Whether attaching the woof shelves to the fence or fastening two corners, nailing is inevitable. If you use a typical hammer and nail combo, you may break the fence.
However, if you have a finish nailer and try to use it on the fence, a question may appear in your mind, “Can you use a finish nailer for fencing?”
No, you can’t. A wood fence will have to face all types of weather conditions. So the structure of the fence has to be as strong as possible. Besides, the finish nailer uses 13D to 15D nails because the tip of the nailer isn’t that big, which is not strong enough to hold the structure of the fences. It can’t use 16-d nails, and its air pressure (80-100 psi) isn’t accurate enough for fencing.
Which nail gun is the best for fencing?
There are two types of nail guns for fencing. They are outlined below.
Coil siding nailer
This coil siding nail gun is ideal for fencing because it has a large head. It secures the nail to the picket or paling. Also, it has a perfect-sized magazine that can hold 200-300 nails which is enough for large-scale fencing jobs so that you don’t have to refill it often.
Framing nailer
The tip area of the framing nailer is big enough to penetrate the thick-sized wood of the fences.
However, it is a powerful nailer, so you have to adjust the depth of the nailer before using it on a fence or you can damage it.
How to pick the right nailer for fencing?
When choosing a nailer for fencing, you need to consider some points to get better work results. They are described below.
On what type of wood fence do you plan to use the nailer
Different types of wood are used for fencing. Some can be hardwoods, whereas some can be softwoods. You must choose nailers that can work with both types of wood in your workplace.
If the fence you are nailing is made of dense wood like oak or maple, you need to choose a powerful nailer, such as a coil siding nailer or framing nailer, or it won’t penetrate the wood.
The size of the workplace
The size of the workspace is also important when choosing the nailer. If the work area is too big and you choose a framing nailer that has a smaller magazine, you will have to reload the nailer more often because it can store only 90–100 nails.
On the other hand, if you choose a bigger-sized nailer like a coil siding nailer for a small project, you will not be able to move the nailer easily. Although it can store 200–300 nails, the nailer becomes too heavy when it is full of nails.
That’s why you won’t be able to turn the nailer correctly in tight spaces or corners, and you won’t be able to put nails in the right places.
Also, thick fences require big-sized nails like 16-d, whereas small nails like 8-d in smaller projects can be used.
So, choose a nailer that weighs between 7 and 10 pounds and accepts 16-D and 8-D nails so that the maneuverability of the nailer is ideal for you, and you can use it in various projects.
Choose wisely for future projects.
As we know, we don’t use nailers for only one purpose. We usually use a nailer for different types of projects. So, when choosing a nailer for fencing, you must choose wisely to use it for more projects.
That’s why versatile nailers like framing or coil siding are accurate for fencing jobs. You can use them for building decks, hardwood floors, attaching art to the wall, construction purposes, siding, sheathing, etc.
Also, check the user reviews of any nailer so that you can understand how many days it will last or which projects can be done with it before choosing it.
Check if the exact nail size can be used in the nailer or not
We actually need 16-d nails for fencing, or you can not penetrate the woods of fences enough. Choose one that can shoot 16-d nails. Also, some nailers can shoot different types of nails. You just have to change their tips to shoot nails with the nailer. So try to choose these types of nailers.
The power source of the nailer
While choosing a nailer for fencing, you may check the power source of the nailer for better service. There are actually two types of power sources for a nailer:
- Battery.
- Air.
If you are fencing on a small scale, the battery ones are better for reliability. You can use them without using a wire, or you don’t need to connect them to an electric power source all the time, which makes them more appealing to use.
However, the pneumatic air nailers provide more power while nailing. As a result, choosing a pneumatic air nailer is recommended for thick fences because they can penetrate thick wood perfectly because of their high-power compressor.
What nails to use for fencing?
The most acceptable nail size for precisely fine fence rails is 16-d (3 1/2-inch). Fencing nails should be made of the right kind of galvanized steel, aluminum, or stainless steel. A redwood fence may be made of aluminum or stainless steel.
For pressure-treated wood, hot-dipped galvanized steel is utilized. Stainless steel may also be utilized in this situation.
Wrap up
You may use a finish nailer to install baseboards, crown molding, trim windows, or attach door casings. However, if you ask, “Can you use a finish nailer for fencing?” the answer will be, “no, you can’t.”
The tip area of the finish nailer isn’t that big. So it can’t nail appropriately sized nails for fencing.
As a result, if you need to complete fencing jobs, you should choose coil siding nail guns or framing nailers.
They both have big heads and enough power to penetrate the fences. When choosing a nailer, you must check if your nailer can penetrate the wood or not. Then choose a nailer according to your workspace.
It also determines what type of nailer you need and whether you can use appropriately sized nails in it or not. Finally, choose wisely so that you can use it in your future project, or you will have to buy a new one then.