What Gauge Nails to Use for Fence Pickets (Expanded Guide)
Building a fence means picking the right nails for your pickets. The nail gauge tells you how thick the nail is, and this affects how strong your fence will be. Whether you're building a wood ranch fence, making picket fences woodlands-style, or putting up a Texas ranch fence, knowing which nails to use helps your fence last longer and look better.
Key Takeaways
- 16-gauge nails work best for most fence pickets and won't split the wood
- Galvanized or stainless steel nails don't rust and make your fence last longer
- Nail length should be 2.5 to 3 times thicker than your picket for a strong hold
- Ring shank nails grip wood better than smooth nails
- Drill small holes first to stop wood from cracking, especially with hardwood
- Space nails every 6-8 inches to spread the weight evenly across your fence
Understanding Nail Gauge Numbers
Nail gauge numbers work backwards: smaller numbers mean thicker nails. Most fence builders use gauges between 11 (thickest) and 23 (thinnest). For fence pickets, you'll mostly choose between 15-gauge, 16-gauge, and 18-gauge nails.
What affects your gauge choice:
- Wood type and thickness - Hard woods like oak need different nails than soft woods like pine
- Weather in your area - Places near the ocean need rust-proof nails
- Fence height and wind - Tall fences get pushed around more by storms
- How you install them - Nail guns work differently from hammers
- Local building codes - Some areas have rules about nail sizes
Thicker nails hold better because they grab more wood fibers. But nails that are too thick can split your boards, especially near the edges. Nails that are too thin might pull out when the wind hits your fence or when the wood expands and contracts with weather changes.
Which Nail Gauge to Use
Regular Home Fences
For most wooden fence options around your house, 16-gauge nails work great. They're strong enough to hold your pickets but not so thick that they crack the wood. These nails go through normal fence boards easily and don't need too much force when you're hammering them in.
16-Gauge facts:
- Width: 0.065 inches
- Length choices: 2 to 3.5 inches
- Strength: Good for home fences
- Splitting risk: Low when used right
- Cost: Middle range for fence nails
Heavy Ranch Fencing
Wood ranch fence and Texas ranch fence projects often use bigger, heavier boards. They also face more wind and weather than city fences. For these jobs, 15-gauge nails give you extra holding power.
Why 15-gauge works better for ranch fences:
- Stronger against sideways forces from wind
- Better for holding thick, heavy boards
- Good for areas with extreme weather
- Lasts longer when animals lean against the fence
- Handles wood movement better in big temperature swings
Ranch fences also deal with animals pushing against them. The extra strength of 15-gauge nails helps keep your fence together when animals test it.
Light Decorative Fences
Picket fences, woodlands-style or fancy garden fences, can use 18-gauge nails if the boards are thin. These fences are usually shorter and more about looks than keeping animals in or out.
18-gauge works well for:
- Garden borders and flower bed fences
- Decorative yard accents
- Low fences under 4 feet tall
- Thin pickets less than 3/4 inch thick
Nail Materials That Don't Rust
Galvanized Steel Nails
Hot-dip galvanized nails have a zinc coating that stops rust. This coating keeps water and air away from the steel underneath. Most fence builders use galvanized nails because they work well in most climates and don't cost too much.
Good things about galvanized nails:
- Don't cost too much for rust protection
- Easy to find in different sizes at any hardware store
- Work in most weather conditions
- Fit standard nail guns without problems
- Can be painted over if you want to change colors later
Look for nails marked as "hot-dip galvanized" rather than just "galvanized." Hot-dip coating is much thicker and lasts longer.
Stainless Steel Nails
These nails cost more but never rust. If you live near the ocean or want your fence to last decades, stainless steel nails are worth the extra money. Salt air from the ocean can eat through galvanized coatings in just a few years.
Why stainless steel is better:
- Never rusts, even in salt air
- Stays strong for 30+ years
- Doesn't stain your wood with rust streaks
- Perfect for coastal areas
- Keeps its holding power as it ages
The main downside is cost: stainless steel nails typically cost 3-4 times more than galvanized nails.
Coated Nails
Some nail makers put special polymer coatings on their nails. These coatings help stop rust and make the nails grip wood better. The coating gets a little soft when you hammer it in, which helps it stick to the wood fibers.
How to Install Nails the Right Way
Where to Put Your Nails
Put nails in the right spots to make your fence strong and look good. Each nail should go through the picket and into the rail behind it.
Nail placement rules:
- Top rail connection: Put nails 1 inch down from the top of the picket
- Bottom rail connection: Put nails in the center of where the rail sits behind the picket
- Edge spacing: Keep nails 3/4 inch away from board edges to prevent splitting
- Between nails: Space them 6-8 inches apart on each rail
- Depth: Sink nail heads just below the wood surface
Stopping Wood from Splitting
Cracked wood makes weak connections and lets water get in. Different types of wood split more easily than others: hard woods like oak split more than soft woods like pine.
Ways to prevent splits:
- Drill pilot holes first in hard wood or near board ends
- Use sharp nails that aren't bent or damaged
- Don't nail too close to the ends of boards (stay 2 inches from ends)
- Choose nail locations away from existing cracks or knots
Pilot holes should be slightly smaller than the nail diameter. For 16-gauge nails, use a 1/16-inch drill bit.
Nail Gun vs. Hammer Installation
Nail gun benefits:
- Fast work - can drive 50+ nails per minute
- Same depth every time once it's set right
- Less tiring for your arm and shoulder
Nail gun considerations:
- Need an air compressor and hoses
- Less control over exact placement
- Heavier tool to handle all day
Hammer benefits:
- Complete control over each nail
- No equipment setup needed
- Very precise placement possible
Hammer considerations:
- Slower work, especially on big projects
- More physically tiring
- Risk of missing and hitting your hand
Post Spacing and Your Nail Choice
Understanding metal fence post spacing helps your whole fence work better. Posts that are spaced right give your pickets solid places to attach.
Normal spacing distances:
- 6 feet apart: Most common for home fences
- 8 feet apart: Works for areas without much wind
- Post depth: At least 2 feet underground
- Concrete setting: Use it for posts holding heavy pickets
When posts are closer together, each picket experiences less stress. This means you can use slightly smaller nails in some cases.
Different Fence Types and Their Nail Needs
Different fence names mean different ways of building, which changes what nails you need.
- Privacy fences use solid boards that create a wall effect. They need 16-gauge nails for strong connections. The solid surface catches a lot of wind, so good nail holding power is important.
- Split rail fences have horizontal rails that fit into notches in the posts. When pickets are added to split rail fences, 16-gauge nails work well.
- Picket fences are the classic fence with vertical boards spaced apart. They work best with 16-gauge nails, and you can get ones with decorative heads.
- Board-on-board fences have overlapping vertical boards. They need nails in a specific pattern so the boards line up right.
Each type has its own challenges that the right nails can solve. Privacy fences need nails that work consistently across big areas. Decorative picket fences need nails that look good and hold strong.
Getting Professional Help
Working with fence companies that know what they're doing means you get the right nails and proper installation. Good contractors understand local building rules, weather conditions, and which materials work well together.
What professionals bring:
- Access to better quality nails and bulk pricing
- Knowledge of how local weather affects different nail types
- Understanding of building codes and permit requirements
- Experience with different wood types
- Warranties on their work and materials
Professional installers also do the prep work right. They space posts correctly, make rails level, and put pickets in with consistent spacing. This makes every nail work better in your fence structure.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use different nail gauges in the same fence project?
Yes, you can mix gauges for different jobs, like 15-gauge for structural connections and 16-gauge for regular pickets. Just keep the same gauge for each type of connection so everything performs consistently.
How do I know if my nails are too small for the picket material?
Your nails should go at least 1.5 inches into the rail behind the picket and feel solid when you test them gently. If pickets feel loose or nails bend when you're installing them, go up to the next higher gauge.
What's the difference between ring shank and smooth shank nails for fencing?
Ring shank nails have circular ridges around the shaft that grip wood fibers better, giving about 40% more holding power than smooth nails. They work especially well for fences where the wind tries to lift the boards.
Should I use aluminum or steel nails for my wooden fence?
Steel nails (galvanized or stainless) are much stronger than aluminum ones. While aluminum doesn't rust, it's not strong enough for reliable fence connections, especially when wind puts stress on your fence.
How do weather conditions affect nail selection for fence projects?
Places near oceans need stainless steel or high-quality galvanized nails because salt air causes rust to form quickly. Areas away from water can use standard galvanized nails. Cold places might need slightly bigger gauges because wood moves more when it freezes and thaws.
Final Thoughts
Picking the right nail gauge for fence pickets means thinking about how strong they need to be, what weather they'll face, and how you'll install them. For most home wooden fence options, 16-gauge galvanized nails give you reliable performance and professional results. When you're working on demanding projects like wood ranch fence or Texas ranch fence installations, consider upgrading to 15-gauge nails for extra durability. Professional installation ensures you use proper technique and the right materials, creating fences that look good and stay strong for many years.
Ready to start your fence project? Contact Ark Fence Company for professional installation and expert advice on materials that will make your fence last for years to come.
References:
https://galvanizeit.org/knowledgebase/article/methods-used-to-coat-nails-with-zinc
