roof you want to last decades.
• Hot-dipped galvanized (minimum): acceptable, but stainless is the upgrade worth paying for on cedar.
• Ring-shank improves hold. Two nails per shake is the norm, placed where the next course will cover them.

The gun

A coil siding nailer (like the Bostitch N66C) or a coil roofing nailer both work for cedar, loaded with the right stainless coil nails. The key spec is depth control — cedar splits and crushes if you overdrive, so you want to seat the head flush, not sink it.

How to fasten cedar without splitting it

1. Drop the compressor pressure and set the nailer depth so the head lands flush — test on a scrap shake first.
2. Keep nails the recommended distance from the edges so the shake doesn't split.
3. Two nails per shake, positioned to be covered by the next course (concealed nailing).
4. Leave the small keyway gaps between shakes for expansion, per the manufacturer's instructions.

Frequently asked questions