Nail is a slender metal shaft that many people use to fasten wood or other exterior pieces together. It is pointed on one side and flattened on the other size. Such construction makes it easy to hammer and useful in securing one or more objects.
Nails for wood fence pickets are commonly made from stainless or aluminum steel to remain rust-free and withstand adverse weather conditions. However, no matter which material nails you use, make sure if the size is appropriate for your fence pickets.
In this article, we will help you choose the right size of nails for fence pickets.
Know-What Size Nails For Fence Pickets?
Choosing the right size nails is necessary to avoid crack, split, or damage to your fence pickets. Thus, the size makes the nails crucial to success in your fence construction.
To construct 2×4 inches rails with 5/8 inches pickets, we recommend picking two-inch nails. If you work with preassembled panels or fences, you can use 3.5 to 4 inches long nails.
Alternatively, you can choose 1-1.5 inches of nails to secure the fence pickets. This nail size may take longer to apply, but it is adequate to hold the fences. However, you should use a nail gun to pin the nails into the pickets without causing any harm.
You need to remember that if you do not follow the correct nail size, the nails will protrude out of the fence pickets, which is not good at all. Besides, you must use coated, galvanized, or stainless nails no matter what nail size you choose to avoid rust or corrosion.
What Are The Different Types Of Nails
There are many nails for fence pickets, but picking the right one is not easy without a better understanding of each type. Here, we have discussed different types of nails for construction.
Nail Point Shape
While looking at the nail shapes, you will discover their unique forms. The blunt point nails are harder to drive, but these do not split the fence pickets. Diamond point nails are the most commonly used ones because they are easy to drive. But, they tend to break the rail if you do not work carefully.
Nail Head
Different nails come with a unique head shape: round-headed, flat-headed, checkered-headed, clipped-headed, or cupped-headed. According to your work purpose, you can choose either of them.
The round-headed nails are commonly used for constructing or fastening two objects together. For its shape, it makes good contact with a hammer but ends up creating an uneven finish on the surface.
The flat-headed nails come in a larger shape than the others. Compared to the round-headed ones, these are easy to work with and relatively less risky to break the workpieces.
The checkered-headed nails have raised pattern that does not allow the hammer to slip off the nail while hitting.
The cupped-headed and the clipped-headed nails are relatively smaller sized. The cupped-headed nails are most likely to fill the nail holes and make a smoother finish. And lastly, the clipped-headed ones stay collated closely together in a row.
Read more about making a hole in metal without a drill.
Nails Shanks
There is a variation among the nail types for their shanks. The spiral shank nails rotate while driving the screw and stay put. However, they are suitable for hardwoods, not for softwoods. You can choose ring shanks for softwood because they remain locked with the wood fibers and provide excellent holding. The smooth shanks are also easy to drive through, but they are easy to pull out.
Final Words
Hopefully, you will no more be confused about what size nails for fence pickets will be suitable for you. Purchasing the correct size nails is necessary for your DIY projects. Therefore, you need to choose the size compatible with your fence pickets if you do not want to face any loss.
Besides, try choosing rust-resistant material. Otherwise, your project will be shattered by time, no matter what size nails you choose.
Related post: How To Drill Through Metal With A Hand Drill?
Hi, my name is Gabrielle. I have been into Automotive Industry for over 15 years. If you’re anything like me, then building, maintaining and improving your Automotive Industry/Projects is all part of the Automotive experience.
My goal with this blog is to share my experience with and help you discover new and exciting things about Automotive.