Everything You Need to Consider Before Buying a Hammer

Many plumbers, electricians and mechanical workers often find themselves crawling around in tight spaces and therefore prefer short hammers, because they&#;re less likely to get hung up.

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Some remodelers like 16-in. handles because they can use them as a quick guide to locating (not layout) a stud behind drywall or sheathing if they know the location of an adjacent stud. There are also siding installers who spend a good portion of the day on ladders and don&#;t like long hatchet-style handles or curved handles, because they tend to protrude forward just far enough to catch on the rungs when climbing down a ladder.

Most hammer handles are 14 to 18 inches long and are available in either a straight, curved or hatchet style. Hatchet-style hammer handles are a bit narrower than straight handles.

&#;I swing the 15 oz. Estwing Ultra, smooth face . I use it for demo, framing, trim, dirt digger,&#; says Josh Blake, a carpenter. &#;Can&#;t beat the classic Estwing grip and the side nail puller is super handy.&#;

Some folks just love the feel of wood, and most wood handle hammers don&#;t have a grip material added to them. Cushy handle grips feel good but also tend to wear faster. Trim carpenters often choose grips with a rubber bottom so the handle doesn&#;t leave a mark when they squat down or bump into finished surfaces.

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How Heavy Should a Hammer Head Be?

Most hammer heads weigh anywhere between 16 and 22 ounces. But that can be a little misleading because there&#;s no industry standard on how to weigh a hammer head. Weighing a hammer head with wooden and fiberglass handles is straightforward: just take the head off the handle and weigh it. But there is more of a gray area when it comes to hammers that are made with integrated steel handles and strike guards.

There are several things to consider when it comes to the weight of a hammer:

How you use it: If you do a lot of hammering above your head or even straight on, then lighter is better. If you are always swinging down low, like a mason building forms, then heavy is okay.

How often you use it: If it&#;s necessary that a hammer hangs from your pouch all day, but you use it infrequently, buy a lighter hammer. There&#;s no point in carrying around a massive weight on your side if you barely ever use it.

Your strength: Remember high school physics? Here&#;s a quick refresher: Force = Mass x Acceleration. This means a heavier hammer packs a larger wallop. BUT that&#;s only if you can swing the beast. There&#;s a point where a hammer becomes too heavy to swing fast, and a greater force would be achieved by swinging a lighter hammer, faster. What that point is will depend on the strength of the swinger.

Balance: Some folks love to swing a hammer with a super heavy head and a feather-light handle. Some prefer a hammer with a lower center of gravity like steel handled hammers have. Whenever possible, swing a hammer before buying one. Ask your friends, neighbors or the folks around you on a jobsite to try out their hammer before buying yours.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Roofing Hammer Exporter.

What the Pros Had To Say:

&#;The idea of balance means that weight is evenly distributed between top and bottom AND forward and backward,&#; says Vaughn. &#;A well-balanced hammer will HELP swing itself.  If you have an unbalanced hammer you might have less work hitting the nail but MORE work bringing it back up&#;unbalanced hammers cause muscles to ache after use!&#;

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When it comes to driving nails into roofs, many seasoned roofers still prefer a roofing hammer and hatchet; and that is despite the nail gun&#;s advanced technology. These specialized tools feature unique traits that carpenters think make them more efficient compared to a nail gun.

For a homeowner, on the one hand, such features are typically ignored. And their preference is often about whether a tool is convenient to use and time-saving instead. 

Are you one of them? If yes, this article will then help you understand why roofing hammers and hatchets are every roofer&#;s best choice.

What Is a Roofing Hammer?

A roofing hammer or a roofing hatchet is a specialized tool used primarily for driving nails into roofs. It is a roofer&#;s most recommended tool due to its unique features that ordinary hammers cannot do. 

It can, for instance, claw off roof tiles, shakes, and even cut shingles. It has gauges that can help roofers find the correct exposure of shingles too. The tool also comes with magnetized faces that aids roofers in picking up stray nails. 

But it is not just simply a hammer with unique traits. A roofing hammer is also known for its accuracy as well as effectiveness in terms of securing nails into roofs.

What Makes It Unique?

There are several good reasons why most professional roofers prefer a roofing hatchet over a nail gun. It is because aside from the features (the ones mentioned above) a traditional roofing hammer has, new designs allowed manufactures to add a few more useful features. 

And these are:

• Metric gauges. If you are working with shingles that have larger exposures, modern roofing hatchets come in handy. Some new designs come with adjustable gauges and can even work with shingles with 5 inches exposure and more. 

• Shock holders. Hammering produces vibrations that may shock your hands. So, to protect your hands, modern roofing hammers are built with special materials like titanium to reduce vibration. 

• Nail holders. Aside from its magnetized faces, some new designs come with a built-in magnetic nail holder. Such a feature can help you stabilize a nail, particularly in an unusual and hard-to-reach spot. 

• Shingle removal tools. Traditional roofing hatchets can already cut shingles. Modern ones, on the other hand, feature new claw designs that can help cut shingles faster and easier. Some hammers even come with extendable claw. 

Four Common Roofing Hammers

While there are several roofing hammers with new designs today, it is still crucial to know the traditional hammers roofers use. That said, here are the four common roofing hatchets carpenters use: 

1. Roofing hatchet. Also known for its small axe-like appearance, a roofing hatchet is a tool used mainly for the installation of asphalt shingles. It comes with a built-in knife for cutting shingles, nail pullers, and a magnetic nail holder.

2. Double-claw hammer. The double-claw hammer is an all-around and widely used roofing hammer. While its appearance resembles an ordinary hammer, the double claw is used mainly for general roof work.

Its claw, for example, is used to pry wood and other materials. It can also be used for pulling out nails. The claw can be either curved or straight as well, and a straight claw can be used for light cutting.

3. Roofing pick hammer. Unlike the double-claw, the roofing pick hammer has a sharpened and pointed pick. But despite such a feature, it can still pull out nails. It is utilized mainly for punching holes.

4. Slate hammer. As its name suggests, a slate hammer is a specialized tool used primarily for making general slate work more effective. Its features include a sharpened pick just like the roofing pick hammer, which is used for punching holes. It also comes with a bevelled shaft to cut slates as well as a nail puller.
   
   However, it would not do much when it comes to slate installation and repair. 

Things to Consider Before Buying a Roofing Hammer

Now that you know the basics of roofing hammer, let us talk about how to choose the best roofing hammer for you. 

1. Shock absorption. The first thing you should consider is the roofing hammer&#;s shock absorption. Professional or not, roofing, in general, is laborious and requires hours of work. And continuously pounding nails for hours produce vibrations that spread, which may hurt your hands up to the elbow. 

2. Type of handle. A roofing hammer&#;s handle is not only made of one but three types of materials. And depending on the material, the benefit varies.
   • Steel hammer. If you are looking for durability, a roofing hammer with a handle that is made of steel is a perfect choice. It is because compared to its wooden counterpart, a steel hammer lasts longer. The only catch is that its shock absorption is weak, unlike the ones with wooden handles. 
   • Wooden handle. While roofing hatchets with wooden handles are not as durable as steel hammers, their shock absorption is strong and remarkable. Roofers swear by their easy and comfortable grip, which are crucial aspects especially if you are doing roof work almost every day.
   • Fiberglass. Unique as it is, a roofing hammer with a fiberglass handle is unfortunately not durable as steel and wooden hammers. On a good note, it is lightweight and comfortable to carry.
3. Weight. It is uncomfortable when your roofing hammer is too heavy. As such, make sure to check the weight first. You can test it too by swinging it and see which one is comfortable to carry. The standard weight of a roofing hammer ranges from 2o to 30 ounces. 

The Best Roofing Hammer

A roofing hammer is an essential home building and improvement tool that homeowners like you should have at home. You cannot depend on home building professionals all the time. And it is particularly true&#;and handy&#;for small roof repairs, as well as those that need immediate attention.

As such, make sure you have one in your home. If not, go get your first roofing hammer now!

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