Framing nail size

[Bob - MI]

Bought a new Porter Cable FR350A full head nail gun and I want to get some nails for it. I always prefer 12d nails when framing by hand because they are a bit bigger and I feel like they hold better.

Since the air nailer nails come in a box of 4,000 at a cost of $45.00 I would like to get one size to start.

What do you guys use most often? 10d or 12d

 

[Anonymous-0]

16d is common for hand framing around here in Southern California.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Bob 16d is also common size in Illinois,I don't know if you can get a bigger nail for your gun! Mike

 

[Lamar Fudd]

16d is 3 1/4" long, and if the gun sinks it, you'll be tearing your hands, clothing, etc. on every 2X you nail together. I preferr the 12d, also.

 

[Scott 730]

12d or 3" are the most common for residential framing with air guns. When nailing 2 members together for plates and headers they won't stick through so far.

 

[Rod in Forfar]

Drive the nails on an angle. They"ll hold much better and won"t stick through.

 

[rockyhawaii]

When framing, we use 16D 3 1/4 here. We are also prone to hurricanes

 

[James White]

Use 16d or 16d cement coated. Cement coated holds better. Thats what we used here in south Alabama.

 

[Anonymous-0]

16d is 3 1/2" inches

 

[MSD]

For hand framing we use 16 Cement Coated sinkers-about 3 1/4 long. With the nailers we use the same, 3 1/4 for nailing studs and plates and for door frames and headers we use 3 inch in another gun. The nail gun ones come in different diameters so you have to watch so you get the thicker ones.

 

[david - or]

The strength of a nail in most framing applications is more dependent on diameter than on length, since the nail is loaded in shear rather than withdrawl.

Most collated nails are skinnier than the what the building codes are calling for, such as a "10d common nail".

For me, it gets tedious to try to translate "common nail", "sinker nail", "cooler nail", etc into diameter when I go to buy collated nails. For most framing I use 3 or 3.25 inch nails in the biggest diameter I can get, but these are still skinnier than a 16D common nail, so I use some extras.

The folks that publish the building code have recently written a document that modernizes the nail schedule. Page 22 of the attached document gives a very nice equivalency table relating diameter, length, and number of nails to the specified framing application. You can pay your money and take your choice of equivalent joint strengths.
esr 1539

 

[bc]

Thanks for the info David. Takes an engineer to sort these things out sometimes. I had a code schedule laying around somewhere but now long lost to a pile somewhere.

I bought that same nail gun and I think we had a thread on Bob's a while back if I recollect.

They don't make spikes like they used to and I'm glad I don't have to drive them with a hammer like I used to.

Seems like my recollection on nailing with a nail gun and using hurricane codes involved 3 nails in studs where we used to use two. Sheeting nailed every 6" on the perimeter edges and 12" spacing in the middle although I usually 6" everything or maybe use 8" in the middle. The more nails the better to avoid racking of the frame from wind loading and more in the middle will help that.

Seems like clipped head nails required more than round head which isn't a shear issue. It is hard to find the round head nails in much of a variety at a decent price anymore.

 

[Bob - MI]

Thanks for the responses guys. I agree, they don't make it like they used to and I will be going up to the 16D.

Thanks as always for the excellent responses.

Bob