The Nail Zone Guarantee, 20 Years

Exclusive to Tides Team Exteriors - no other roofer in the Lowcountry offers this.

Every nail we drive lands inside the manufacturer’s nail zone, biting two layers of shingle. Most blow-offs, slow leaks, and denied insurance claims come from nails placed wrong. If one of ours is, we fix it free - for 20 years.

What Is the Nail Zone?

Every architectural shingle has a manufacturer-printed strip - usually about an inch tall - where the nails are supposed to go. Nail inside it, and each fastener bites through two layers of shingle, holds the roof at its full wind rating, and stays covered by the shingle above so water never touches it.

Miss the zone and there are two ways to fail. Nail too high ("high-nailing" - the most common shortcut on rushed crews) and the nail catches only one layer, so the first big wind event lifts the shingle and tears it free. Nail too low and the nail head sits exposed to the weather instead of protected under the shingle above - every rain works water down that nail shank. That’s the slow leak you don’t find until there’s a ceiling stain, a rusted-out fastener, or rotted decking around it.

Between blow-offs, voided manufacturer warranties, denied insurance claims, and mystery leaks, wrong nail placement is behind most of the roof failures we see in the Lowcountry. You can’t spot any of it from the driveway - but the weather always finds it.

CORRECT - In the Nail ZoneShingle course belowTop shingleMANUFACTURER NAIL ZONENail bites BOTH shingle layers,covered by the shingle aboveFull wind rating · watertight · warranty intactWRONG - High-NailedShingle course below (missed)Nail catches only ONE layer -shingle can lift and tear freeBlow-offs · voided warranty · denied claimsWRONG - Low-NailedShingle course belowTop shingleNail head sits exposed to the weatherSlow leaks · rusted nails · rotted decking

Why Competitors Don’t Offer This

Most contractors offer a “workmanship warranty” that’s vague and expires in 1-2 years. Ours is specific, measurable, and lasts two decades.

A vague warranty is easy to write because nothing in it can be checked. “Every nail in the zone” can be checked - pull a shingle tab and look. We put that in writing because our crews nail to spec on every course, every install. That’s the difference between a promise and a guarantee.

What’s Covered - and What’s Not

Covered

  • Every nail installed by Tides Team on the original installation
  • Free repair of any nail found outside the manufacturer’s nail zone - for 20 years
  • Transferable one time to a new homeowner within the 20-year period, at no cost

Not Covered

  • Damage from acts of God, storms, hail, or wind events (that’s manufacturer warranty / homeowner’s insurance territory)
  • Structural failure of the home or roof deck
  • Unauthorized modifications or repairs by other contractors
  • Issues not reported to us within a reasonable time of discovery

Coverage language mirrors the terms & conditions on your written quote. Just let us know within a reasonable time if you spot an issue - we’ll take it from there.

Get a free roof quote with the Nail Zone Guarantee baked in →

Free, no-pressure estimates across Summerville, Charleston, and the Lowcountry.