Nails For A Cedar Fence

The western red cedar association wrca recommends.

Nails for a cedar fence.

The most appropriate nail for fence rails are 16 d 3 1 2 inch nails. Both cedar and cypress weather to a gray shade. In a nutshell the more galvanized the nail the more zinc there is for protection. You can fit in nails from 2 to 3 inches and the magazine can fit in 55 nails at a time.

Because the fence wood tends to expand shrink during heat cold cycles and humidity changes which cause smooth shank nails to loosen. Stainless steel and aluminum fasteners repel rust and last for long periods of time. 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. That way they can order large quantities of one type of nail and use them for both cedar and pine fences.

Most coated nails are dipped in zinc though a galvanization process. There are two types of stainless steel fasteners available 304 and 316. Choose hot dipped galvanized number 304 stainless steel nails that are about 1 1 4 inches longer than the thickness of your cedar fencing. Screws on the other hand secure the fence better than 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 general though the thickness of the siding determines the length of the nail. This uses 21º plastic collated full head framing nails though it can work with any nail from 20º 22º. They also ensure easier rework should you need to replace a damaged picket.

Nails and screws that are for use outdoors must be able to withstand rain snow heat and cold. The wrong size nail can cause splitting and panels to come loose from the posts. 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. Fences that are constructed from redwood or cedar are particularly well suited for aluminum nails.

For fence projects try the 1 3 4 cedar fence nails. They have annular rings to prevent pullout in high wind areas. Any nail used in fencing should be ring shank or equivalent. The truth is many fence installation companies only stock aluminum spiral cut nails.

316 should be used in moist and humid climates while 304 works best in dry climates. Cypress is a bit more hard and weather resistant than cedar.