What Size Nails Do You Use For Framing

What Size Nails Do You Use for Framing ?
The best nail size for framing depends on the size and relationship of the
lumber parts being fastened. For most framing, use "common" nails, which are
thicker and stronger than "box" or "sinker" nails.
Nail Length
Common nail lengths are denoted by the "penny" system, indicated by a
number followed by "d." The three nail sizes used for most framing jobs are
16d, 10d and 8d.
16d Nails
All 16d nails are 3 1/2 inches long. Use them to fasten framing materials at
right angles, such as wall plates to studs or rim joists to joists for floor or deck
frames.
10d Nails
At 3 inches long, 10d nails are appropriate for joining two boards set together
flat on their faces, such as where floor joists overlap, when doubling-up studs
or building window and door headers.
8d Nails
Use 8d nails, which are 2 1/2 inches long, for toenailing--driving a nail at an
angle through the end of one member and into the face of the mating member.
Toenailing is used to attach studs to wall plates, or rafters to wall top plates or
beams.
Metal Anchors
When framing with metal anchors, such as joist hangers, always follow the
anchor manufacturer's specifications for nails.
Diámetro
8d (0.131”) 3.33mm
10d (0.148”) 3.76mm
16d (0.162”) 4.11mm
What Size Screws Do You Use for Framing ?
The most common screw for joining two-by-fours is hardened steel, structural,
No. 9, 2 1/2 inches long with a Phillips head. Other screw types appropriate
for studs are specialized and may be harder to find and more expensive. It's
important that the screw is designated as a structural screw or a deck screw.
Drywall screws, readily available and cheap, are a poor substitute. They're
brittle and can snap off.
Length Options
Two-by-fours are 1 1/2 inches thick. Two of them placed together flat equal 3
inches. It might seem appropriate to use 3-inch screws, but modern
drill/drivers and impact drivers bury the head of the screw up to 1/2 inch, and
the tip of a 3-inch screw can penetrate out the other side. Screws that
measure 2 1/2 inches are more appropriate for two-by-fours placed flat,
allowing you to bury the head as needed. If you're angling the screw, such
as in a toenail application, or when end nailing—driving through the broad
face of one two-by-four and into the edge or end of another—you can use
longer screws.
Screws Vs. Nails

Framing lumber is typically fir or similar softwood, and screws often do not
require pilot holes. With their coarse threads, screws hold better than nails
and have more withdrawal force resistance than nails. Screws are less
likely to pop out or surface than nails when wood expands or contracts.
There's less banging with a hammer, and less damage to objects on the other
side of the wall. However, screws often take longer to install than nails, and
sometimes pilot holes are required to prevent splitting the wood or binding or
breaking the screw.
Tip Selection
Wood screws come in a wide variety of drive types, including Phillips, square-
drive, Torx, T-star and hex-head. One important yet often overlooked aspect is
screw tip or driver size. An improperly sized screw tip offers poor driving
performance and can strip or ruin the screw. Screw sizes appropriate for
joining two-by-fours are designated by numbers. No. 9 and 10 screws are the
most common for studs, and driver tips should correspond with those screw
sizes. For example, a standard No. 2 Phillips tip is appropriate for No. 9 and
some No. 10 screws. Other drive types have more specific sizing; a No. 2
square-drive tip fits only No. 2 square-drive screws.
Avoid slotted screws. They're harder to drive and strip much more easily than
other screw types.
Specialized Screws
Some structural screws have built-in washers that prevent the head from
countersinking into the wood, for added strength. Others have hex heads and
are designed for use with metal framing connectors but can also be used for
wood-to-wood connections. There's also a variety of specialty construction
screws, which have features like self-drilling threads, high strength for
structural applications, and heads that create their own countersink holes.
Specialty screws tend to be expensive and often are used for timber framing
and log construction, but they might be worth the expense for special two-by-
four framing applications.
Screw Coatings
Several types of coatings are available for screws. Hot-dipped galvanized and
stainless steel fasteners are recommended for applications where a maximum
amount of protection from corrosion is desired and for use with pressure-
treated lumber. Standard electroplated or mechanically galvanized screws also
provide corrosion protection, but the level of performance varies. Deck screws
often carry a corrosion-resistant coating; only some of these are rated for
pressure-treated lumber. Check the manufacturer's specifications for your
application.

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Screws Vs. Nails

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