NAILS: A simple question???

[Terry King]

...you can tell I'm building something 'cause I got lotsa questions!

This one: What's the best type of nail to use in freshly-cut hemlock? This is mostly for floorboards; the frame is post&beam. Also will be for SOME small framing for siding, and for roof purlins before metal roofing.

Are Galvanized common nails needed or desireable? I got one opinion that said "The wood is going to dry and stay dry and the common nails will rust just a bit and then they'll grab better than the galvanized. What's your experience / opinion??

The nails look OK on a small shed I built with common nails, but this is more important to me.

Thanks!

[Phil Crow]

Well, I don't know from rusted common nails, but I know that if you can get a galvanized ring shank nail to even *sink* into wood (I could barely drive them through T111 into fir 2x4--they were 8d and I bent 2 for every one I drove) that that sumbitch ain't NEVER COMING OUT. Never.

Other than that, for 2x framing (never done Post & Beam) I use common nails just because galvanized are harder to drive. If you've got time and patience, hot-dipped galvanized (not electro-plated) hold much better, IME.

However, if you're relying on a nail to keep 2 pieces of wood from literally pulling apart, you should be using a screw or a lag bolt or a drilled hole with a bolt and nut (with washers).

Hope I didn't serve to confuse you further. Good luck.

-Phil Crow