FAST FELT® Tab vs. the Tin Cap

The video below was filmed at the "Test Procedure for Dynamic Pull-Through Performance of Roofing Membranes Over Fastener Heads or Fasteners with Metal Bearing Plates" performed by an independent laboratory approved by the Florida Building Commission and the Miami-Dade County Building Code Compliance Office and conducted by a Registered Florida Professional Engineer (Click here for the Florida Registered Professional Engineer's Report).

On average, ASTM D226, Type II organic felt (30# tar paper) with FAST FELT® tabs is 20%-50% stronger than the same organic felt nailed with tin caps. 

FAST FELT® withstands rupture forces up to 30% longer than the same organic felt nailed with tin caps.

FAST FELT® could be lifted off the wood roof deck up to 50% higher before "pull-through" failure than the same organic felt nailed to a wood roof deck with tin caps.

 

Test Apparatus:

Comparative Rupture Testing, Base Sheet Rupture (Pull-Over) Performance: Tests were conducted to evaluate the base sheet ability to resist fastener-plate rupture (pull-through) on the following equipment:

Test Apparatus

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Results / Test Conclusions

The following table contains summary information from the Registered Florida Professional Engineer’s data submitted to Miami-Dade County Florida, Building Code Compliance Office, Product Control Division:

Please Note:  During the tin cap testing process only, extra care was exercised to not unnecessarily move the specimen in a manner which might put a force on the shank of the nail in opposition to the felt underlayment, including the process of driving the roofing nail through the tin cap and the felt underlayment.  This extra care for the tin cap specimens only appeared necessary due to the inherent weakness in the felt underlayment and the tendency of the shank of the nail to "stretch" or tear at the opening in the felt underlayment made by the simple step of driving the roofing nail into it.

The following advantages could be derived by the use of FAST FELT®:

(1)   FAST FELT® Tab is Stronger:

The peak force required to rupture the tar paper is greater for FAST FELT®.

On average, tar paper with FAST FELT® tabs is 20% stronger than ordinary tar paper nailed with tin caps according to independent laboratory test conducted by a Registered Florida Professional Engineer.

(2)   FAST FELT® Tab Lasts Longer:

The wind force has to be applied for a longer period of time to the tar paper with FAST FELT® tabs to result in a rupture. Therefore, the FAST FELT® tabs will hold the tar paper onto the wood roof deck for a longer period of time than ordinary tar paper with tin caps while subjected to wind forces capable of rupturing the tar paper.

Tar paper with FAST FELT® could withstand rupture forces up to 30% longer than ordinary tar paper nailed with tin caps.

(3)   FAST FELT® Tab is Elastic.

The hole, caused by the shank of the roofing nail, in the FAST FELT® plastic tab surrounds the shank of the roofing nail and, depending upon the severity of the rupture forces, attempts to return to its original size. Therefore, if the shingles have been blown off the roof deck, FAST FELT® tabs would have a greater chance of holding the tar paper on the roof during fluttering caused by intermittent wind gusts. Additionally, it is possible that, when subjected to certain repetitive wind gusts, the tar paper with FAST FELT® tabs would continue to hold the tar paper on the roof deck without a material enlargement of the hole surrounding the shank of the roofing nail. The FAST FELT® plastic tab acts like a reinforcement around the shank of the roofing nail.

For tar paper, a tin cap and a roofing nail, every wind force causing uplift or fluttering of the tar paper, would continually tug or pull on the tar paper and degrade or enlarge the hole around the shank of the roofing nail.

(4)   FAST FELT® Tab Pulls Higher:

Tar Paper with FAST FELT® tabs will lift higher off the wood roof deck before failure than ordinary tar paper with nailed with tin caps.

Tar paper with FAST FELT® tabs could be lifted off of the wood roof deck up to 50% higher before rupture than ordinary tar paper nailed to the wood roof deck with tin caps.

Original Movies

The following files are the original videos of the tests displayed above.

FAST FELT® Tab Test - MPEG format approximately 15Mb (approximately 45 min. over 56K)

Tin Cap Test - MPEG format approximately 14Mb (approximately 42 min. over 56K)

To view the above files you need either Windows Media Player or equivalent.