Nails are a thin and long metal fixture, usually made of steel, stainless steel or copper. They are used for fixing and bearing. Although small, nails are key tools to ensure building safety and improve construction efficiency. According to statistics from the American Construction Association, choosing the wrong nails leads to 15% of renovation rework. This article will introduce them according to their use, shape, material, special function, etc.

Part I: Classification by use

1. Building structure

● Common Nails

Common Nails are the most basic nails in the construction field. They are designed with thick stems and large flat heads, also known as standard nails. They are used for building wooden frames, fence construction, and rough carpentry fixation. The material is plain carbon steel, and the specifications are in “D” units (such as 10D=3 inches). The common sizes are 10D-60D (76-152mm), and the diameter is 2.5-5mm.

● Masonry Nails

Also known as brick nails, these nails differ from standard nails in that they are usually made of hardened high-carbon steel or galvanized steel. Their shafts are often grooved, ribbed, or twisted to enhance grip and reduce the risk of long-term loosening. They are used to secure materials to hard surfaces such as brick, concrete, stone, or block. Usually driven with a heavy-duty hammer or electric nail gun

Outdoor use type

Roofing Nails: Wide cap waterproof pad, asphalt shingle fixing, 10-12GA×25-40mm

Shingle Nails: Galvanized anti-rust, wooden roof, 30-50mm short and thick

● Railroad Spikes

Also called track spikes or railway spikes, the head is wedge-shaped or hook-shaped, the shank is smooth or spirally grooved, which can firmly grasp the rail base, and the tip is chisel-shaped. It is usually made of high-carbon steel, usually galvanized or coated. It is a heavy-duty fastener specially used to fix railway rails to wooden or concrete sleepers.

Common Sizes and Specifications

North American Standards:

Diameter: 5/8 inch (≈16 mm).

Length: 140-152 mm (5.5-6 inches).

Weight: 0.23-0.34 kg (0.5-0.75 pounds) per spike.

European/International Standards:

Diameter: 16-20 mm.

Length: 130-160 mm.

Usually meets EN 13674-4 or other railway industry specifications.

2. Interior decoration

● Finishing Nails

Also called decorative nails, they are a type of nail with a smooth, slender shaft and a relatively small tapered head. They are made of hardened steel or stainless steel and can be sunk below the surface of the material. They are used for fine woodwork and decorative installations, such as skirting, crown moldings, or furniture. They are usually installed with a hammer nail set or a pneumatic finish nailer. Common sizes range from 15 to 18 gauge, and lengths are usually between 1 inch (25 mm) and 2.5 inches (64 mm). Their main advantage is that they are almost invisible after the application of putty or paint, but they do not hold as well as thick nails.

● Drywall Nails

These nails have a ring on the shank to enhance grip and prevent material movement and loosening. They are typically made of phosphate-coated steel for corrosion resistance and are designed specifically for fastening drywall panels to wood studs or framing. They are thicker than finish nails (about 11 to 13 gauge), but drywall nails have been largely replaced by drywall screws due to screws’ superior holding strength.

● Brad Nails

Brad Nails Are ultra-thin, lightweight nails. Made of steel or galvanized metal, they have a small head and are primarily installed using a brad nail gun. They are made for fine decorative work and are ideal for delicate materials such as cork or composite boards, such as glued veneers, thin moldings, or handicrafts. They come in diameters from 18 to 23 gauge and in lengths from 0.5″ (13 mm) to 2″ (51 mm), and are virtually invisible when driven into the material.

3. Outdoor use type

● Roofing Nails:

These screws have a large diameter head to prevent tearing of roofing materials, and the top rod is a ring or spiral pattern to increase friction. It can be used with washers to fix asphalt shingles, metal roofs, asphalt shingles or other roofing materials to the roof base (such as wood or OSB boards). Use pneumatic or electric roofing nail guns to install

Short and thick nail body: The length is usually between 1 inch (25 mm) and 2.5 inches (64 mm), and the diameter is mostly 11th (≈3 mm) to 12th (≈2.8 mm), ensuring fast penetration and not easy to bend.

● Shingle Nails

Shingle nails are a design with a wide, flat head and a ring or spiral on the shank for increased grip. They are typically made of galvanized steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, offering excellent resistance to rust and corrosion. They are designed to secure roof tiles and are commonly used in asphalt, wood, or composite shingles. Standard sizes are 1 to 2 inches (25-50 mm), with larger diameters for stability.

Part II: Classification by shape features

1. Head design

● Wire Nails

Wire Nails are flat-headed nails with smooth, straight shafts. They are usually made of low-carbon steel and may be galvanized, coated, or polished to enhance rust resistance and durability. They are a basic and widely used metal fastener suitable for carpentry, building frames, furniture assembly, and packaging box fixing. A hammer or pneumatic nail gun should be used during construction. Pay attention to adjusting the striking force according to the hardness of the material to avoid bending. The diameter varies (commonly 1.2-4.5 mm) and the length ranges from 10 mm to 150 mm.

● Casing Nails

Casing Nails are small-diameter nail heads with conical or flattened cone shapes. They are usually smooth shafts, and some models may have annular shanks to enhance grip and prevent loosening. They are generally made of plain carbon steel and stainless steel, and the surface is galvanized for corrosion protection. They are designed for door and window frames, decorative carpentry, and fine installation. They are similar to “Finish Nails”, but the nail heads of Casing Nails are slightly larger, providing a slightly stronger fixing force while still meeting the need for concealment. The length range is commonly 25-100 mm (1-4 inches), and the diameter is thinner (1.5-3 mm).

● Escutcheon pins

Also known as decorative nails or shield nails, are characterized by the diversity and exquisiteness of the head design. Common head shapes include flat tops, slightly convex squares or elegant ovals. The surface is often decorated with exquisite relief patterns, such as spiral patterns and radial patterns, or matte and mirror textures are presented through nickel plating, chrome plating and other processes. The conical shape of the nail body and the sharp nail tip enable it to be easily and accurately embedded in soft materials such as wood. The materials are stainless steel and brass, suitable for fixing doorplates, hooks and furniture panels

● Duplex Nails

Also known as Double-Headed Nails, the upper and lower double flat heads are designed for quick removal, and the middle rod body is notched (anti-slip pattern) to enhance the grip. It is made of low-carbon steel (Q235 or ASTM A36), galvanized on the surface for rust prevention, and has a tensile strength of ≥400MPa. It is specially used in scenes that require repeated disassembly and assembly (such as stage scenery, concrete formwork support). The head can withstand ≥50 repeated insertions and withdrawals. The common length is 75-150mm. During construction, the top head needs to be exposed 3-5mm for disassembly. It cannot be used as a substitute for permanent bolts.

● Lost-Head Nails

Invisible nails, the head can be completely knocked into the wood surface, also known as disappearing nails or furniture nails. Used for high-end wooden furniture and musical instrument splicing, the diameter is 0.8-1.5mm, the length is 15-30mm, the material is 304 stainless steel or phosphor bronze, and the installation requires pre-drilling of 0.5mm guide holes. The surface can be polished to Ra0.4μm.

2. Shank design

● Box Nails （Smooth Shank）

Box Nails are designed with a wide head. The nail body is thinner and has a uniform diameter than ordinary round nails. The surface usually has a slight ring texture to enhance the grip. The nail tip adopts a sharp diamond design, which can easily penetrate cork, plywood and fiberboard while reducing the risk of wood splitting. The material is mostly low-carbon steel or galvanized steel, which takes into account both strength and rust resistance. Its name comes from its wide application in traditional wooden box assembly. It is suitable for furniture making, wooden box packaging, decorative line fixing, etc.

● Annular Ring Nails（Ring Shank）

Annular Ring Nails have flat or slightly convex heads, with dense annular grooves on the surface of the nail body. They achieve super strong pull-out resistance by increasing the contact friction with the wood. They are often made of galvanized steel or corrosion-resistant alloys, which are both rust-proof and durable. The sharp conical nail tip can reduce wood splitting, which is especially suitable for splicing scenes that require long-lasting stability (such as wooden boxes, pallets, fences). They are widely used in logistics, gardening and outdoor structures.

● Spiral Shank Nails (Spiral Shank)

Also known as twist nails or screw-in nails, they are designed to reduce wood cracking. The rod body has spiral patterns, which disperse pressure by rotating and penetrating. They are suitable for high-stress scenes such as floor keels, wooden decks and hardwood frames. Common specifications are 50-75mm in length and 2.5-3.5mm in diameter. They are mostly made of galvanized medium carbon steel (such as 1045 steel, ASTM A153 hot-dip galvanized on the surface) or rust-proof stainless steel (304 type). The pull-out resistance is more than 40% higher than that of ordinary nails, which is especially suitable for the stable connection of pine, oak and other easy-to-crack wood.

Part III: Classification by materials and Shape Type

1. Basic materials

● Clout Nails

Clout Nails (Big Cap Nails/Flat Head Nails) are characterized by wide, flat round or square nail heads, short and thick nail bodies, usually made of low-carbon steel, copper or galvanized materials, and have both toughness and rust resistance. Its blunt head design can disperse pressure and avoid nailing through brittle materials (such as linoleum, rubber, leather), while providing large area coverage. It is commonly used in roof waterproofing fixation, leather crafts, and canvas stretching

● Panel Nails

Panel Nails are flat or slightly protruding round heads with slender and slightly tapered bodies. They are commonly made of galvanized steel, stainless steel or aluminum. They are fasteners designed for fixing wallboards, ceilings or decorative panels. They are suitable for the installation of gypsum boards, wooden wallboards and light metal panels. The nail tip is sharp to reduce the risk of material cracking.

● Upholstery Nails

Upholstery Nails (decorative nails) have a hemispherical, square-topped or carved head, a short and sharp body, and are easy to embed into wooden frames. The surface is polished, nickel-plated, antiqued, and other processes. The materials are mainly brass, stainless steel, and chrome-plated steel, and some are coated with colored enamel, which is corrosion-resistant and suitable for the color of furniture. The nail body is short and sharp, easy to embed into wooden frames, and is widely used for decorative fixing of soft furnishings such as sofas and soft bedside tables, which has the dual functions of reinforcing the structure and enhancing the visual sophistication.

● Concrete nails

Concrete nails are also called cement nails and wave nails. The head is a small mushroom head, and the rod body has wave patterns or spiral patterns to enhance the grip. The raw material of SInsun is high carbon steel #55, and the surface is 4-8μ galvanized for corrosion and rust prevention. Its tensile strength is ≥600MPa and hardness is HRC 50-55.

It is suitable for installing pipeline brackets, fixing wall panels, hanging heavy objects (such as air conditioner outdoor units), etc.

Specifications: 1-6”

● Cut Flooring Nails

Also known as square rod floor nails or anti-loose nails, they are mostly made of medium carbon steel, with blackened surfaces. They use square columnar rods (side length 2-3mm) to reduce rotational looseness. The common length is 50-75mm. With the 45° oblique nailing construction method, they can effectively fix the floor keel joints to avoid wood splitting. They are specially designed for the installation of hardwood floors and bamboo floors, suitable for concealed fixing of solid wood floors and composite floors, and their anti-loosening performance is significantly better than ordinary round nails.

2. Shape Type

● Horseshoe Nails

L-shaped special nails, specially designed for horseshoe fixation, short and thick square rods (4×4mm cross section) to prevent horseshoes from breaking under stress. Length 30-50mm, made of high-toughness hot-forged steel (EN8 or 4140), copper-plated surface to reduce horse skin irritation, each nail needs to be hammered into the horse’s hoof cuticle by hand, and the average number of nails used for a single horse is 6-8

● T-Nails (Pneumatic Nails)

Special nails for pneumatic nail guns, with T-shaped caps for easy insertion into gun slots, also known as carpet nails or yard nails. Used for carpet trimming and rapid assembly of wooden pallets, specification 18GA (diameter 1.2mm), length 10-25mm, material 1010 carbon steel galvanized, can install 200-300 nails per minute at high speed, and must be used with a pneumatic nail gun with an air pressure of 0.6-0.8MPa.

● Sprig Nails

Headless thin nails, used to temporarily fix window glass waiting for the adhesive to cure. The diameter is 0.5-0.8mm (similar to staples), the length is 12-18mm, and the material is annealed low-carbon steel wire (SWRH 52B). It has excellent flexibility and only leaves tiny holes after installation and removal. It needs to be positioned with a glass suction cup.

Although nails are common, choosing the right type and specifications directly affects the quality and safety of construction. Pay attention to three points when using:

Look at the material: choose rust-proof nails (galvanized/stainless steel) for outdoor use, and ordinary steel nails are sufficient for indoor use

Measure the size: nail length ≈ 2/3 of the thickness of the material being fixed

Check the scene: use spiral pattern/square rod nails to prevent loosening of hard materials (concrete/hardwood)

Save the specification comparison table in this article and choose according to the usage scenario when purchasing next time, which can avoid 90% of installation problems. If you encounter special needs (such as a high temperature/high humidity environment), it is recommended to consult a professional hardware supplier.

Table 1 – Common Nail Sizes Chart
Penny Size	Gauge	Shank Diameter	Shank Length	Head Diameter
(Nominal)	(Nominal)	(Approx.)
2D	15	0.072	1”	3/16″
2D	14	0.083	1”	13/64″
3D	14	0.083	1.25″	13/64″
4D	12	0.109	1.5″	1/4″
5D	12	0.109	1.75″	1/4″
6D	11	0.12	2″	17/64″
8D	10	0.134	2.5″	9/32″
10D	9	0.148	3″	5/16″
12D	9	0.148	3.25″	5/16″
16D	8	0.165	3.5″	11/32″
20D	6	0.203	4″	13/32″
30D	5	0.22	4.5″	7/16″
40D	4	0.238	5″	15/32″
60D	4	0.238	6″	17/32″

 

Table 2 – Annular & Threaded Nail Sizes Chart
Penny Size	Shank Diameter	Shank Length
(Nominal)	(Nominal)
6D	0.12	2″
8D	0.12	2.5″
10D	0.135	3″
12D	0.135	3.25″
16D	0.148	3.5″
20D	0.177	4″
30D	0.177	4.5″
40D	0.177	5″
50D	0.177	5.5″
60D	0.177	6″
70D	0.207	7″
80D	0.207	8″
90D	0.207	9″

 

Table 3 – Box Nail Sizes Chart
Penny Size	Gauge	Shank Diameter	Shank Length
INCH	(Nominal)
3D	14-1/2″	0.076	1.25″
4D	14	0.08	1.5″
5D	14	0.08	1.75″
6D	12-1/2″	0.098	2”
7D	12-1/2″	0.098	2.25″
8D	11-1/2″	0.113	2.5″
10D	10-1/2″	0.128	3″
16D	10	0.135	3.5″
20D	9	0.148	4″

Tips: Common mistakes – using small nails to fix heavy objects, using ordinary nails to nail gypsum boards, and nailing hardwood directly without pre-drilling holes, all of which will cause cracking or falling off.

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