PSA: Stop using nails on exterior cedar siding

Been doing a lot of cedar siding jobs this summer and I keep seeing guys use galvanized nails instead of stainless steel. The black streaks you get after a year are from the nails rusting, not the wood. Grab a box of stainless ring shanks next time, it's like $15 more and saves you a callback.

2 comments

2 Comments

julia921mo ago

Actually read a study from some building science guy that said the tannins in cedar actually speed up corrosion on regular galvanized nails, something about the acidic reaction. So even if you think you're saving money with those cheap boxes, the wood itself is working against you. Stainless ring shanks grip way better too, had a buddy who lost a whole section of siding because the smooth galvanized ones just backed out over time. Makes you wonder why some guys still argue about spending that extra bit upfront.

lilychen1mo ago

Yeah that part about the acidic reaction really got me. I always thought cedar was just naturally rot resistant so any nail would work, but now I'm rethinking my whole hardware setup for the deck project.