Construction nails are the most popular fasteners. To hang a picture, hang trim and baseboards, you need to know how to drive a nail correctly. Everywhere you look you see these little metal soldiers holding various parts. Not a single one will pass by them.
Construction nails, finishing nails, slate nails and many others
No matter how simple the fastening elements may seem at first glance, they have three components: a head, a tenon and an end; they come in a square section or in the form of a pyramidal cross. The body and head of the nail may have different sizes And various shapes. Variations of these parameters determine the specific purposes and required installation equipment. In the Soviet Union, there was a GOST for construction nails No. 4028-63, which indicated the quantity in the package, their size and design. It is also currently used in production.
Purpose of nails and their basic configuration:
- Simple construction nail. Its length ranges from 12 to 250 mm, the cap is several times larger than the diameter of the iron rod. On the body of the fastener near the head there are transverse protruding notches that help it hold tighter in the material;
- Screw nail. It was named, as you may have guessed, by the type of rod, the outer surface of which is made in the shape of a spiral. The strength of the connection with such a nail increases. Often such nails have square section. When swelling, these fasteners do not come out of the material on their own. A screw nail is practically a screw.
- Comb nail. Its body can be imagined in the form of truncated cones connected in series; from the side it has a jagged profile. Just like the previous copy, it has high connection strength. Such fasteners are used in the manufacture of Euro-pallets or similar structures that require a rigid bond and high strength;
- Finishing nail. It differs from a simple nail design in that it has a reduced head diameter - only 1.5 times the diameter of the shank. When installing structures, the cap is driven into the material, as a result of which the cap is practically invisible. Often in practice, simple construction nails are used, after first biting off the head of them. But such a “scheme” reduces the strength of the fastening, since the material will be held in place only by friction forces and without using the cap as a support;
- Tar paper nails- nails with a larger flat head. In construction it is used when installing roofs. They have huge caps, 5-7 times larger than the diameter of the body, which helps not to damage roofing material(roofing felt, roofing felt) and increases the pressing area. When using such nails, it is better to play it safe and place it under a rubber gasket. This will further increase the strength of the connection, reduce damage to the material and prevent the penetration of water;
- Slate nails. Essentially, the design of ordinary nails is the same, but they have a huge galvanized head and are attached to the main head of the nail, which prevents water from getting under the slate.
According to the shape of the head, all nails are divided into two types: with a non-concealed and a secret head. Hidden hat, of course, better, it sits flush in the material, creating smooth surface. If you drive a nail with a simple head, there may be noticeable structural disturbances in place of the material, that is, they will be visible, or, as in the case of an MDF board, it may even burst.
Galvanized and aluminum nails
The material used for nails can be very diverse. It all depends on the conditions and purposes of use of the nail. Buyers usually don't think about it when using it outside the house where the nails will rust. A rusty nail does not perform its main function. Therefore, it is better to choose simple construction nails made of galvanized or black steel.
Galvanized nails designed for use in buildings, they are less susceptible to corrosion, which prevents terrible rust spots on the material. “Dark” nails are recommended for installing temporary structures, as they will oxidize when interacting with moisture.
To solve rust problems, you can store the nails in oil or dip them before driving them in. into oil. Thanks to this, the nail will fit into the structure more easily and will not rust, and when driven into wood, the fibers will swell due to oil, which will lead to better fastening.
Brass nails. Such fastening material has high anti-corrosion properties and resists oxidation well in aggressive environments. Thanks to their unique color, they fit well against the background of wooden panels.
No matter how funny it may sound at first glance, there is also aluminum nails. Aluminum itself oxidizes surprisingly quickly, but the aluminum oxide obtained as a result of interaction with oxygen is very resistant to environment. It is not affected by water or acids. That is why aluminum nails, along with brass ones, are recommended to be used for exterior finishing buildings.
How to hammer a nail correctly?
Any man should be able to hammer a nail. Many people think that they need to hit the hat with a hammer and that’s it, but there are no less tricks in this matter than there are wisdom in oriental fairy tale. Here are a couple of tips that will be useful to every man:
- When fastening two materials, do not forget that the nail must enter the body of the lower part by 2/3 of its length. The same rule is used when driving nails into a wall. For installation hanging structures The nail needs to be driven in, slightly tilting its head towards the ceiling. This way, when loaded, the nail will stay better in the wall.
- If you are installing a wooden floor, then nails are driven straight into the first board, and into each subsequent one a little at an angle, deviating the head from the already nailed floorboard. Entering the tree, the nail will pull each subsequent board towards the previous one, reducing the gap between them. This rule applies to the installation of any structures.
Construction, roofing, screw, finishing - how to choose the most suitable ones from this variety of nails to perform a specific construction task?
Recently, there has been a widespread belief that fastening with nails is unreliable, so when performing installation work should be given preference .
I dare to assure you that the correctly selected nails will ensure your design highest quality fasteners, not inferior in any way, and in some characteristics - even surpassing the vaunted self-tapping screws.
Types of nails
The most convenient and logical is the classification of nails depending on their purpose.
Building the nail is perhaps the most common species fasteners Designed to be interconnected wooden parts and fastening structures made from them.
It is a rod with a pointed end, with reverse side which has a cap with a diameter 3-4 times larger than the thickness of the rod.
On the nail shaft, next to the head, there are protruding transverse notches that strengthen the fit of the nail in the material. The length of the rod can vary over a very wide range - from 10 to 250 mm.
Roofing the nail, as its name suggests, is used when performing roofing works, providing fastening of metal roofing sheets to the wood from which the sheathing is made. Outwardly, it is very similar to a construction nail, differing from it in its head, which has a much larger diameter, and a thicker shaft.
Tolevy a nail is needed to attach soft roofing materials to the roof sheathing. It has a large flat head, the diameter of which is 5-6 times the thickness of the nail. Thanks to large area pressure, roofing felt and roofing felt, secured with such nails, do not tear.
Slate the nail repeats the design one to one and appearance construction nail, the only difference is a large galvanized cap that protects the roof from moisture penetration through mounting hole in the sheet. The higher the wave crest of the slate sheet, the longer the slate nail should be.
Screw the nail has a rod on the surface of which spiral grooves are applied. Used for reliable connection of wooden parts, regardless of whether the wood from which they are made dries out or swells.
Another type of hardware that provides super-strong connection of parts is rough or comb nail. Thanks to the special shape of the pin, reminiscent of jagged cones connected in a sequence, a ribbed nail tightly fastens parts and structures together.
It holds so tightly that removing it from the construction material, if necessary, is associated with significant difficulties - pulling out a comb nail already driven into the material is almost impossible.
For fastening platbands, skirting boards and others decorative elements fits perfectly baseboard and finishing nails. Both have a reduced head that is recessed into the material, and the core of the plinth nail is also equipped with a transverse notch for better fixation of the nail in the material.
With or without protective coating
Using black steel nails that do not have protective coating, is justified only in the case of fastening wooden parts and structures inside dry, moisture-protected rooms or for the construction of temporary structures made of wood.
If moisture gets on the surface of such a nail, corrosion processes of the metal begin and the nail quickly becomes covered with a layer of rust.
To protect nails from corrosion, their surface is coated with a layer of zinc, aluminum, brass or copper. Such nails are not afraid of water and moisture, therefore, only nails with a protective coating are used for exterior decoration of buildings.
Good luck with your choice!
Lathing is a system of boards and beams that acts as a base for roofing materials. Like any other foundation, it must be rigid and stable. It’s quite easy to create such a design, the main thing is to choose quality material and fasteners. Developers most often prefer nails as the latter. Since the cross-section of lumber is different, the size of the nails for the sheathing will vary. After reading this article, you will learn how to choose the optimal length of hardware.
Lathing requirements
Before considering the types of lathing, you need to remember or learn about the features of its creation.
- All lumber included in the composition roofing system must be impregnated with antiseptics and fire retardants. These solutions protect the structure of lumber from rotting and all kinds of organisms, and also increase the degree of ignition of wood.
- When harvesting lumber, it is very important to examine them for defects. At this stage, chips, cracks, surfaces with knots and similar problems are identified. At the time of installation, it is very important that the moisture content of the wood does not exceed 22 percent, since when it dries, a warping process may begin, which will damage not only the sheathing system, but also the entire roofing pie.
- The type of wood should not be very dense, so as not to create excessive pressure on the Mauerlat and on the building as a whole. But at the same time very important parameter is strength.
- Sheathing elements are usually attached to the rafters using nails. The use of self-tapping screws in some cases may be impractical, since screwing them into some types of wood causes cracks to form.
- The length of the hardware is selected based on the length of the board + a third of the entire length. Only thanks to such values can a nail connection be considered reliable.
- You can work with wood only in dry, sunny weather; its humidity again depends on this.
Now, let's study lathing for different roofing coverings.
Continuous sheathing for sheet roofing materials
If you have ever encountered sheet materials, you know that bending them is quite difficult due to their high rigidity. But in the construction industry it is not uncommon to find materials that lack it. These products include thin metal sheets. For their installation, a continuous sheathing is used, although with greater rigidity they could be laid on a loose sheathing. 
This lathing is created from edged boards, its minimum thickness is 25 millimeters. As for the width, it should in no case exceed 14 centimeters. All lumber at the time of construction must be dry and processed protective compounds. In case the step rafter legs is 1 meter and the mounted board bends under the weight of your body, then you will have to create a two-layer system.
The two-layer sheathing is created by installing additional bars, which are attached to the rafter legs, parallel to the ridge. The cross-section of these elements should be approximately 50x50 millimeters, possibly larger. After this layer, the next one is laid; it is placed on top of these bars diagonally or vertically.
Sheathing nails in in this case should be twice as large as the board being nailed, for example, if you plan to install a board 25 millimeters thick, then hardware with a length of 50 millimeters will suit you.
Roofing felt or roofing glassine is often laid on top of such sheathing. These materials help level the roofing surface and act as additional waterproofing. Their laying should be done using the “overlapping” technology. It is worth noting that the resulting base will not only meet the requirements, but also be suitable for almost all types of roofing materials, for example, metal tiles, corrugated sheets, thick seam panels, asbestos cement sheets, Euroslate and soft tiles. Such a dense roofing pie has excellent sound insulation, which is important feature when creating roofs from metal coatings.
Lathing for metal tiles
This material is created from rolled steel, and thanks to its peculiar bends, the rigidity parameter is set. Create a sheathing for of this material possible in two ways. As you probably guessed, the differences will lie solely in the types; it can be sparse or solid. 
A solid sheathing is created according to the same principle as a discharged sheathing, but at the end OSB panels or moisture-resistant plywood are laid. This way you have a smooth, flat base, but you don't have enough underlayment to make a good pie. As for the discharged sheathing, we will have to look into it in more detail.
The material for lathing under metal tiles is often boards with a cross-section of 30x100 millimeters, provided that the rafter spacing is 80-100 centimeters. If the distance between the rafter legs is less than the specified range, the thickness of the board can be reduced to 25 millimeters. A special feature of creating such a base is a hydrobarrier made of anti-condensation material.
IMPORTANT: If in the future you plan to install snow holders, then I advise you to make a continuous sheathing, as this will not only increase the strength of the entire structure, but will also make it easier to attach additional roofing elements.
Lathing for rebated covering
As long as metal roofs began to gain popularity, many developers became interested in the seam connection. It gives the roofing carpet almost complete waterproofing, and to maintain such a roof you only have to check the joints. Minimum slope for installation of a seam roof is 3-14 degrees. It is allowed to create both types of sheathing as a base, but in complex roofing areas it is better to make a continuous one.
Straight steel sheet bends under its own weight, so you cannot make mistakes in the calculations when selecting the optimal pitch of the sheathing elements. Otherwise, the situation described earlier may arise. The most commonly used lumber is timber with a cross-section of 50x50 millimeters or boards 32x100 millimeters. These elements are arranged from the cornice to the ridge in increments of 30-40 centimeters. As vapor barrier material Any product with anti-condensation properties can be installed. 
The entire installation process must begin from the eaves overhang. The first board is taken wider and thicker than usual. Nails are used as fastening elements for installing wood. Cornice zone, zones adjacent to vertical elements, the ridge and valley are laid in a continuous manner at a distance of 60 centimeters from the element. Once the main sheathing is completed, auxiliary lumber is attached to it, which serves as the basis for snow supports, bridges and the like.
IMPORTANT: To protect both metal coating, and wood elements, the latter are treated with antiseptics or fire retardants, and in some cases painted with drying oil.
Lathing for corrugated asbestos-cement sheets
Asbestos-cement sheets are called slate and you have probably encountered it more than once. This roofing material is very popular among Russian developers, as it meets all requirements and is extremely cheap for this segment of goods. Distinctive feature This product is harmful, but when painting the surface, it becomes insignificant.
Thanks to the wavy body, the material has very good rigidity, so it can be laid on a discharged type of base. The pitch of the elements will depend on the location of the rafter legs, climatic conditions, temporary and permanent load. For a standard slate sheet of 120x68 centimeters, a lathing is suitable, the pitch of the elements of which is 50 centimeters, with a cross-section of the bar 50x50 millimeters. As for large sheets, the distance between the bars can be greater, about 80 centimeters. But do not forget about increasing the cross-section of lumber to 75x75 millimeters. 
If you find it difficult to create a sheathing with an optimal pitch, then the distance can be calculated in another way. For reliable support of the asbestos sheet, three points are enough. If the selection was carried out in this particular way, then one nuance will have to be included here. When installing bars, each even element is located above the odd ones.
Lathing for bitumen shingles
To date bitumen shingles has a fairly large number of varieties, so you can’t just pass by such a product. To create a base for soft pitched roof continuous lathing is used. The most suitable materials for this purpose the following are considered:
- Moisture-resistant plywood
- OSB boards
- tongue and groove boards
All the materials described above do their job well, but you will have to tinker with the boards. The point is to create level base on large areas extremely difficult, however, such a foundation will meet all the requirements.
It is best to take lumber for the foundation coniferous species, the humidity of which does not exceed 20%. Before starting work, you should distribute the products according to thickness so that there are no sudden changes. The width of the lumber should in no case exceed 150 millimeters; as for the thickness, it is selected based on the location and pitch of the rafter legs.
It would seem that it could be simpler than an ordinary nail. However, the question how to choose nails” is asked not only by novice home craftsmen, but also by experienced craftsmen.
The variety of nails confuses many, although absolutely all nails are a metal rod, pointed on one side and with a head on the other. Nails can easily be called the oldest and most common fastening element, but nails do not lose their relevance. Applicable this type hardware for permanent connection between different wooden elements and designs.
Most often, nails are made from solid wire, but forged and stamped nails are also produced. It all depends on the material and scope of their application.
Variety of types by application
When wondering how to choose nails, you should first of all know what elements they are needed to fasten. The variety of types in terms of application is extensive; depending on this, the following types are distinguished:
Special Applications
The above types of nails are used specifically in construction or finishing, but there are also nails used in strictly defined areas. This includes glass (for fastening glass in frames), decorative, plaster, shoe, and horseshoe nails. Special areas of use are clear from the names.
The aesthetic appearance of the parts being connected will also depend on how to choose nails based on the type of head. It can be secret, which is driven in flush with the surface of the material, or regular - when driven in, a trace is left from breaking the structure of the wood itself.
Material of manufacture
Knowing how to choose nails, you can’t go wrong with the material from which they are made. The material used is most often black or galvanized steel wire. “Black” nails begin to rust when in contact with moisture almost immediately, so they are used for temporary structures where metal oxidation and rusty streaks are not important. Galvanization on nails allows them to be used in internal works– they retain their properties for a long time, do not rust and ultimately do not leave traces of rust.
Copper plating or brass coating protects the nail material even better than galvanizing. These metals are even more resistant to various aggressive environments, in addition, brass nails look invisible against the background of the natural color of wood, which allows them to be used instead of finishing nails.
The length of the nail is also an important factor. It is selected for each specific case based on the thickness of the parts being fastened. How to choose nails according to their length? For a quality connection, the nail must be driven into the part to which it is attached at least 2/3 of its length.
It's universal fastener, who will help fix the roof, hang the sofa, and hang the picture in place. And some especially hardworking owners manage to drive these products even into concrete. Therefore, we will not bore you with background stories for a long time and will simply tell you how to choose nails in order to make the task of installing them as easy as possible, to make the fasteners durable, and most importantly simple.
How to choose the right nails?
Many people say that fasteners created with nails will be unreliable, and that it is much better to use self-tapping screws. However, this is not the case. If you choose these fasteners correctly, they will give a head start to many modern methods fasteners
- Construction nails. The most frequent guest of many structures. Used for fastening wooden parts. To improve the strength of the fastener, the rod has notches that improve adhesion to the material.
- Roofing. With this type of nails everything is simple; they are used for roofing if the structure underneath is made of wood. The shaft of such a nail will be larger than that of a construction nail, as well as the diameter of the head.
- Tolevye. This type of fastening elements is also used for roofing, but unlike the previous ones, its purpose is roofing felt, roofing felt. The relevance of using these particular nails is that they allow you to firmly secure the material over large areas and prevent it from tearing.
- Slate nails. They look very similar to construction ones, but have a larger diameter cap, which is galvanized and reliably protected from corrosion. The same cap prevents moisture from getting inside the house, ideal for slate and wavy sheet materials roofs.
- Screw. Such nails are used for “capricious” types of wood that can shrink or swell. The nails have helical notches on the shaft, providing reliable adhesion to any wood, thanks to which the structure of the tree is not disturbed, and the strength of the fastener is maximum.
- Comb (ruffed). For super-strong adhesion to wood, it can be used to fasten elements together for centuries, and to pull out such a nail even after many years you will have to make a lot of effort; it will be easier to pull it out along with the rotten wood...
- Finishers. The name speaks for itself; most often these are decorative nails, which are used for finishing cladding, securing cornices, plastic, and baseboards. The head allows you to completely recess the nail into the surface so as not to make snags.
To choose the right nail, you should also pay attention to the material from which it is made. Galvanized nails, brass, and copper are protected from corrosion, moisture and aggressive environments; they are suitable for external structures. Black nails - for indoor work.
