Stainless Steel Nails | These are stainless steel roofing nails. You MUST use these if you live within 20 miles of the sea. CLICK or TAP HERE or the photo if you want to purchase stainless steel nails.

Stainless Steel Nails - The Best You Can Get

Rust is a constant nemesis of many houses. The prolific use of iron and steel in residential home construction is the root of the problem. Iron nails and steel construction components are used for several reasons. Number one, steel is very inexpensive. Number two, steel is very strong. However, iron and steel have a tendency to react unfavorably with water and air. The end result is that orange-brown crust called rust.

Is Rust a Serious Problem?

Rust corrosion can become a serious problem. At first, it simply is a cosmetic problem. Rust stains that appear through paint or run down brickwork are the most common ones. You may have rust stains on your exterior concrete surfaces. However, if left unchecked, steel or iron components can corrode to a point where they lose their structural integrity.

Can Rusty Nails Cause Decks to Collapse?

Yes, inferior nails with a thin coating of zinc begin to rust and corrode on decks. The problem is made worse because of the copper in treated lumber. The copper accelerates the corrosion. CLICK or TAP HERE to read all about the dangers of a deck collapse.

Where Else Can Rust Be a Problem?

The possibilities are endless in many homes. For example, steel reinforcing in concrete can and does rust and corrode. The corrosion actually causes the steel to expand which causes the concrete to crack.

Believe it or not this is all that's left of a steel reinforcing rod. It was encased in concrete just 100 feet from the Atlantic Ocean in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Steel lintels which support brickwork and stonework above windows and doors can readily rust if not adequately protected. Nails, screws, bolts, etc. used in outdoor projects will readily corrode and lose strength. This loss of strength can actually be accelerated if steel or iron products come in contact with chemically treated lumber. The solution is to use a fastener that will not corrode. This is where stainless steel comes into the picture.

Stainless Steel -The Ultimate Metal

Use stainless steel if you never want to worry about rust and corrosion.

Are There Different Types of Stainless Steel?

There are different types of stainless steel, but the most common types are known as #304 and #316.

How Do You Make Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is an alloy of steel, chromium, and nickel. These basic ingredients are forged together to form a different metal that has greater strength than steel, and excellent corrosion resistance.

Certain harsh chemicals and salt spray can corrode 304 stainless steel. 304 stainless steel has 18 percent chromium content and 8 percent nickel content. As such it is often referred to as 18-8 stainless. 316 stainless steel is the ultimate corrosion resistant alloy. By adding an additional ingredient - molybdenum - to the other ingredients, this form of stainless steel will resist attacks by just about anything you can throw at it.

Stainless Steel Nails | The long smooth silver-colored nail that has no chunks of zinc on it is what a stainless-steel nail would look like. All the nails above have been galvanized. The one being held was electro-plated and it’s rusting after just 12 years. Next to it is a new electro-plated nail. The four gray ones are hot-dipped nails, some have a distinctive irregular coating of pure zinc. The irregular ingots are solid zinc. CLICK or TAP HERE to discover all the facts about galvanized nails. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

What Type of Fasteners are Made Using Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is used to make siding nails, screws, nuts, bolts, etc. In fact, if you know a good welder, you can fashion brackets, joist hangers, etc. from pieces of stainless steel. Not too long ago, I made a double joist hanger for an exterior deck from stainless steel.

These are just a few of the stainless steel screws you can get. There are countless ones of all types. CLICK or TAP HERE or the PHOTO to discover the exact STAINLESS STEEL SCREW, NAIL, or BOLT you need!

The deck structure was made from redwood and I simply did not want to take a chance with rust making an appearance in several years. Yes, you will pay slightly more for stainless steel hardware, but it will be worth it. You will not have to worry about rust or structural failure caused by rust and corrosion.

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Sources of Literature on Nails and Nailing Practices

Many people think that a nail is a nail. Well, that is not really true. There are many factors that you need to consider when choosing a nail to do a job. For example, the heads of nails are different shapes, the shank or body of the nail may have different configurations or textures for holding power.

Believe it or not, not all nail points are the same. Some are shaped differently so as not to split the wood as the nail is driven.

The California Redwood Association and the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association both offer excellent pamphlets illustrating just how to properly nail exterior siding. It's not as easy as you might think! Check out their web sites!

Manufacturers of Stainless Steel Fasteners & Other Products

• Anchor Staple & Nail Company

• Manasquan Premium Fasteners
• Maze Nails
• Swan Secure Products

Are you one of the manufacturers listed above? Do you want your company name to be a link to your website? Click here.

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Tips for Installing Beveled Wood Siding

The biggest mistake I see carpenters make on a daily basis is the failure to seal wood siding before it is installed. This sealing process is necessary if you want to protect the wood and ensure that the finish (paint or stain) you are applying will last and last. Moisture can easily travel through wood and cause a paint or stain film to peel or blister. The trick is to not allow water to enter in the first place. You do this by painting and staining the complete piece of wood. This means the front, back, and edges. It's easy to do and fast if you set up some saw horses. In most instances, you simply use a sprayer or a paint roller. Glide a brush over the finish side of the wood after you apply the paint to give it a brushed texture. Backpriming is especially important if you are installing redwood, cedar, or any other wood that has a high extractive chemical content.

Felt or Building Paper

The failure to install felt or other water resistant building paper or house wrap beneath wood siding is a huge mistake. These papers are necessary to adequately protect the wood framing members from water damage. Water can easily find its way behind wood sidings. There are hundreds of butt seams in a typical installation. These seams can easily open with normal expansion and contraction allowing water to get behind the siding. When installing the building paper, make sure the first piece overlaps the top of the foundation one inch. All other subsequent pieces should overlap one another at least two inches.

End Cuts

OK, so you backprimed the siding. Now for the fun part of installing! But wait, you have to cut each piece. What now? Well, keep a paint can and brush right next to the miter saw or saw horses. After you are sure the piece is the right length and will fit, paint the end that was cut! Remember, almost invariably this cut exposes end grain. This is where water enters a piece of wood most easily. Sealing these cuts is especially important where siding is cut at an angle as it terminates along the edge of a roof. Water running down the roof or splashing off the shingles can easily saturate these cut ends.

Nailing

Always use the right nails. There are special siding nails which have smaller heads and threaded shanks. The nails must be long enough to go through the siding, sheathing and finally into the wood studs a minimum of 1 1/2 inches. To avoid splitting, always drill pilot holes at the ends of a piece of siding. Never nail through two pieces of siding! Nails should pass just over the top of the piece of siding you just installed.

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! ! ! See Author's Notes at Bottom of Column ! ! !

Start the presses! The raw data from the latest Earlham University study about wood sealer performance has just been received! The final report will take a few weeks to be generated but the visual findings tell the tale. The actual findings were just released to me several months ago on May 2, 2001.

Why are these test results so important? It just so happens that outdoor wood cleaning and sealing is one of the most important topics I have ever covered. I have discovered that homeowners like you are disgusted with the poor performance of the heavily advertised brands you see on TV and those that clutter the shelves of many of the big box home centers that dot the fruited plain.

It takes a lot of work to clean a deck or wood siding and then seal it. It is no wonder that you get upset when the deck or siding turns black, gray or green after six to nine months! Imagine a wood sealer that lasts two to three years! It is possible to get results like that if you choose wisely.

Cleaning First

Before you apply any wood sealer - preferably a penetrating water repellent - the wood needs to be clean. This is a common sense issue. Each and every spring I am amazed at how much disinformation there is out there about this process. Each spring I see magazine and newspaper articles promoting the use of chlorine bleach-based products.

Chlorine bleach is a wonderful sanitizer. If you want to kill germs, use it. If you want to kill the trees and plants around your house, use it. If you want to take the color out of your deck lumber, use it. If you want to accelerate the corrosion of the nails, screws and structural hardware that holds your deck together, use it.

If you want to avoid all of the above problems, use Oxygen bleach to clean your deck! See below for details about oxygen bleach.

The Cleaning Process

I wish I could share with you all the handwritten letters and emails I have received about decks that have been ruined by power washing. This method of cleaning decks is simply a huge mistake in my opinion. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that wood is soft and can be easily eroded with a high pressure stream. I get calls from professional cleaners all the time telling me I am wrong. They say if you hold the wand just right there is no damage. They are wrong. There is damage, it just may not be visible unless you look closely. What's more, the damage is cumulative. Wash your deck with a power washer year after year and I guarantee that you will see erosion of the light colored areas of the lumber.

I have written a step-by-step deck cleaning tutorial . The photos at this section are not enhanced! Wait till you see the before and after shots. I did the entire thing with oxygen bleach and it is so easy to use. We were working above a valuable rose garden and the rose bushes were not harmed in the least by the oxygen bleach cleaner.

Really Easy

I get reviews every week from people who have used my Stain Solver Oxygen bleach. I started selling oxygen bleach many years ago, when I saw how well it performed. Within the past two weeks, I received test data that shows that my oxygen bleach product works even better than pure oxygen bleach. I know it sounds crazy, but it is true. Mark U. is a satisfied user and told me this:

"Tim, your Stain Solver exceeded our expectations! The deck looks superb! The product was easier to work with than you said it would be."

It is indeed easy. You simply pour the oxygen bleach powder into some warm water, let is dissolve, apply it, let it sit, lightly scrub and rinse!

The trick to cleaning decks with oxygen bleach is to work in the cooler part of the day and to keep the surface of the wood wet with the solution for 15 to 20 minutes. It will foam and bubble and the oxygen is working, not you. Lightly scrub to remove loose and UV damaged wood fibers and rinse with a garden hose. It is that simple! I URGE you to go to my website to view the tutorial!

Author's Notes:

Read Sheryl's comments about using a pressure washer on her deck.

Tim,

"I am going to order some of your Oxygen bleach to clean my wooden deck that is on "the list" this summer. I sure wish I had known about this product before I power washed it two years ago - as I wondered why the wood looked messed up afterwards."

- Sheryl W., State Park, SC

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! Oxygen Bleach !

Now, here is one of the best kept secrets out there about oxygen bleach. Go to stores and the clerks and managers look at you like you are crazy! Why? Because it takes years and tens/hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising to build brand awareness of a product.

If you watch TV, you have undoubtedly seen commercials and infomercials about some oxygen bleach products. The trouble with what you see on TV is that the commercials and infomercials are very sensational. There is some smoke and mirrors going on, trust me. Oxygen bleach does all of those things you see and more, but it doesn't do it in seconds like they show you! What's more, the products that are advertised on TV contain a significant amount of filler. In addition, some of the TV products contain the active ingredient oxygen bleach that is NOT made in the USA. The purity and quality of this oxygen bleach may be suspect. If you buy products whose ingredients are NOT made in the USA, you very likely are not getting the best buy for your money.

Just after I published the column about cleaning wood siding, I learned that the most powerful Oxygen bleach available is one that is blended with a precise amount of soda ash. The soda ash boosts the alkalinity of the solution but surprisingly does not raise the pH. This means it is safe to work with and yields the best cleaning results. I now sell Oxygen bleach that is blended to achieve this high standard. I call my product Stain Solver. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only company in the USA that blends it to this precise concentration. What's more, the ingredients in Stain Solver are all made right here in the USA. I have had tens of thousands of people buy it over the years and they are all satisfied.

Better Buy???

I have also seen some of my competitors products for sale in grocery stores, warehouse membership clubs and national chain discount stores. They are Oxi-Clean, Oxygen 8, Wolman's Deck Brightener and a product called Timberwash. BUT, do the math before you buy! By the time you calculate the amount of actual oxygen bleach you are getting, your cost to drive to pick it up, your wait in the checkout line and all of the other hassles, you just might be better off buying an oxygen bleach product that has the highest concentration of active ingredient. Most of the competitors have only 70 percent active ingredient. Others have only 65 percent and one of the above has, I am told, just 50 percent!

How Much Do I Need?

People want to know how much to buy. Two pounds of my Oxygen bleach needs to be mixed with 5 gallons of water to get the best wood cleaning results. If you buy another brand, you will need to add more to get similar results.

I find that 5 gallons of oxygen bleach solution will clean 300 to 500 square feet of surface area. People often underestimate the amount of square footage in deck railings. The average railing on a deck contains four square feet of surface area for each linear foot of railing. It sounds unbelievable, but it is true. The bottom line is that the average sized deck that may be 15 feet by 20 feet needs at least 5 pounds of Stain Solver. Most people order 9 pounds just to be on the safe side. Cleaning the wood siding on a house may easily take 18 pounds or more.

You can call us at 513-407-8727 to order if you like, or go to www.stainsolver.com.

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