Power Nailer Fasteners Guide

Nail gun fasteners or nails are sold by count and not weight, the power nailers require nails that have been stuck together in coils or sticks (like the staples for an office stapler). A typical coil holds about 100 to 300 nails and a stick about 100. Each machine has particular requirements (for example, in some sticks the nails are tilted at 31° and in others 22°). Nails should be purchased with a specific make and model of nailer in mind, though there is some interchangeability. Flooring, roofing, and framing jobs all call for different types of nails. The most widely used nail is the aptly named common nail. With a flat head and barbed shank, this nail has excellent holding power, and is used for construction framing and other general fastening. Finishing nails and casing nails have similar shanks as the common nail, but the heads are quite different. Casing nails are a bit heavier than finishing nails, and are used in cabinetry and trim work. Brads resemble finishing nails, though thinner, shorter, and smaller. They are used to attach molding to walls or furniture.

Panel nails are used to affix paneling to walls whereas spiral nails have a spiral line down the shank, somewhat like the threads of a screw and have great holding power, and are very squeak-free. Lastly come landscape nails, or spikes. These nails are generally over 6 inches long and can be either straight or spiral. They are used to fasten and anchor landscape timbers