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Whether your project is as simple as installing window blinds or as complex as hanging a sculpture from a masonry wall, you’ll need to use the right fasteners to get the job done right. Learn:

The basics of nails, screws, bolts, wall anchors, glues, cements, and more
Which fasteners are designed for which home improvement jobs
What tools you’ll need to work with each type of fastener

Nails

Handmade nails date back to the ancient Romans, who formed iron into narrow shafts with a flat head on one end and a point on the other. By the mid-18th century, industrial machines produced tapered cut nails made from flat sheets of iron or steel. And by the beginning of the 20th century, steel round-body nails, similar to what we use today, became available.

Basic Types of Nails

Although there are many different kinds of nails, three types in particular are most widely used:

Common nails: Generally sold in lengths from 1–6", common nails are used for joining all types of wood pieces, from rough lumber to the plywood panels on floor and roof decks. These nails hold so well because the body and head are made of thick steel. However, they can be somewhat difficult to drive.
Box nails: These nails are easier to drive than common nails because their shafts and heads are thinner. To improve their holding power, box nails are coated with resins that are activated by the heat from driving the nail or the natural moisture in wood.
Finishing nails: These nails are designed for finer tasks—such as installing interior wood trim, making picture frames, or applying delicate moldings to furniture pieces—that don’t require the holding power of common or box nails. Finishing nails have relatively narrow shafts and small heads so are easy to drive. And their heads can be set (driven) below the wood surface without causing any significant damage. Once the heads are covered with wood filler, the nails become practically invisible.

Nail Sizes

Common, box, and finishing nails are sold by weight and length. In the United States, length is usually designated by a penny size that’s abbreviated with a small letter d. So, for example, at the hardware store you might see a one-pound box of 10d common nails. The following diagram shows the inch measurements of different penny-size nails.

The use of the term “penny” goes back to the old English custom of selling nails in units of 100. Since larger nails weigh more, they cost more in pence (or pennies). Although the penny designation is still used today, it’s becoming outmoded, and more nails are simply listed by actual length.

Hammers

As with nails, there are many types of hammers, but three basic types will handle just about any job.

8-oz claw hammer: This lightweight hammer has an 8-oz steel head with a curved claw for pulling nails and a 10" or 11" handle, usually made out of hickory. It’s designed for small nails, such as 4d and 6d finishing nails, brads, and decorative tacks used in upholstery.
16-oz claw hammer: This is the default homeowner’s hammer, with a 16-oz head, 13" steel or fiberglass handle, and powerful claw that can remove just about any nail. It can drive everything from small finishing nails to 60d spikes with little trouble.
Framing hammer: This oversized hammer has a heavy head (20–28 oz) and typically a 16" handle. It’s designed primarily for framing wood houses—its extra weight and handle length let carpenters drive 16d nails in just three or four swings. The straight claw also makes this hammer a good demolition tool. Although a wood handle does absorb most of the nailing shock, solid steel models, in which the head and handle are one piece, are popular because they’re nearly indestructible.

Nail Sets

Finishing nails have small heads, just barely wider than the body of the nail, so they can be set below the surface of the wood and covered with wood filler. The tool for setting these heads is called a nail set. This hardened, machined-steel tool is about 4–5" long and usually has a tip with a diameter of 1/32" to 3/32". To use a nail set:

First, drive the nail until it’s about 1/16" above the surrounding surface.
Place the tip of the nail set squarely on the head of the nail.
Strike the nail set to drive the head below the surface.

Types of Specialty Nails

A wide variety of specialty nails are available for a whole host of applications. Here are some of the most common types that you might need.

Galvanized Nails

Galvanized nails are designed to resist oxidation (rusting). The galvanizing process coats the nails with a layer of zinc that prevents moisture from reaching the steel underneath. Standard galvanized nails are used on wood decks, siding, exterior trim, and other outdoor applications. In addition, some specialty fasteners, such as gutter installation spikes, are typically galvanized.

The lowest level of protection is achieved with zinc plating; the next best galvanizing treatment is hot-dipping the whole nail in molten zinc. And the most effective form of galvanization involves double hot-dipping the whole nail.

Roofing Nails

Roofing nails are used for installing and repairing asphalt roofing, including felt, shingles, and roll roofing. Usually available in four lengths—1", 1 1/4", 1 1/2", and 2"—roofing nails are galvanized to reduce rusting and also allow for long-term, rust-free storage. The appropriate nail length to use depends on the thickness of the roofing that you’re installing. For a single layer of asphalt shingles, a 1 1/4" nail is usually best, as it will extend at least 1/4" below the bottom of typical 1/2"-thick plywood sheathing. For two layers of shingles, 1 1/2" nails are preferred.

Drywall Nails

Drywall nails are made of steel and have very sharp points (to penetrate drywall paper easily) and raised rings on half the shaft length (to grip framing members securely). Usually available in lengths from 1 1/4" to 2" (in 1/8" increments), these nails are driven every 6" along the edges and every 8" in the middle of drywall sheets. Standard 1/2"-thick drywall panels require 1 1/4" nails so at least 3/4" of nail penetrates the framing. For 3/4"-thick panels, 1 1/2" nails are required.

Siding Nails

Like drywall nails, siding nails are made of steel and have raised rings on the shaft for superior grip in wood framing members. Unlike most drywall nails, though, siding nails have rust-inhibiting galvanized coatings—the best results from double-dipping in molten zinc. Siding nails are available in 1–3" lengths, with 2 1/2" nails typically the best choice for installing standard wood clapboard siding. Because the heads of siding nails are meant to be left exposed, they have a checked surface that holds paint better than smooth nail heads would.

Masonry Nails

Made from hardened steel, masonry nails are designed to attach wood components, such as furring strips and wall plates, to concrete walls and floors and cinder block walls. Commonly available in lengths from 3/4" up to 4", these nails should penetrate the concrete at least 3/4" to provide a secure grip. Although designs do vary somewhat, most masonry nails have ribbed shafts to improve their holding power. Always wear safety glasses or goggles when driving these nails.

Cut Nails

Cut nails are a traditional alternative to masonry nails. They have tapered rectangular shafts—instead of round shafts—that are made by cutting the nails directly from sheets of hardened steel. They come in lengths from 1 1/4" up to 4" and can be used like masonry nails to fasten wood parts to concrete floors and walls. They are also used in place of standard common nails for restoration work, especially installing pine board floors, in which the period design of the fasteners is important. As with masonry nails, always wear eye protection when driving cut nails.

Paneling Nails

Paneling nails are small nails, typically 1" or 1 5/8" long, that are used primarily for attaching plywood paneling to interior walls. They are painted different colors so that they blend into the plywood panels, eliminating the need to set the heads and fill the resulting depressions. The shafts of paneling nails are about the same diameter as those of finishing nails of the same length, but they are covered with rings to improve their holding power. Paneling nail heads are about twice the size of those of finishing nails, which also improves their holding power.

Brads

Brads are small steel nails with a bright finish that are shaped either like box nails (with thin shafts and wide heads) or like finishing nails (with thin shafts and thin heads). Commonly available in lengths from 1/2" up to 2", they are used for light-duty jobs such as assembling picture frames. Brads less than 1" long are almost impossible to start with your fingers and a typical 16-oz hammer. Instead, use needlenose pliers to hold the brad and an 8-oz claw hammer or a tack hammer to drive the brad.

Double-Headed Nails

Double-headed nails, sometimes called duplex nails, are common nails that have two heads. When the nail is driven, the first head stops on the surface, leaving the second head projecting about 1/2" above the first, where it’s easy to grip it and pull it out with a hammer claw, a nail puller, or a pry bar. Usually available in 8d, 10d, 16d, and 20d sizes, double-headed nails are used for concrete form work, scaffold-building, and other assembly jobs that require nails that both hold securely and at the same time are easy to pull out.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer

Next:
How to Work with Nails

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