Clout Nails for Roofing Felt, Underlayment and Membrane: What to Buy

A clout nail is the flat-big-head fastener used to pin roofing felt, underlayment and waterproof membrane to timber decks. It looks simple, but the wrong size or finish will either pull through the felt, rust through the roof, or split the board. This is the short buying guide we hand to every new customer who emails us for clout nails.

Why the Big Head Matters

The whole point of a clout nail is the head. A regular common nail head is small and will punch through felt or thin membrane under wind and traffic. A big head clout nail spreads the pressure across a wide cap, holding the felt flat without tearing through. When you buy, check the head diameter, not just the length. A cheap clout nail with a small head defeats the purpose.

Length: Match the Thickness of What You Are Fixing

Our clout nails run from 3/4 inch to 3 inch. The rule is simple:

• 3/4 to 1 inch for thin felt, temporary pinning and edge work
• 1 to 2 inch for standard roofing felt and underlayment
• 2 to 3 inch for layered membrane, thick decking and timber that needs a deep bite

If you stock the full range, you can cover every roof job on the order sheet without a special run.

Shank: Smooth or Ring?

The shank decides how hard the nail holds. Smooth shank clout nails drive fast and cost less, fine for normal felt and underlayment where pull-out is not the main risk. Ring shank clout nails carry rings that lock into wood fibers, which is why we recommend them for high-wind areas, reusable forms and roof work that will be exposed to years of weather. We make both, so you can match the shank to the job instead of forcing one style on every box.

Finish: Bright, EG or HDG?

This is where buyers get it wrong most often.

• Bright polished clout nails are bare steel, for indoor dry work only.
• EG clout nails carry a thin electro zinc layer, fine for covered roofing and indoor membrane.
• HDG clout nails carry a thick hot dip zinc layer, built for outdoor roofing, coastal air and wet basement work.

Buy bright nails for an outdoor roof and you will be back buying again next year. When in doubt, go HDG for anything exposed to the weather.

Material: Q195 Low Carbon Steel

We draw our clout nails from Q195 low carbon steel wire. Q195 is soft enough to drive cleanly without splitting the felt board, but hard enough to hold the head flat under pressure. The wire diameter is held to a tight tolerance, so a box of 1000 nails all feed and drive the same way.

What to Ask Your Supplier

Four questions before you place the order:

1. What is the head diameter, and does it suit the felt thickness?

2. What is the finish, EG or HDG, and how thick is the zinc?

3. Do you stock the full 3/4 to 3 inch range, or only one size?

4. Can I get samples before a container order?

We answer all four the same day.

See the Nails in Person at the Canton Fair

If you are comparing suppliers, the fastest check is samples in hand. You can see our clout nails range in person at the 140th Canton Fair (Autumn 2026) at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China, from October 15 to 19, 2026, in the Hardware Hall, booth 13.1F39. Bring your felt sample, feel the head and the zinc, and we will walk you through the EG and HDG difference.

We are Linyi Dabao hardware Products co., ltd, a nail factory in Linyi, Shandong, shipping clout nails worldwide from Qingdao Port. Send us your roof size and felt thickness, and we will quote the right length and finish the same week.