Putting down roofing felt to resist wind for a couple months

[Jackson Landers]

Finally recovered from some tendon injuries that prevented me from swinging a hammer all fall and winter (or doing much of anything else with that arm), I am back to work on my little 10x18 gable-roofed workshop.

I am hoping that someone can give me their 2 cents on the specs for putting down tar paper in such a manner that it will resist wind for at least a few months.  This warm spell we're having here in Virginia will only last a few days and I won't have time to put on shingles before it turns cold again. I've had very bad luck with wind ripping the stuff off before and I don't want to repeat that. I've got to plan for the possibility of not being able to do any more roofing until early April or so.

This time, I am using the more pricey button-capped nails that I should have used before. Can anyone tell me what kind of minimum spacing I should use between the nails?  Any other ideas about what I should do differently from a typical felt installation that only has to last a few days in the weather?  This is for a rafter-framed gabled roof that is about a 12-in-12 pitch with 2 off-set layers of 3/8 plywood sheathing (total of 3/4" thick).

[MountainDon]

Use the button cap nails for sure. Along the edge where the wind could get under leave no more than 12 inches between nails; I did approx 6 - 8 inches along the edges and overlaps. I don't know if that was overkill but it stayed in place through some windy weather.   #30 felt is what I used.

[JRR]

I recommend laying a continuous 1/4" bead of PL (brand) Roofing and Flashing Sealant under the edges of the felt ... about 2" from outside edge.  Then do your nailing.  (In fact, I use only daubs of the sealant instead of nailing)  This sealant is very tenacious and will do much to keep the outside edges from flapping in the breeze.  Available at Home Depot in paint depart.  Its rare and, unfortunately it only comes in the small 14 oz tubes.  Be sure to press down hard on the felt to make sure the sealant spreads out far and "penetrates" the felt.

[Rover]

I have it over the sheathing of the exterior walls to get thru the whole winter.  It kept ripping till I used strips and any piece of scrap lumber nailed to the face.  It's working.  I'll just pull off the strips in Spring when I do the cedar shakes.

[Redoverfarm]

Button nails are the choice for builders.  Others may use furring strips to cover the edges.  I have been weaned on felt paper and have switched to "Titanium Felt" .  The nailing pattern on it is every 12" horizontal and every 6" verticle.   

[FrankInWI]

I bought bundles of "lathe" type sticks and used them on the edges.  I'd do that....and since the tar paper would be weathered when i take off the strips (to lay down the shingles...) I'd put a fresh layer of tar paper over the first... off set to not match seams of course.

[ScottA]

I read somewhere that you can use string run along the edges and tacked down with roofing nails.

[Jackson Landers]

Both string and lathe strips sound like very good solutions. I've got a lot of thin strips of plywood scrap that I haven't found any other use for and I think I'll use those for that purpose. Thanks for the ideas!