How to choose nails: types, material, length

Types of Nails
Nail Material
Nail Length

The assortment of nails can discourage the less experienced builder, so it’s better to know in advance what the nails are and what they are for. There is an opinion that it is difficult to get a reliable fastening with the help of nails, and they are much inferior to self-tapping screws and screws. But this is only a myth that can be easily dispelled by personal experience, but for this you need to find the right nails, the most suitable for performing specific works.

Types of nails

A nail is a very simple fastener, which consists of a cap, a pointed end and a rod. The latter may be of circular, pyramidal or square section. Depending on the size of each of the constituent elements, their relationship to each other, the nails may differ in purpose, and, consequently, in appearance.

To date, these are the main types of nails:

construction nail - the most common of nails, is used quite often, mainly for fastening wooden parts to each other. This is a rod with a pointed end, and the diameter of the cap is 3-4 times greater than the diameter of the rod. Another feature is the presence of protruding notches on the nail core near the cap. They are designed for better fixation in the material and improve the fit. For these products varies widely - from 1 cm to 25 cm;
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roofing nail , as its name implies, is used for roofing work, for fastening metal sheets to wooden crate. It is very similar to an ordinary construction nail, but it is distinguished by a larger cap and a larger rod diameter;
roofing nail is also mainly used for roofing, but it is suitable for attaching soft materials. Its key feature is a large cap, which is up to 6 times larger in diameter than the core;
slate nail is an exact replica of a construction nail, but it is distinguished by a large galvanized cap that protects against moisture penetration through the mounting hole under the slate sheet. The length varies widely, and its selection depends on the height of the crest of the slate wave itself;
A screw nail is easy to distinguish by the spiral grooves on the rod, thanks to which you can get a reliable connection of wooden products. Often, these nails are used for arranging wooden floors, as they provide a much more secure attachment than a normal construction nail. Moreover, fastening with a screw nail almost does not weaken with time;
The pierced nail is distinguished by a rod consisting of series-connected and truncated cones; it looks like a tooth-like profile. The joints, made with the help of such nails, are considered to be among the strongest, and it is not very easy to pull it out if necessary, and in most cases it is not possible at all without destroying the material;
The finish nail of the is almost the same as the construction nail, but its cap is much smaller, just 1.5 times the diameter of the rod. When mounting the cap is fully embedded in the material, and it becomes almost imperceptible;
The plinth nail looks like a finishing plaster, but there is a transverse notch on its core, which increases the strength of fastening;
decorative nail is used for fixing finishing materials and has a beautiful patterned cap;
finishing nail is a wire product with a semicircular head that exceeds the parameters of the rod only a little in diameter. Often the heads of such nails have a decorative coating;
The nail brackets are nails that are U-shaped, and both ends are tapered. Such products are great for attaching nets, cables;
steel nails is a type of ordinary construction nails, but they are so hard that they cannot be bent, therefore they are used when working with hard wood grades;
plastering nails can be wire or carved. The first ones are more common, and instead of a cap they have a curved L-shaped end, thanks to which it firmly holds roof shingles
; the needle-like nail is distinguished by the absence of a cap; it is used to fasten panels and some other coatings;
The harpoon nail is used to drive into the corners of brick walls;
dowels designed to be driven into concrete and brick walls;
drywall nails - special nails that have a wide cap and do not allow the material to collapse;
double-faced nail is used when erecting collapsible structures, as well as when fixing the film in greenhouses;
other .In addition, there are a number of other nails, which are used much less frequently, only in a certain area. For example, shoe nails - products with square large caps, are used in the repair of shoes. There are also horseshoe nails, ship and barge nails, glass and castle nails, the scope of which is clear from the name.

Nails can also be divided in the form of a cap .The secret cap is better because such a nail is hardly noticeable on the surface, it can be hammered flush without disturbing the structure of the material itself. If a nail with an unreported hat, then trying to drive it level with the surface can destroy it: for example, the MDF veneer coating of the plate will surely burst. It is necessary to choose a suitable variant, starting from where the nail will be driven and what needs to be fixed.

Nail material

A nail can be made of a wide variety of materials, on which the sphere of its further use depends. Many people do not think about this fundamental difference and use the same nails both inside and outside. And then often there are unpleasant situations when the nail begins to rust and stops performing its direct functions.

The simplest nails are made from black steel , but they are best used in dry rooms, since they instantly rust when in contact with moisture. Also, some builders use such nails for the construction of temporary structures: in this case, their rapid corrosion can do no harm.

To be sure that the nail will not rust and deteriorate, it is better to use products with a protective coating. So, the most popular are galvanized nails , which can withstand the effects of moisture, and at the same time not lose their appearance, not performance.

coating of brass or copper protects the nail from oxidation even in wet corrosive environments, so these products are used either in the most difficult conditions, or when you need to be 100% confident in the results. Another bonus of brass nails is that their color allows them to be used along with finishing nails, and it will not be noticeable against the background of wooden clapboard.

On sale you can find even aluminum nails .Aluminum itself is instantly oxidized in air under the influence of moisture, but aluminum oxide formed on the surface withstands all negative environmental influences, protecting all the rest of the product from them.

Nail Length

Depending on the specific case, choose nails of different lengths. So, you need to nail a thinner part to a thick one, and at the same time the length of the nail should be 2.5-4 times greater than the thickness of the part that is nailed. You can use another rule: the nail must go into the part to which it is nailed, 2/3 of its length: this is how the fastening is achieved, and the end will not stick out on the other side, being a danger. If it turned out that the length of the nail is clearly greater than the width of the two fastened parts together, then the end of the already hammered nail is bent down with a hook and driven into the surface.