How to Choose the Right Nails for Your Project

Common nails work for general fastening projects, including construction work like framing and structural assemblies, as well as woodworking projects. These nails are best for fastening jobs where the strength of the nail matters more than the appearance. A common nail has a round head and a sturdy shank that provides strength.

Like common nails, framing nails are also used for framing projects and craft projects. You'll often find these collated for use in framing nailers. They may have smooth, ring or spiral shanks, and depending on the type of nailer they work with, will have round or clipped heads.

Box nails have a design like common nails but with a narrower shank. This smaller diameter reduces the likelihood of splitting the wood components as you drive the nail. It also means the nails don't have the strength of common nails, so they aren't appropriate for structural applications.

Sinker nails typically have a checkered head that helps prevent the hammer from sliding off the nailhead. The heads are designed to drive flush with the work piece. The shank on a sinker nail will often be coated with vinyl to make the nail easier to drive and to make it hold better, but the coating doesn't provide corrosion resistance.

Like sinker nails, deck nails often have a checkered head for better contact with the hammer. They may have smaller diameter shafts to minimize splitting. The shanks often feature rings or a spiral flute to help hold the nail in place. Deck nails have a corrosion-resistant finish that allows then to be used outdoors and with treated lumber.

Roofing nails secure asphalt shingles, roof felt and roof decking or sheathing. Since they're exposed to the elements, they may be made of aluminum or have a finish that protects against corrosion. Some feature a gasket under the head to create a weather-resistant seal. Roofing nails have larger than usual heads for their shank diameter, and the ringed or spiraled shanks are sturdier than usual for their length.

Masonry nails fasten wood to brick, mortar, concrete block or uncured concrete. They're made from hardened steel to allow driving into these materials. Some are cut to a flat, angular shape. Extruded masonry nails are usually short and thick, with round, fluted or grooved shanks. The flutes spin the nail as it's driven, making it easier to drive.

Siding nails secure wood and fiber cement siding to a structure. Since they're exposed to the elements, they're made of corrosion-resistant material or have a corrosion-resistant finish. Siding nails may have small heads to make them inconspicuous after they're installed, and ringed or spiral shanks for holding power.

Joist hanger nails are for attaching joist hangers to wood studs. These nails have a sturdy shank to provide strength and will often be hot-dipped galvanized for exterior use and for use with treated lumber.

Duplex nails are for temporary work such as constructing scaffolding or building forms for concrete projects. They have two heads along the shank, one that secures the nail against the work piece and one that allows for easy removal.

Pole barn nails are for construction projects that use wood poles set in the ground to form the foundation of the structure. Pole barn nails have ring shanks for holding strength and a corrosion-resistant finish that's compatible with pressure-treated wood.

Connector nails are designed for attaching structural hardware such as framing angles and rafter ties.

Cap nails feature a plastic cap just under the nailhead to secure house wrap, felt or foam insulation and prevent tear out. The nails have a spiral shank that keeps the fastener in place.

Trim nails are designed for exterior use on homes. They secure home gutters, fascia and soffit board as well as exterior trim.

Finish or finishing nails are used in fine carpentry and cabinetry, and work well for moulding. A small diameter shaft (often 16- to 10-gauge) reduces the chance of splitting the work piece. Finish nails have small heads that can either be driven flush to the work piece or countersunk — driven below the surface with a nail set — to conceal them from view.

Brads nails are smaller versions of finish nails. They don't have the holding strength of finish nails but are good for woodworking, cabinetry and craft work. Like finish nails, brad nails have heads only slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft to allow countersinking.

Pin nails are for use with nailers. These have a very small diameter (23 gauge) and no head. The don't have a lot of holding power but they're inconspicuous and can be combined with glue to secure thin veneer and small pieces of moulding and trim.

Drywall nails have large, round heads that may be dimpled or designed for countersinking. These features allow them to be easily driven below the surface of the wallboard for concealment and minimize tearing of drywall paper. You'll also see long diamond-shaped points designed to reduce splitting of wall studs. You can find drywall nails with smooth shanks or with ringed shanks to help keep them in place.

Panel board nails have small, round heads and are used for fastening wall panels to studs or furring. Some have ring shanks for holding power, and they're often available painted in different colors to match the panels you're installing.

Flooring nails include nails designed for use in pneumatic nailers for installing some types of wood flooring, as well as short spiral nails that secure flooring trim and nails with longer, ringed shanks for installing underlayment or subflooring.

Furniture nails or upholstery nails are small nails with relatively large, decorative heads. Their primary function is to secure upholstery fabric to a wood frame.