Wire Nails, Roofing Nails, Concrete Nails: Which Nail for Which Job?

A nail looks like the simplest thing in the shop. Then a tin roof lifts in the first storm because someone used a wire nail where a roofing nail belonged.

Here is the short version of which nail goes where.

The main types

Wire nail (common nail)

Round, smooth, with a flat head. The general purpose nail. Used for framing, carpentry, shuttering and packing cases.

• Lengths: 1 inch to 6 inch.
• Material: mild steel, bright finish.
• See wire nails.

Roofing nail

Has a wide head, often with a rubber or metal washer, and a twisted or ring shank that grips. Made for fixing GI and tin sheets on a roof without the head pulling through.

• Lengths: 1.5 inch to 6 inch.
• Look for: a wide head, a washer and a galvanised coat.
• See roofing nails.

Concrete (masonry) nail

Hardened steel, fluted or grooved, short and stubby. Hammered into brick, block and cured concrete without a drill.

• Wear eye protection. The steel is hard and can chip.

Clout nail and tacks

Short, with a wide, flat head. For felt, upholstery, cartons and leather.

Length: the rule of three

A nail should go through the thing you are fixing and into the base by about twice the thickness of the top piece.

• Nail length = thickness of the top piece + about 2 × that thickness into the base.

For a 1 inch plank fixed to a post, use 3 inch nails.

Which nail, which job

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Gauge: thin or thick

Nails come in gauges like wire. Thick nails hold more but split thin wood. If wood splits, go one gauge thinner, or blunt the point slightly with a tap of the hammer.

Plain, galvanised or coated

• Plain bright for dry indoor work.
• Galvanised for outdoors, roofs and damp work.
• Cement coated for shuttering that must hold under wet concrete.

Sold by weight

Nails are sold by the kilo. Heavier nails mean fewer per kilo. So before you compare prices, compare the number of nails in a kilo of each length.

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Counts vary with gauge. Ask us when you order.

Buying from the counter

You can buy a handful or a bag. Tell us the length, what you are fixing, and whether it is wood, tin or brick. We pick the nail and weigh it in front of you. See nails.

FAQs

What is the difference between a wire nail and a roofing nail?
A wire nail has a small flat head and a smooth shank. A roofing nail has a wide head, usually with a washer, so it holds a thin sheet down without tearing through.

Which nail for a concrete wall?
It depends on the base and the load. A hardened concrete nail suits light, non-structural fixing in sound concrete or block. For anything that carries load, use an anchor or plug and screw chosen to the manufacturer's rating.

How long should a nail be?
Long enough to go through the top piece and about twice that thickness into the base.

Do you sell nails by the kilo?
Yes. We weigh them on the counter, any length from 1 to 6 inch.

Are galvanised nails worth it?
For outdoor and roof work, yes. The zinc coat stops rust at the head and shank.