Round Wire Nail
Round wire nails are usually employed in rough carpentry in which appearance is not a problem and are made with a smooth or even cross-section flat head. They are a strong nail supplying high durability and are very economical. They can, however, tend to split wood.
Oval Wire Nail
These nails have an oval cross-section and a stubby head and are best suited to joinery work as they can be punched beneath the surface giving a much better look.
Round / Lost Head Nail
Much like oval wire nails in appearance but are stronger and once again can be easily punched beneath the top of wood.
Tack Nail
This is a short nail with a wide flat head, and is normally employed to fixing carpets to floorboards as well as stretching fabric onto wood.
Panel Pin
The panel pin is a round lightweight nail employed for cabinet making and small moulding fixings.
Masonry Nail
Created from hardened steel, this nail is used to fix wood to many types of masonry like brick and breeze block.
Cut Floor Nail
This is a nail with a relatively blunt tip, allowing it to punch a hole into wood and avoid it splitting. Cut floor nails are used to fasten floor boards and possess an L-shaped head.
Clout Nail
These are galvanised nails with a large flat head used for softer materials for example roof felt as well as plasterboard.
Annular Nail
This nail is useful where strong joints are required because the shank has annular rings for high resistance allowing the nail to embed securely.
Twisted Plain Head Nails
As its title indicates, this nail has a twisted shank for better holding power and resistance.
Cut Clasp Nail
This nail is rectangular in section and they provide a very strong fixing within wood and pre-drilled masonry and are also difficult to remove.
Hardboard Nail
Hardboard nails have a diamond shaped head which is virtually hidden when punched into the wood.
Sprig
This is a small triangular in shape nail without any head and is primarily used to hold glass in window frames before the putty is applied.
Upholstery Nail
This nail can be obtainable in numerous finishes because they are used as a secondary fixing along with tacks. They possess a dome shaped head giving a decorative finish and will typically be seen on chair coverings.
Staple
The staple is an u-shaped round wire nail with two points that permeate the wood and generally holds cables in place. Some staples may have an insulated coating for fixing flex and electrical cable.
Materials
Normal nails for wood are typically made from a low carbon steel or even “mild” steel, and nails used for masonry jobs are harder with a greater carbon factor.
For applications that occur outside and are susceptible to weather conditions along with other extreme conditions, galvanised nails are used. This is a process where the nail is covered in a zinc covering to form a protective barrier which has a high corrosion level of resistance.
