Brads and finish nails in outdoor projects?

[Dan Karachio]

In making any kind of outdoor pieces with cedar, do I need to be worried about brads (or other nail gun fasteners) eventually leaching rust, stains or simply failing? I will also be using waterproof glue in my joinery. I cannot find anything (at Lowes any way) that is labeled as a "galvanized" brad or finishing nail. Am I over-thinking this? I did find at Amazon galvanized brads and pins! Should I use something like this vs the stock pins/brads?

This will be a cedar trellis using half lap joinery throughout. Do you think that for the lattice section with 3/4 wide/thick pieces joined with half laps throughout I could use a combination of waterproof glue and pins vs brads? I just love my Grex pin nailer and they do hide well. I see that Grex has galvanized pins too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I cannot find anything (at Lowes any way) that is labeled as a "galvanized
Try Home Depot.
I know the Porter Cable 18 ga ones I bought were labled galvanized.
I swore I bought them at Lowes though.

[Jim Terrill]

If you're going to do it, do it right. You can get stainless and never have to worry about it again. Face nailed galvanized will rust sooner or later and your cedar will have streaks running down it. If you have the time, glue and clamps will be sufficient, but otherwise just get a box of stainless brads and be done with it. When we would install cedar shakes, we use galvanized bostitch nails for covered nails and stainless for any nails that were exposed. Still looks great to this day. You can save some $$ with galvanized, but it just isn't worth it in the long run.

FWIW, we were firing Bostitch fasteners out of bostitch and Ridgid brad nailers. I've never used a Grex gun, but I'm sure that it would fire standard fasteners as well.

[Dan Karachio]

Thanks Jim! I had no idea you could get stainless! Turns out Grex has ss pins for the pin nailer and I will use ss brads with my Bostich brad nailer as well.

[James Biddle]

I used stainless pins with my Grex last year to make an outdoor lattice. I didn't bother to glue it at all; the pins are holding everything just fine (and no dark marks around the pin). One note of caution though... my experience with stainless pins is that they tend to stray from the intended path easier than other metals, so keep your hands clear of the area.

[Callan Campbell]

I have stainless steel nails for my 15ga Senco finish nailer and 23ga pins for my Grex pin nailer. It takes any worry out about nail corrosion and black stains or other marks from staining when a steel fastener rusts. As an added bonus, if you do have to sand something after you've nailed it, you don't worry if you sand down to a nail that didn't set deep in your project and is now flush with the surface. Previously, I'd drive my galvanized or regular nails pretty deep in cedar to help slow or hide the black marks when the nails rusted. I usually get my SS nails from McFeelys, but a local distributor probably carries them as well. I don't buy or use them often, but they're sure nice to have.

[David Helm]

If you don't want brown streaks, don't use galvanized. There is a chemical reaction between cedar and zinc that causes these streaks. Use stainless.

[Dan Karachio]

That's a good tip James, thanks!

[Glen Huff]

Just wondering how this project turned out for you. I have an outdoor cedar project coming up and was told that brad nails work loose when used outdoors. So I'm curious if you used them and how they worked.

[Bill Dufour]

Buy stainless pins at your local nail store. They will cost little more than plain iron from the box stores. My nail store is about 1/2 the price of box store stuff. Same for my bolt/screw store.
Keep the ss pins labeled. I can not really tell them apart from plated ones.
Bill D

[Edward Weber]

Depending on where on your construction (if they'll be seen), stainless "staples" are less prone to puling out.

[Jim Becker]

Just wondering how this project turned out for you. I have an outdoor cedar project coming up and was told that brad nails work loose when used outdoors. So I'm curious if you used them and how they worked.
The OP is not going to be able to answer you as this thread is from 2010 and they are no longer a member of the SMC community. Bill's and Edward's advice is sound.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

For what it is worth I have made several lattice work panels using cedar, TB3, and narrow crown galvanized staples. Finished with Wolman F&P. Probably around 7-8 years later everything is solid and no staining from the staples. I live in a drier climate, around 18 inches of annual rainfall on average.

[stephen thomas]

Glue & clamp the stuff you can in the shop.
Design to use screws for assembly if possible.
When we used to do a lot or redwood and cedar 1/4" or 5/16" lattice, i used Bostic bronze staples, and made a compression foot for the gun that would fold/curl them up on the backside.
Not sure if bronze staples are still available, but they used to be kept for boatbuilders.

smt

519778

519779

[Cameron Wood]

I got one job after the previous guys were fired. They installed siding with brad nails and it was coming off the walls after a few months in the sun.

1/4" staples aren't much better.

[Glen Huff]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm making a few birdhouses so I think I'll use SS brads and TB3 and that should last well.