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NAILS vs. SCREWS...Which Should You Choose?! (Pros + Cons of Nails And Screws For Your Projects!)
Should you choose NAILS or SCREWS for your project? It's the eternal question! This short video from The Honest Carpenter will explain some of the most basic differences--as well as the strengths and weaknesses--of screws and nails!
When it comes to FASTENING POWER, there's not much competition--screws have vastly more fastening power than nails!
This is because screws have threads, which act as little pawls within a material. Screw threads prevent PULL-OUT and EXTRACTION forces.
Also, screws are REMOVABLE, which makes them the ideal option for any project which will need to be take apart someday.
Nails, on the other hand, are prone to losing some of their fastening power over time, especially when exposed to seasonal expansion and contraction.
However, nails have more SHEAR STRENGTH, which helps them resist the force of two objects sliding sideways across one another. Nails will bend slightly, but not break. (Screws are far more likely to break when exposed to shear forces.)
For this reason, nails of proper length are almost always required by code in nearly every framing application. This helps prevent hurricane winds and seismic vibrations from knocking houses down.
Screws are also more expensive than nails. And, they take longer to install.
For speed and strength, nails can be paired with adhesives to help overcome some of their fastening weaknesses. Even brad nails can act as temporary fasteners while wood glue is setting up. The resulting strength is comparable to that of screws.
