Wood Siding Nails, Stainless Steel

Use 316 stainless steel siding nails for saltwater exposure, seaside applications, coastal construction, and other highly corrosive environments. 316 stainless holds up better against salt-driven corrosion than standard 304 stainless because it contains added molybdenum. That makes 316 the better choice within about 1 to 3 miles of saltwater, or anywhere de-icing salt or pool chemicals are present.

Stainless steel is also the right choice for ACQ-treated lumber. The copper in that treated wood can corrode standard galvanized nails. Stainless also avoids the black stains that carbon-steel or galvanized nails can leave on cedar and redwood siding over time.

Yes. The small head diameter allows these nails to be used for face nailing or blind nailing, including tongue-and-groove siding applications. Small-head nails also work well in coil and strip nailers for faster siding installation.

Siding nails should be long enough to penetrate a minimum of 1-1/2" into solid wood framing, or into the combined thickness of sheathing plus framing.

Siding thickness, sheathing type, and wall assembly vary from project to project, so always match the nail length to your specific setup. Check the siding manufacturer’s installation instructions too. Some products, especially fiber cement and engineered wood siding, call for different penetration depths and nailing patterns than the general code minimums.

The annular ring shank helps improve withdrawal resistance and helps prevent cupping of siding.

Ring shank nails are the top choice for siding because the rings grip the wood fibers as they go in. This helps the nails resist the freeze-thaw and wet-dry cycles that cause nails to back out over time, which is a major cause of nail popping and siding cupping. Smooth shank nails grip less and are not recommended for exterior siding.