The right nail for the iob

IJOW can a dealer eliminate having I lcomplaints from irate customers concemed over ugly stains that have developed on siding, decking, fencing and garden structures exposed to the elements?

Story at a Glance

Stalnless steel, hot-dlpped galvanlzed or alumlnum nalls avoid stalnlng on wood erposed to elements ...threaded shank, small head recommended...slze depends on thlckness of materlals.

WoodSidingNails

Structural Nails

Unless stainless steel, aluminum or top quality hordipped galvanized nails and screws are used, customers will probably have problems. The natural extractives in redwood and cedar and the CCA or ACA chemicals in pressure treated wood can react with metal to cause corrosion and rust stains on wood. Nails that are electro coated, mechanical plated or hot galvanized by the tumbling process have thin or uneven protective coatings, prone to rust.

Stainless steel is the most effective of the three types recommended, but it costs about four times as much. Hotdipped galvanized manufactured to ASTM A-152 standards is nearly always satisfactory. Aluminum nails are rust proof and stain proof, but because they must be made heavy enough to drive, they are not good for use on wood prone to split.

A salesperson also should recommend a slender gauge of thin shank nails with diamond blunt points. These features allow nails to be driven close to the edge of a board without having the wood split. A threaded shank (spiral or annular) also should be recommended since this type gives S0-lC['Vo greater holding power than a smooth shank nail and keeps nails from pulling loose if a board cups.

CHARTS show the variety of sizes, lengths, gauges, shank ard head diameters that can be specified br stainless steel naib.

Small heads with a checkered or diamond pattern show up less on natural finish woods because they diffract the sunlight. The pattern also helps the paint to adhere to the nail head if the finished structur€ is painted. A small head allows both face nailing and blind nailing for tongue and groove siding.

The size of nail used is determined by the thickness of the material to be fastened. On horizontal siding, the length should be long enough to penetrate l-ll2" into the studs or wood sheathing and studs combined. On vertical siding, an 8d nail for ll2" minimum thickness plywood or l" nominal thickness lumber sheathing is adequate.

The size of nail used with pressul€ treated wood also depends on the head thickness of the material. To hold the length must allow for suffrcient penetration. For fastening decking to 2" dimension framing lumber, lOd or 12d is recommended. Decking screws, lag screws, carriage bolts and specialty connectors such as joist hangers, hinges and post anchors also should be hot-dipped or made from stainless steel for use with pressure treated lumber.

The time spent in helping the customer select the proper fasteners for his project will pay off in satisfaction for both him and the store.