Choosing The Best Fastener For Exterior Wood
Stainless steel nails are the best choice when fastening Cedar siding, especially if the siding is to be finished with transparent or semitransparent stain.
Grades of Stainless Steel
Many people are not aware the stainless steel fasteners come in different grades.
- No. 304 stainless for general siding applications
- No. 316 for coastal exposures
Fastening Cedar Siding
Ring shank nails hold better:
For proper holding and nice looking results I suggest you use “split less” ring shank siding nails.
These stainless steel nails have thin shanks and blunt points to reduce splitting.
As with most applications hand nailing in framing always gives the installed the most control and is often preferable than using a pneumatic nailer.
Hand nailing is preferred:
When using a pneumatic nailer installers many time’s fail to install their nails into framing members which will often result in nails popping out over time.
Proper nail length:
Use nails long enough so that they penetrate solid wood sheathing and into framing a minimum of 1 ¼ inches.
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