[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Nail A ] [ Nail B ]

 
Common bright nails

Finished: Bright B; for general construction, normal finish (not recommended for exposure to weather). Common usage: framing and construction Main advantage: common nails have low price, withstand heavy weights, drive into wood easily and have a large head.

Nails Use

Nailing is the most basic and most commonly used means of attaching members in wood frame construction. Usually, nailing is used as a structural connection and appearance is not a factor. Exceptions to this are nails used for cladding, decking and finish work, where care in the selection of the type of nail can lead to enhanced appearance.

Types of Nails

There are many types of nails and we present them in the comparison page but common nails (bright finish, smooth shank) have had the greatest popularity for many years. They are profusely used in residential and construction projects especially for framing.

In the U.S., the length of nails is designated by "penny" (abbreviated "d" as the english coin). Each increment is ¼" and 2d corresponds to one inch. So 12d is 3¼" and 20d has a lenth of 4"..

In Canada, nails are specified by the type and length and are still manufactured to Imperial dimensions. Diameter is specified by gauge number (British Imperial Standard) and is the same as the wire diameter used in manufacture.

Materials

The most common nails are made of low or medium carbon steels or aluminum. Medium-carbon steels are sometimes hardened by heat treating and quenching to increase toughness. Nails of copper, brass, bronze, stainless steel, monel and other special metals are available if specially ordered.

Uncoated steel nails used in areas subject to wetting will corrode and result in staining of the wood surface. In addition, the naturally occuring extractives in the cedars react with unprotected steel and with copper and blued or electro-galvenized fasteners. In such cases, hot-dip galvanized nails or stainless steel or copper nails should be used.

Shanks and Points

Shanks

Nail shanks are made smooth or deformed. The deformed shanks is usually spiral (or helical) or ringed.

Points

The most widely used nail point is the diamond which is a good compromise between ease of driving, minimization of splitting, and holding power.