Nails For A Cedar Fence

316 should be used in moist and humid climates while 304 works best in dry climates.

Nails for a cedar fence.

Randy wants to build his rough cut cedar fence right with no future stains but has been told that even stainless steel nails will eventually rust and that given the price difference he might as well use galvanized actually your choice of nails goes much further than that including plastic nails that i found in texas though these haven t been tested yet for our cold climate. Another option for wooden fencing is to use coated nails that can help protect the metal from rust and corrosion. That way they can order large quantities of one type of nail and use them for both cedar and pine fences. The most appropriate nail for fence rails are 16 d 3 1 2 inch nails.

Stainless steel and aluminum fasteners repel rust and last for long periods of time. Cypress is a bit more hard and weather resistant than cedar. Because the fence wood tends to expand shrink during heat cold cycles and humidity changes which cause smooth shank nails to loosen. There are two types of stainless steel fasteners available 304 and 316.

The longer nail 2 1 8 penetrates the stud farther worth noting if you re working with siding woods such as cedar that tend to warp. They also ensure easier rework should you need to replace a damaged picket. Choose hot dipped galvanized number 304 stainless steel nails that are about 1 1 4 inches longer than the thickness of your cedar fencing. Both cedar and cypress weather to a gray shade.

Most coated nails are dipped in zinc though a galvanization process. A ring shank nail has concentric ridges rings all the way down the nail s shank allowing the embedded nail to grip the wood so firmly that it is tough to pull out. Any nail used in fencing should be ring shank or equivalent. In general though the thickness of the siding determines the length of the nail.

Fences that are constructed from redwood or cedar are particularly well suited for aluminum nails. The western red cedar association wrca recommends. Screws on the other hand secure the fence better than nails. This uses 21º plastic collated full head framing nails though it can work with any nail from 20º 22º.

They have annular rings to prevent pullout in high wind areas. For fence projects try the 1 3 4 cedar fence nails. Nails and screws that are for use outdoors must be able to withstand rain snow heat and cold. The truth is many fence installation companies only stock aluminum spiral cut nails.

You can use both nails and screws on a wood fence some builders attach the pickets to the backer rails with nails then attach the backer rails panels to the posts using screws. In a nutshell the more galvanized the nail the more zinc there is for protection.