Fasteners Vs. Nails
Nails and fasteners are the oldest fastening technology which gets the job done pretty well to this date. But the real question is how to decide which one to use for any given project?
This question was easily answerable just a few decades back, but now with the rapid growth of industrialisation and the expansion of nut and bolt industry, there are many more types of screws and nails available in the market. So, let us understand the differences between traditional nails and modern day fasteners, so that you can figure out yourself which one to choose.
First of all let us first see what does these two terms mean:
Fasteners/Screw- A fastener helps in affixing two or more materials objects together. Fasteners come in various shapes and sizes that cater to different needs.
Nails- Nails are basically a type of fastener bearing a flat head, sharp point and a smooth shank. Nails are traditionally driven into by a hammer into substrates to hold them together. Nails can be installed much more easily than a fastener, and are cheaper than fasteners.
Firstly, nails and screws are equally excellent wood fasteners, when they are of the right size and installed properly. And in many instances, you can either go for a screw or a nail to get your job done for a long lasting connection. While choosing the right type of screw or nail, you need to keep some factors in mind such as- the tools that is used in to drive the screw like the screwdriver, in case of nails hammer is used, the dimensions of the substrate into which it is being driven into, and whether you are constructing a roof, building etc.
Previously, nails were more popular than modern day fasteners because it was much faster to hammer a nail into a material than to use a screw which needs a manual screwdriver to drill into anything. The invention of Phillips head screws brought about a change in the fastener manufacturing industry. Things began to change and people started preferring driving screws than hammering nails. Philips screws turned out to be much more convenient than the traditional nails as they were fast and easy to drive in.
Contrastingly, typical nails are painstakingly slow and are quite difficult to hammer in.
While comparing nails and Roofing Screws, we need to consider a couple of factors- Grip strength and shear strength being the two of the most important factors. Grip strength refers to the fasteners ability to hold wood pieces together. When a fastener is driven, it’s threads dig or rather drill into the material around it. This makes it difficult to remove the screw out, as they need to be spun out of the wood substrate. Conversely, if nails are used, they can hold together the same amount of weight without loosening. Now, let us look into the shear strength factor. Shear strength basically means the amount of strength/force that a fastener can handle from the sides. A nail tends to have a greater elasticity than a screw. Which means that when force is applied on the sides of a nail, the nail bends accordingly in order to sustain these pressures. A screw on the other hand a lesser shear strength.
So, now the question comes, which is better fastener or a nail?
The answer actually varies. In many cases where force needs to be applied vertically while installing, a screw is a better choice. But in applications, where the force is applied adjacent to the installation, a nail is generally considered to be a better choice.
Uses of Fasteners
In general, fasteners are used to create non- permanent joints, that is those joints that can be removed or dismantled without causing damage to the joining component. For example, in the process of welding, permanent joints are created. Fasteners are made up of various materials such as- Steel, Carbon steel, etc.
Ranging from the usual household appliances that we have used in our everyday life to some high tech gizmos, we have a common component present in them, that is a fastener. Even though fasteners are not directly visualised by us, they play a pivotal role in our regular life. Whatever it may be, right from holding tables and chairs we sit on, to automobiles that we travel on, fasteners are used.
Hence, fasteners are generally preferred for:
• Hanging drywall
• Attaching ledger boards
• Installing cabinets
• Fastening wood decking
• Fabricating cabinets
• Woodworking projects
• For any wood projects, that you might have to take apart
Uses of Nails
Nails are used in the construction industry, for carpentry etc. Nails are a slender metal shaft pointed at one end and have a flat head on the other end, and are generally used for fastening two or more materials together. Nails are commonly used to join wood pieces together, but they can also be used to fasten plastic materials, drywall, masonry and concrete. Nails are made up of steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminium or bronze.
Nails are popular for common carpentry jobs such as:
• Framing walls and roofs
• Securing plywood
• Putting down hardwood floors
• Installing siding and roofing
• Nailing up furniture
Why fasteners are the right choice for Metal Roofing sheets
While doing any home construction projects, one of the most common issues faced by people is to choose which type of fastener to be used. It is extremely important that you use the right kind of fastener for any activity as it determines how strong the construction will be. A good example of this is metal roofing. When you are putting up a metal roof on your house, it is critical to make the right choices of fasteners, since this will determine how safe the roofing will be. In this process, you will encounter a point where you have to choose whether to use nail or a fastener for the construction of a metal roof. One of the important reasons why fasteners are better than nails while constructing a metal roof is the fact that they tend to hold together the materials for a much longer time and more strongly than a nail. Due to the fact that they have threads around their surface, enables them to have a stronger grip holding the anchoring surface of the roof well. When you install a metal roof, you need to keep in mind that it might expand or contract with time. The main aim of choosing a fastener is to ensure that you will be able to counteract this effect. In almost all cases, fasteners are the better choice than nails. Nails, rivets, screws, clips and cleats are the most common types of fasteners that are used for installing metal roofs. Most roofing installations require a variety of each of these fasteners. When you use a nail, expansion or contraction of the roof will result in withdrawal of the nail from the roofing sheets. This might even lead to leakage of the roof. This is why, in most of the cases where metal roofs are made, fasteners are considered to be the right choice.
BDN fasteners
BDN fasteners is a Taiwan based screw manufacturing unit. We offer a huge range of self tapping and self drilling screws that helps in coping up with the modern day industrial needs. We aim to provide our customers with high quality products, at a discounted rate. We have an in-house quality checking unit , providing ISO- 9001 certified products.
