Been there myself—thought galvanized nails were "good enough" for a quick fence repair. Fast forward one rainy season, and my fence looked like it had chickenpox from all the rust spots. Tried vinegar and baking soda too, but ended up grabbing some oxalic acid cleaner after a buddy swore by it. Worked wonders, but yeah, gloves are a must. Stainless hardware might sting the wallet upfront, but beats spending your weekend scrubbing rust stains...again.
Galvanized nails get a bad rap sometimes, but honestly, they're not always the villain here. I've seen plenty of galvanized hardware hold up fine for years, even in wet climates. The key is making sure you're actually getting hot-dipped galvanized nails—not just the electroplated ones. Electroplated nails are cheaper and look shiny at first glance, but they're pretty thinly coated and rust way faster.
Also, installation matters more than people realize. If you're hammering away and chipping off that protective zinc coating, rust spots are inevitable. A little care when driving them in goes a long way—tap gently at first to set the nail, then drive it home smoothly.
Stainless steel is great if you've got the budget, but honestly, properly installed hot-dipped galvanized nails can save you money without sacrificing durability. Just my two cents from years on roofs dealing with rust issues...
"Electroplated nails are cheaper and look shiny at first glance, but they're pretty thinly coated and rust way faster."
Yeah, learned this the hard way myself. Thought I was saving a few bucks on electroplated nails for my deck railing, and within a year they were rusting out. Switched to hot-dipped galvanized after that, and they've held up great so far.
One thing I'm still wondering though—does the type of wood you're using affect how quickly galvanized nails rust? I've heard some woods like cedar or pressure-treated lumber can react differently with metal hardware. Not sure if that's just an old wives' tale or if there's something to it...
Definitely not an old wives' tale—wood type matters. I used galvanized nails on cedar shingles for a shed roof, and after a couple of years, they showed corrosion anyway. Turns out cedar's natural acids can speed up rusting... stainless steel nails solved it for me.
Yeah, cedar can be tricky like that... learned it the hard way myself when I had a similar issue with a fence project. Galvanized nails seemed like they'd hold up just fine, but after a couple years, rust spots started popping up everywhere. Switched to stainless steel nails, and it made all the difference.
For anyone dealing with cedar or other acidic woods, here's what I'd suggest: first, always go for stainless steel fasteners if you can—they're pricier but worth it in the long run. Second, if stainless isn't an option, at least look for hot-dipped galvanized nails rather than electro-galvanized. Hot-dipped have a thicker zinc coating and hold up better against corrosion. Lastly, if you're already stuck with galvanized nails and seeing rust, you might consider sealing or painting over them to slow down further corrosion.
Good luck with your project—hope this helps you avoid another weekend headache.
