Choosing an air compressor for roofing
The right tools can make or break a job. When choosing an air compressor for roofing, roofing contractors have some important decisions to make. “Having the proper compressor is very important for a roofing contractor,” says Paul Vasquez, owner of PV Roofing in Houston. “I have lots of them. We use them with staplers and nail guns to secure everything from flashing to shingles.”
The crew size and type of work—remodeling, single- or multi-family or even light commercial—are also critical. Find the one that fits your needs depends on the size of the project and how many men you have working,” Vasquez says. “An air compressor also has to be contractor-grade and built to last.”
Air compressors come in a range of sizes, air-delivery ratings, horsepower and single- and dual-stage. The most common type of compressor used by contractors generates air pressure with a reciprocating piston. Single-stage compressors have one or two pistons that compress and deliver air to the storage tank. Typically, one piston/cylinder pump is found on moderate-duty compressors with a maximum rating at or below 150 psi.
Two-stage air compressors have two pistons. The first piston compresses the air and pushes it through a valve to the second piston. The second piston further compresses the air and feeds it to the storage tank. The two-stage system is found on heavy-duty compressors with ratings above 150 psi.
Air delivery
Air delivery is measured in Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM or CFPM) or Standard Cubic Feet per Minute (SCFM). In general, the higher the CFM rating, the more nailers that can be run off the air compressor, explains William Sadkowski, product manager for Techtronic Industries NA, which manufactures Ridgid products.
“For example, an air compressor that delivers 4.4 to 4.9 SCFM can typically support at least two roofing or framing nailers tools,” he says. “A unit with a 10.3 SCFM rating can support three roofing or framing nailers. Although this unit can support more tools, it is larger and is powered by a gas engine, which is noisier than an electric unit.”
Choosing an air compressor
When choosing an air compressor, the bottom line is that you need to know how many nails or staples you can fire with the air stored in the tank and the total capacity for stored air. To ensure proper performance from air tools, use tools with air-requirement ratings less than the air-delivery rate of the air compressor.
“A compressor in the four to five CFPM range generally supports 2 to 2½ men,” says James Vintzel, group product manager for air compressors, DeWalt. “A compressor with 10 CFPM will work well with five roofers. The next size range is 16 SCFM and that can support eight to nine guys working on a multi-family building”.
The larger the tank and the higher the max psi in the tank, the more nails or staples the user can fire on a peak or burst basis. “This is a key point, as crews do not fire at a constant rate,” Vintzel says.
In the end, it comes down to how many contractors are working on the job and how many nailers or staplers or other roofing tools they are running off of the air compressor. Let this and the size of the project guide you.
