The Nail Size for Fence Pickets

Nail Sizes Explained

• Nail sizes are a befuddling topic for many, because the metric for a nail is a "d." A "d" bears no connection with any known length like meters or inches -- in fact, it's a reference to the English penny, the symbol of which is a "d. The metrics for nail size originate from a time when nails were sold in groups of 100. An 18d nail is the size of nail that would have sold in a package of 100 nails for 18 pence, or pennies.

Nail Sizes in Inches

• To calculate the length of a nail in inches, you must remember that a 2d nail is 1-inch long. Nail sizes go up in numerical order from 2d to 3d to 4d and so on, each time adding one-quarter of an inch to the length of the nail. Therefore, a 3d nail is 1.25 inches long, a 4d nail is 1.5 inches long and a 16d nail is 3.5 inches long. If you can remember the length of a 2d nail, you know basic math, and you know that nails go up in increments of 0.25 inches, you should be able to calculate the length of any nail.

Preassembled Fence Panels

• Picket fences are sometimes sold in preassembled panels that attach to fence posts. Use a 16d or 18d nail to attach a panel of pickets to the picket fence. Drill a pilot hole in the picket before nailing it to the post to prevent the large nails from splitting or cracking the picket. The manufacturer of the picket panels should even recommend a nail size, so check with the manufacturer's instruction before beginning this project.

Loose Pickets

• To nail together a fence of loose pickets, use a much smaller nail. The 8d or 10d nails should be adequate. These nails are small enough that a pilot hole won't be necessary -- your pickets shouldn't split from the impact of these small nails. However, if you're worried about splitting the pickets, purchase a few extra pickets and try nailing the picket to a practice post before beginning the final nail-building project.