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Should You Use Nails Or Screws When Building A Fence?
By RON BAKER
While screws and nails will both do a fine job of holding a fence together, it all boils down to weighing the pros and cons of each and your fence’s particular needs.
When using screws you’ll need a cordless drill, with at least one battery and a charger. For nails, a nail gun, compressor, hose, and heavy-duty extension cord are essential.
Generally speaking, screws offer more tensile strength and hold a load better without pulling free. They’re also easier to remove and reposition as compared to nails.
However, nails flex more readily and have more shear strength and torsional strength than screws. A nail gun is also much faster and easier to use than any drill or driver.
You can also use both; nails for attaching rails to posts, and screws for attaching pickets to the rails. Make sure you use weather-resistant and outdoor-rated screws and/or nails.