Walk into any builders' merchant and the nail wall can look like dozens of near identical boxes. They are not. The head, the shank, the point, the metal and the finish all change what a nail is for, and using the wrong one is how skirting splits, felt lifts in the first gale, or a fixing rusts through in a season. This guide runs through the main types of nails used on UK sites, what each is for, the sizes and finishes you will meet, and how to pick the right one for the job.

How a nail is described

Before the types, it helps to read the label. Five things describe almost any nail:

• Head: flat and round for holding power, small or lost head to punch below the surface, or a wide clout head to grip soft materials like felt.
• Shank: the length of the nail. Smooth drives easily, ring (annular) and twist shanks bite in for far more grip.
• Point: a standard diamond point for most work, or a blunt point where you want to punch through rather than split the timber.
• Size: quoted as diameter by length in millimetres for wire nails, or as a gauge for thin pins and brads. A higher gauge number means a thinner nail.
• Finish: the coating that decides where the nail can live, from bright steel indoors to stainless on the coast.

Get those five right and the rest is detail. Here is how they play out across the common types.

Nail types at a glance

Round wire nails

The workhorse. A round wire nail has a flat round head, a smooth shank and a diamond point, and it does the rough and structural carpentry most sites run on: studwork, joists, sheathing and general first fix. Bright steel is fine indoors and out of the weather. For anything exposed, move up to a galvanised version. Have a look at the bright nails range for indoor work, or shop round wire nails direct.

Oval nails and lost head nails

When you are working closer to the finish, splitting becomes the enemy. An oval nail has an oval cross section that you drive with the long axis along the grain, so it parts the fibres instead of wedging them apart. That makes it a second fix favourite for skirting, architrave and general joinery. A lost head nail does a similar job with a small head you punch below the surface and fill over, leaving no visible fixing. Both live in the lost head nails section, and the oval nails are the ones most joiners keep in the bag.

Panel pins

Panel pins are the fine end of the range, thin bright or sherardised pins from around 15 to 50mm for beading, glazing bead, thin ply and trim. They hold light work without splitting it and take almost no filler to hide. Browse the panel pins range, including a sherardised panel pin for a little more corrosion resistance in damp rooms.

Masonry nails

Masonry nails are hardened so you can drive them straight into brick, block, mortar and lightweight concrete without drilling and plugging. They are a quick fix for battens, timber grounds and light frames where a plug and screw would be more than the job needs. Wear eye protection, since a hardened nail can shatter if you strike it off square, and switch to a screw fixing in dense structural concrete. See the masonry nails range and the standard masonry nail.

Clout nails

A clout nail has a wide flat head to hold soft or thin materials that a small head would pull straight through. Galvanised clouts fix felt, sarking and fence panels. For roofing that needs to last, the metal is chosen to match: copper clouts for natural slate, where they will not stain or corrode against the stone, and aluminium clouts for cedar shingles and cladding. Start with galvanised clout nails, or the copper clout nails for slate work.

Ring shank and annular nails

Where pull out is a risk, the shank does the work. Ring shank nails, also called annular ring nails, have raised rings along the shank that let the timber close back around them, so they resist working loose under load and movement. That suits decking, plywood, floorboards and sheet materials. Bright versions cover indoor work, while a sherardised ring shank nail adds corrosion protection for connectors and covered outdoor use.

Cut clasp and square twist nails

Two traditional grippers still worth knowing. A cut clasp nail has a tapered rectangular shape that grips green oak, blockwork and reclaimed timber where a round nail would spin free, and it gives that hand made look on period work. A square twist nail has a twisted square shank for very high grip, which is why it turns up on joist hangers, timber connectors and pallet work. Both are in the wider nails range.

Plasterboard nails

Jagged or drywall nails have a ringed or serrated shank to hold board tight to timber studs without popping as the building settles. Board fixings are covered by BS EN 14566, which sets out the requirements for the mechanical fasteners used to fix plasterboard. For most work a screw is now the first choice, but the nail still has its place on quick or temporary board work.

Collated and gas nails

Once you are firing hundreds of fixings a day, loose nails give way to collated strips loaded into a gas or cordless nailer. First fix framing nails from 50 to 90mm handle studwork, joists and roof timbers, with brands like Paslode and FirmaHold running their own tools and fuel cells. Second fix 16 gauge brad nails do the trim and finish work a hammer would mark. There are even positive placement nails made to fill every hole of a joist hanger for a code compliant fixing. The whole range, plus the fuel cells, sits in the collated nails collection, including the Paslode IM350+ framing nails.

Polymer headed nails and pins

Colour matched cladding and trim boards need a fixing that disappears. Polymer headed nails and pins carry a moulded head in a range of colours over an A4 stainless steel shank, so the fixing blends into the board while the stainless resists the weather. They are the neat answer for composite cladding, fascia and soffit work. See the polymer pins and nails range for the full colour set.

Upholstery and decorative nails

Not every nail is structural. Upholstery nails, or decorative studs, finish the edges of chairs, headboards and reupholstered furniture with a domed decorative head. Our bronze upholstery nails give that traditional studded edge.

Finishes, and where each one belongs

The finish decides how long a nail lasts outdoors, and it maps neatly onto the Eurocode 5 service classes for timber structures:

• Bright: plain steel, for dry interior work only. Service Class 1.
• Galvanised: a zinc coating for exterior and covered outdoor use. Service Class 2.
• Sherardised: a zinc diffusion coating that clings well to shaped fixings like connectors and twist nails.
• Stainless steel: the choice for exposed, damp and coastal work, and for oak, which corrodes ordinary steel. Service Class 3.
• Copper and aluminium: matched to slate and cedar so the fixing will not react with the material around it.

As a rule, match or beat the exposure of the job. Loose steel nails in the UK are made to BS EN 10230-1, so a reputable box will state its finish clearly.

How to choose, in one line

Pick the head for the material, the shank for the grip you need, and the finish for the weather. If the fixing shows, go oval, lost head or a polymer head. If it needs to hold under load, go ring or twist shank. If it lives outside, go galvanised or stainless. Everything else is size.

Frequently asked questions

What are the different types of nails?

The common types are round wire, oval, lost head, panel pin, masonry, clout, ring shank, cut clasp, square twist, plasterboard, collated gas nails, polymer headed and upholstery nails. They differ by head, shank, point and finish, which is what decides the job each one suits.

What nails should I use for wood?

For general and structural timber use round wire nails. For second fix joinery where you do not want to see the fixing, use oval or lost head nails. For high grip in decking or sheet materials, use ring shank nails.

What is a brad nail?

A brad nail is a thin 16 to 18 gauge nail used for second fix and trim. Its small head sinks below the surface, leaving a neat hole that is easy to fill, which makes it ideal for skirting, architrave and beading.

What are masonry nails used for?

Masonry nails fix timber battens, grounds and light frames straight into brick, block and mortar without drilling and plugging. In dense structural concrete, use a masonry screw or a plug and screw instead.

What are clout nails used for?

Clout nails have a wide flat head for fixing soft or thin materials such as roofing felt, sarking and fence panels. Copper and aluminium versions are used on slate and cedar so the fixing does not corrode against the material.

What size nails do you use for framing?

Most stud and timber framing uses 2.8 to 3.1mm nails from 63 to 90mm. Use 90mm for structural framing and shorter lengths for battens and thinner sections.

What is the difference between first fix and second fix nails?

First fix nails are the structural framing nails used before plastering, fixing studs, joists and roof timbers. Second fix nails are the finer nails and brads used afterwards for trim such as skirting, architrave and beading.

Which nail finish should I use outdoors?

For covered outdoor work a galvanised finish is usually enough. For fully exposed, damp or coastal work, or for oak, use stainless steel. Match slate with copper and cedar with aluminium.

Ready to pick? Browse the full nails range, or jump straight to masonry nails, collated gas nails or panel pins.