Do NOT Use These To Build Your Fence!

👇🏻Tool & Product Links Below👇🏻
Let's figure this out once and for all! Which fastener is the strongest one you should be using to build your fence? We pit nails, screws, and staples against each other to see who comes out on top.
👇🏻Tool & Product Links 👇🏻
👉🏻 Stainless Steel Screws: bit.ly/SWIStainlessScrews
👉🏻 15-degree Ring Shank Nails: bit.ly/15degringshank
👉🏻 Magnum Nail Gun: bit.ly/swimagnum
👉🏻 The Whole Store! bit.ly/swifence
👉🏻 For a complete fence package, call or email the shop!
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📧 [e-mail]
💻 bit.ly/swifence

[@iamdrewski39]

i’m glad y’all made this. i’ve had people tell me that ring shank nails aren’t strong enough to hold the pickets… but i’ve tried explaining to them that 9/10 when i hammer off a picket after i’ve attached it with ring shanks, the nails literally stay in the 2x4 rail and it pulls the nail through the picket. meaning the nail is simply not the weak point in the fence.

[@finallyfriday.]

I use staples and I angle them left right, up down. Very fast and hold great that way. Gun is much lighter, application is faster and cheaper and less arm stress. Staples strap the fibers instead of anvil separating them like nails or screws. My pattern- one high to the left angled and one low to the right angled. Appearance is superior, almost invisible! Nails leaves holes everywhere, even if you sink em deep which splits the board. Rust stain that some other fasteners leave is zero. Appearance great, hold great, cost great, arm fatigue minimal.

[@TheBeeber]

@@finallyfriday. Yup, slightly toenailing is the key to proper fastening technique, whether by screwing or nailing. This should be widely known in all of construction by now…but sadly isn’t.

[@slydog7131]

@@TheBeeber Now I know!

[@billrehm3590]

​@@finallyfriday. Being a roofer for 49 years. Pulling off plywood with staples or ring shank is the toughest. Those fasteners aren't failing, it's the wood. Those fasteners will still be in the posts.

[@finallyfriday.]

@@billrehm3590 True. In all the demo work I've done it's VERY apparent that the wood has deteriorated. And even fasteners that have a degree of rust still have a lot of hold. Further, there's a limit to how much is needed and how much is just silly overkill. Otherwise they should build another Great Wall of China if they want a fence.

[@overdalimit]

AWESOME TEST!! Thanks... Headed to go buy some screws..

[@Bacrenfencing]

Great test, I use ring shanks for the fence pickets and screws when making gates, seems to work well and be the most cost effective. Cheers for taking the time to make this !

[@BeitzelMedia]

Not to complicate the results, but the pickets in the middle of the rail have the added benefit of the rail deflecting and deadening some of the force.

[@patandsandytrierweiler2440]

I do like the screws ( no pops, holds, weathers, maybe reuseable) But....(unfair) costly due to stainless nature. Best good homeowner choice. On the other hand, ring shanks make the best contractor choice ( faster install, cheaper, holds). Not reuseable.

[@curtisbme]

100% You can see how much more the board flexes to take the impact instead of the fastener taking the hit. Not that this is scientific test, but that aspect just makes that comparison even more invalid.

[@johnwade1095]

​@patandsandytrierweiler2440 I have cows. I use 4" screws. They aren't a significant on cost, the timber is the real expense.

[@stevenbeckett8633]

Crisscross the ring shanks, and it holds tight as ever

Realy good examples! As always very usefull!

[@NoahDevine91]

Awesome video Dan and Team always appreciate the great content and totally agree it’s ringshank nail or stainless screws. You see a lot of diffrent people use roofing nails or incorrect nails and bleed on the cedar or even glue them on 😃

[@MattHmm-rq6dn]

It's gonna sound odd but we use stainless collated square drive subfloor screws on our fences and siding (including hardie plank). The collated drywall gun attachment can for it all! It's very fast compared to impact driver and its extremely consistent too. I hate having air lines being dragged around and before I used 2in stainless in a cordless framing nailer. Then we tried a dewalt cordless roofing nailer with ring shank(since no one makes a cordless siding nailer). The drywall gun does the best job and now we use it for tons of uses!

[@finallyfriday.]

I staple- one high and angled out, low angled in, angle up then down. Holds fantastic, fast, zero visibility unlike nails, zero rust staining, lighter gun, minimal arm fatigue, cheaper, quicker. Staples strap the wood where nails and screws split the wood.

[@edattfield5146]

Over many years of having ice storms drop big branches onto our fence, I'm really happy with the nails being the weakest link. One and a half inch galvanized common nails allow the boards to pop right off without any other damage. Sometimes the board fractures for being struck from above, but I keep a few spares.

[@jujjuj7676]

For petes sake, just just use short coated deck screws.. You have technology now so you don't have to do it with a screw driver..grab a cordless driver and hand full or short deck screws and your done and it beats every one of your methods..and it will pass ur hammer test easy. Yes it takes a LITTLE more like a whole two seconds longer...gesh..😊

[@brucebarreira1686]

well as a contractor in Ontario we my business and my workers use screws if we or any other contractor/home owners has to take out sections of fence for any reason they can unscrew it without cracks in the borads

[@c.5376]

Boom.

[@notsure7874]

That's stepping over a dollar to save a dime. The time it takes a guy to run in screws vs shooting them down with a nailer costs about 1000x what the pickets you'd be replacing cost. And you pay that even if nobody ever has to remove a section of fence. Also, I can pop those boards off with a prybar faster than I can unscrew them. Because by that time, the screws are janky from age, and they're probably gonna strip out half the time, and the picket has to be pried off anyway.

[@jameshill4900]

As the wood ages as well I find screws show more superior fastening the entire life of the fence.

[@gregmize01]

The Wonder Woman spin into the lab coat needs to be in every "test" video!

[@AWgardens]

Awesome video! Thanks

[@tiredoldman5329]

I used deck screws 25 years ago. 1 by 1 by 1 etc. Tedious for sure but still in great shape.

[@ufaxpyro4200]

Great Video and comparison 👍

[@SWiFence]

Thanks!

[@thereasoner9454]

At the end of your video, you show the straight versus high/low nailing. I would suggest that if you nailed at a 15-25 degree down angle, you would have even better holding power as most fence hits are perpendicular, without any uplift. That's how we have been doing it for 30 years, and the pickets always rot out ahead of the holding strength of the fasteners. Great video.

[@h2s142]

Hot dip galvanized/stainless steel ring/screw shank or truss/panhead screw

[@iwillbnnedafterispeakwhy6498]

Those staples work very well

[@robincooney1263]

Thanks, I agree, screws are the best. I have used a 2nd fix air powered nailer for this - useless, the nails go right through the thinner part of the plank in feather-edge planks and the planks can be pulled right off with my hand.

[@lewisgeer1994]

I used stainless finish nails just to hold the pickets on. After all pickets where on i used baby powder in a chalk line to make a straight line for the brown coated T-20 screws. I used two screws about an inch in from the edge of the picket at each rail crossing. After a few rains the baby powder washed away and the brown coated screw blend into the stained cedar color nicely. I am not a fence contractor, just a homeowner wanting to do a very good job. So the extra time taken wasn’t a big deal for me. All together was about 300' of fence done this way.

[@kubotajordan9502]

Great video Dan you and your brothers do a great job on y'all's videos ! Could you do a video about using different types of wood. And whats the advantages of cedar vs pine or other wood . In Florida they always use pine I guess because because it's readily available & cheaper. On a trip to Colorado I noticed some privacy fences were put up with round pipe y'all's steel post look stronger maybe a video there. Have a good one . Good catch on the hammer avoiding serious injury there that could have been bad , you would have never live that down !

[@woodman1701]

How long are the fasteners your tested? 1 3/4”? I have seen a lot of fences with staples. Contractors use them to save $ on fasteners. They’re good for one thing I believe. Stained boards. It makes the stained board look prettier without seeing the ring shank head. That’s it though.

[@Timmywahoo]

That was a great product test, lab coat is a great video tool to!

[@dane9175]

Don't be so cheap use three nails per board It might hold together a little better. It also helps with the boards not cupping. Staples are not corrosion resistant🤔

[@lilmateo919]

@swi fence. Can you update and maybe try subfloor nails? The ones w ridges to prevent movement? That's what I used this last weekend for a fence 1.5 in

[@SambalBadjak64]

Great informative and entertaining vid's keep up the good work. Cheers!

[@SWiFence]

Thanks!

[@Philadelphia19147]

I've been using staples for a long time with great results. You confirmed my suspicion that they are almost the best and they are definitely good enough. Put the staples in on an angle. Criss cross the angle

[@SWiFence]

I'm too in love with my ring shanks right now, but I'll have to give it a try sometime. 👍🏻

[@finallyfriday.]

​@@SWiFencelugging that heavy gun for thousands of nails? No thanks. Staples gun for me.

[@nathanielwiebe2257]

We have used staples for a long time too, they are nice because they don't split the wood like a nail might and have good holding strength.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

If you put the staples in an X pattern of any direction, it creates a mechanical connection. Finish carpenters would call it threading a nail/staples by putting 2 in an X if there was no stud. I mainly use coated screws because thats what customers ask for here.

[@dozerboyd8784]

I've never used staples on a fence we use screws or ring shank nails, but we use staples on plenty of other things. Its the glue that really adds the holding power IMO. I would think staples would rust off pretty fast in wet climates not to mention stain the wood.

[@finallyfriday.]

Galv or ss staples. Being buried they're fairly invisible and even more weather protected.

[@StudCity718]

Hot dipped galvanized ring shank nails good for fencing?

[@joshualuissaldivar8069]

cool, thx for sharing

[@SWiFence]

You bet

[@slydog7131]

I used the SS screws on mine. I can use them again and again and again.

[@Paetaor]

Use the brad nailer to tack them and then screw them in. Works great.

[@jbrcich709]

The real difference shows years down the road when the wood dries out. I always use screws.

[@troys6965]

If i could find them, I'd use HD galvanized ring-shanked roofing nails.

[@tmarbut]

Great science! (I particularly like how our master scientist continues to generate data until the point when data confirms his hypothesis.) Thanks for the vidja.

[@razor3151]

Thanks.

[@SWiFence]

No worries!

[@brettwilson9181]

The thing to remember is that wood moves. It expands and contracts which is why i don't use screws. Screws will not move with the wood so the wood either splits or the screw heads snap off and are hard to get out. Nails move with the wood and can simply be replaced when they fail.

[@jamieo8653]

Were you wearing an abdominal guard (cup)? That hammer almost got you! Great channel! Thank you!!🇺🇸

[@alaskacanoe6837]

10 degree angulation on the smooth nails! that would be interesting if a little angulation would be a fun test.. ( angle and angulation are similar but angle is less fun to say)

[@NateHardman]

All smooth shaft fasteners need to be driven at slightly opossing angles.

[@alaskacanoe6837]

thats what she said!!! Why does everyone need to say stuff like that ... I didnt come up with it..

[@adonaghy]

Fun video.. I have build allot of DYI fences and have had the "screw" vs "ring shank" argument many times. One thing you didn't mention or test here is how well the fence will hold up after the wood dries and contracts over the years. I live in a very dry climate at altitude.. Lots of UV etc. I have had to tear down or repair numerous fences that used ring shank nails that have failed as the wood dried and pulled away from the nail. I use screws for this reason. I have ten year fences using screws that are still solid. As a DIY home owner I realize my experience is very limited. Screws take a long time and I can see why this would be a difficult choice for a professional as it would greatly increase labor costs. Just curious about your thoughts on the affect of climate here.

[@SWiFence]

You make some great points! We didn't take climate into effect here. The real point of this test is to show the ridiculousness of some of the methods (that are even being taught in other corners of the internet).

[@davejohansen1781]

Have you guys come across a battery powered coil nailer that can take the 15 degree wire ring shank nails? I with they would fit in the Dewalt roofing gun but they don't... i have tried.

[@woodman1701]

Same here. Roofing coils don’t work on those guns. And the gun weighs a ton loaded up.

[@ZeroColdx911]

What about rings shank framing nails?

[@AC.Prince]

As a framer, the staples hold osb almost impossible to remove a sheet when making a change, as for fencing, I've used them both

[@txkflier]

That’s exactly what I was expecting. Ring shanks are a close second and way faster. Plus, screws don’t look right in pickets.

[@jasonp177]

2" staples r fast & effective

[@temujinkhan6326]

i use 2" ring shank nails

[@pepaw]

I used the coil nailer with ring shank nails…but this makes me think staples woulda been fine

[@scotthatton4743]

Ever looked into Scrails? Speed of a nailgun but the grip of a screw

[@SWiFence]

We are currently working on that!

[@Dhannibal01]

You put a flat washer on the screw it will hold a lot better.

[@chasedanger9734]

Somthing you did not account for is hitting in the middle area of 2x4 vs toward the end where it is more stiff... that is why ring Shank is popping out rite on the edge where there is no flex like the middle of the 2x4

[@tylerweeding5610]

The champ is a 1.75" ring shank stainless roofing nail.

[@slydog7131]

So THAT'S where you are hiding your gold!

[@jc-pj3nh]

I use rosin coated staples. Nearly impossible to pull out .

[@KevinJMireles]

WHAT Size ring shank nail?

[@jacknagleconstruction]

Buddy of mine shot a ring shank framing nail through his hand while framing up walls. They were able to slide it out of his hand. Went back to work afterwards and got a speaking to about wasting nails

[@SWiFence]

😬

[@SyLoN-zx8ds]

i think it help nails when you angled them too

[@woody3162]

And the hell you didn't have a failure on the ring shake. It's what you use so give it another chance. Even though it failed the first time.

[@rogerbettencourt9654]

Nasty comment!! Plus I would not recommend a high low nailing pattern, clearly a low high would be superior. Lol. Great work Dan and team.

[@hizacaine]

Stainless ringshank siding nails out of a gun, only way to go, they've got the best appearance and least staining and corrosion. Shoot them shallow and use a nail set to avoid hammer marks. Cedar is so acidic that there will be some staining even with stainless, but it's minimal. If you want an authentic "olde" look use non-galv, non-stainless regular steel and you'll get a big black streak under each nail. Staple might hold better but they look like ass, forever. Screws look bad, period, and they split the wood at the fastener.

[@Therealphantomzero]

What about a fence stapler?

[@justintracy1374]

So what kinds of coil gun do I use for ring shank

[@SWiFence]

We use a 15° coil nailer.

[@JtotheRizzo]

The coil gun you used for the ring shanked nails, is that a regular framing gun? I have a 21 degree framing gun, can I use that and use ring shanked galvanized nails to install the fencing or is that too powerful for the pickets?

[@glmaddox0251]

I have a 21° framing gun and just used it last week with ring shanked galvanized nails and it worked great. Adjust the compressor PSI to what works for your gun and nails.

[@JtotheRizzo]

​@@glmaddox0251 great tip thanks!

[@SWiFence]

Pretty sure that’s a little too powerful for the pickets. You may end up going right through them. We use a 15° coil nailer.

[@JtotheRizzo]

​@@SWiFence Thanks. What PSI do you have your compressor set to?

[@SWiFence]

I believe 80 psi

[@geraldpatterson3903]

I always used screws on my fences..and NEVER have had ANY fences failed

[@dustinkrebs8229]

What were the length of your fasteners?

[@andrewmanyuk3412]

Познавательно! как всегда - молодец!

[@SWiFence]

Большое спасибо!

[@Some_of_this_n_some_of_that]

You use stainless steel ring shanks made for fencing

[@bdmaus4975]

Nails are for houses, screws for everything else

[@kwd-2023]

The fence on my house is 30 y/o and they stapled on the pickets and they are only now starting to fail and come out as the wood itself rots.

[@alexk.7250]

Do the test again but this time put all nails/screws with a slight downward or upward angle. Since you put 2 on the top and another 2 on the bottom you put them like \ / on both top and bottom. Then you are not pulling them straight out which is their weakest point

[@alexd9041]

Are your 1 5/8 inch screws too long ever on your 2x4 rails??

[@SWiFence]

Nope--perfect length. 👍🏻

[@alexd9041]

@@SWiFence even if you use typical 2x4 rails that measure 1.5in thick?

[@dsulli7383]

Staples also didn’t split the wood. If the wood splits that’s just as much of a failure as the nail coming out… your fence board is gone

[@jakeowens1770]

My next diy home fence will be finish nail and wood glue

[@iamdrewski39]

why…. did you not just see that they’re not a sufficient enough?? just use ring shank nails or screws and you’ll never have a problem

[@jakeowens1770]

@@iamdrewski39 production guys can't afford wood glue

[@dsulli7383]

Glue isn’t going to do anything for you. Use screws

[@jakeowens1770]

@@dsulli7383 you've never done it. Looks better, takes longer, you'll never like it

[@notsure7874]

I have actually seen people using a finish nailer for things like that.

[@SWiFence]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@martinwoodworking]

hmmm, i wonder what would happen if the nails were put in on opposite angles from each other

[@californiacritic9779]

Almost got a bonus cooking video about scrambled eggs.

[@SWiFence]

🤣

[@johnwalter6410]

I use drywall screws

[@dsulli7383]

Better yet, use drywall screw gins with auto feed screws

[@SniperUSMC]

This was awesome. The jackass that built my fence used drywall nails, only put posts 12" down and little to no cement, didn't use treated ground contact posts or treated pickets. My posts rotted in about 2 years. Now I'm rebuilding it myself because the only one around that builds wooden fences is the jackass that built mine, for the builder, I sure as hell won't use him.

[@SWiFence]

😬 Sounds like a builder to avoid.

[@madmaddux5769]

I use screws!!! Our company wants us to use nail gun though... for speed

[@SWiFence]

Screws do take forever.

[@dsulli7383]

Drywall screw gun with auto feed. Not slow

[@paulwolf8444]

You need ringshank staples.

[@s28278187]

First and can confirm Dan only had 1 beer in this video

[@SWiFence]

Ooh, a beer and a video. That sounds like a good combo! But I can attest that I am this happy naturally, without beer. 😄

[@dsulli7383]

You don’t mention a screw gun with auto feed screws? That's a game changer.

[@michaelstevenson1053]

Torx head coated screws are the best..

[@hsbrooks]

Yeah, yeah. All's fine until the lumber ages a bit and drys out nails are coming out. Frequently all on their own.

[@ryanslandandtreesvc454]

Something you didnt consider, is what about the chances of a drunk driver running into your fence? Or what about how it holds up if lightening strikes it?

[@sothernborn1]

So actually thaw real winner for a fastener is the staple from a home owner perspective. If the board is loosened or knocked off you won’t have to purchase a new board because of damage from the ring shank screw you can just re staple to tighten or re install and they held quite well from the 5 pound full hammer swing plus they probably flex w/ the fence from seasonal change or warping only requiring a cinch or adding staples as needed over the life of the fence. That’s my theory as a homeowner and in sticking to it. Plus I’m sure they make staples w/ bite or teeth and if they don’t they should. I’ll be expecting my commission if you invent such a fastener. lol.

[@iwillbnnedafterispeakwhy6498]

The staple only failed after all the other tests done to that plank

[@SWiFence]

That's a good point.

[@iwillbnnedafterispeakwhy6498]

Ring shank nail did fail

[@erniemenard7727]

You nailed a picket wrong once? Does Mark know that?

[@SWiFence]

😆

[@trackmader]

Just add a third nail.

[@SWiFence]

You could!

[@fruitinspector6111]

This test is really not that accurate and the reason I say that is nobody builds a fence and leaves out the center supporting 2 x 4 do they?

[@Littrell1966]

I built my 6' wood picket fence in 1994 with just two rails and it's still in not too bad shape!

[@ching574]

whos kicking your fence like that though? and if somone is regardless of fastener i could kick right through any of them but once the fence is up its not going anywhere? i do use primarily 3/8 crown staples though but instead of 2 i use 3 most the time when pulling boards out with staples the staple will hold enough where it tears through the picket and stays in the 2x4

[@iwillbnnedafterispeakwhy6498]

Screws 1st staples 2nd everything else is trash

[@evanhughes3027]

Two decking screws in a 5.5" cedar picket will secure in winds up to 50 mph. (Lazy neighbor, western Kansas) not two per runner, just two per picket, mind you.

[@woody3162]

Why are you only using 2 rails? 3 rails is normal practice in my area. I don't know shit about fence building.

[@SWiFence]

3 rails is normal here too. This was just a quick test to compare fastener strength.

[@929RRCBR]

Very Bias!!! I use staples over ring shank. I use 3 per rail and have never had a failure for lifting or separation (over 16 years using them). Your test on ring shank failed just the same as two staples.

[@mg.8144]

Yep I run staples

[@user-od5bd8cz3m]

16 guage?

[@929RRCBR]

Yes 7/16 X 1 3/4" 16 gauge galvanized@@user-od5bd8cz3m