Nails
Construction Nails
Round Wire Nails
Planet Earth's most popular nails.
- Low cost
- Quick to use
Oval Nails
As round wire nails, but:
- Less likely to split wood
- Cost a bit more
Ring Shanked Nails
- More resistance to pullout.
- Used for wooden flooring
Brads
Masonry Nails
These can be hammered into masonry, unlike most other nails. They are hardened steel.
There is one problem with these. The masonry is hard, and does not want to be nailed. The Nail is hardened, and does not want to bend. Something has to give. What usually happens is the nail flies off repeatedly at unpredictable angles and at high speed. Eye protection is a must.
Some of the time they fly away with almost no resistance, so the travelling hammer head continues onto your fingers at almost full speed. Bear in mind these nails need to be hit relatively hard to get anywhere, and you can see why masonry nails are unpopular.
The solution is easy enough. Always hold the nail in pliers, always use eyewear, and don't let anyone without eyewear in the room when you're nailing.
Using pliers gets your hands out the way, and it also impedes the flying habit of the nails. They will still fly sometimes, but the friction from the pliers makes them fly slow instead of going off like unguided missiles.
Hammering a hardened nail hard against a hard substrate is also a recipe for splintering of the hammer head, another good reason for eyewear.
Bent Nails
One trick for fixing to masonry is to drill a pilot hole and knock in a bent nail. The more bends in the nail, the better it'll grip.
- Very effective for loads at 90 degrees
- Pullout load resitance is lower
- At last a use for 1% of those bent nails
Screws
Screws can also be used as nails.
- Damage the wood to some extent
- Good pullout resistance compared to most nails
- Harder to drive
- Prime app is nailing down chipboard flooring. The soft chip makes them hammerinnable, and the pullout resistance helps avoid creaking and lifted boards.
Staples
U shaped nails and [ shaped nails
- Used primarily for wire fencing
Cut Clasp Nails
- Cut from sheet metal
- Tapered sides
- Better grip in softer materials
Square Twist Nails
- Improved pullout resistance in spingy materials such as wood
Lost Head Nails
Grooved Nail
- Less weight per nail
Spiral Nails
Look like twist drill bits
- High pullout resistance in soft springy materials such as wood
Collated Nails
For nailguns
Nail Plates
A metal plate with many spikes formed on one side
- For wood, mainly used in roofing structures
- Extremely tough grip
- Requires a press to insert them
- Can a portable press be used?
- Can a sledgehammer be used?
Roofing Nails
Copper Nails
- Used for fixing roofing slates
- Less prone to corrosion than steel nails
- Large heads
- Cost more
- Softer metal
- Copper prevents lichen & moss growth, reducing cleaning requirements
Clout Nails
Short wide head nails
- Used for felt roofing
Cone Head Nails
Metal & plastic roofing
Spring Head Nails
Roofing
Plastic Head Nails
- Soft plastic head
- For plastic roofing
Pins
Panel Pins
Headless Pins
Special Purpose Nails
Carpet Tacks
- The thin point on carpet tacks bends over when inserted, giving pullout resistance.
- The dark head gives minimum visibility
- The sharp point goes through carpet easily.
- Tacked carpet has a vertically wavy edge.
- Tacks can pierce wires or pipes
- Tacks are cheaper to buy than gripper rod, but fitting is slower
- Gripper rod is normally preferred.
Upholstery Pins
Materials
- Most nails are BZP steel.
- Stainless steel
- Brass
- Copper
Finishes
- Galvanised
- Sheradised
- Brassed
- Coloured head
Techniques
Finger survival
Holding nails in pliers increases the mean life for fingers
Toe nailing
Used for wooden uprights in stud walls
Oversize Nails
If the only nails you've got to hand are too long, as long as the width isnt excessive and appearance doesnt matter, insert the nail to the required depth then knock the head over sideways.
See Also
Hammer Fixings
Washers
Nailer (power tool)