Fluted Masonry Nails Corrosion on Galv Flashing
Does anyone happen to know if fluted masonry nails react with galvanized drip edge flashing? I have flashing installed at ground level where it sits on top of a sloped concrete ‘curb’ of sorts. I want to fasten the flashing to the cement and the only masonry nails I’ve found with a head on them are the fluted masonry nails and the box says not for use where surface rust is not acceptable. I was going to coat them with clear silicone caulk to protect them from the weather, but I’m wondering if the contact with the flashing will corrode the nails? I suppose I could put a neoprene washer on them.
Are these the same nails roofers use when they attach flashing to a brick chimney?
Thanks,
Jon
Replies
I can't believe you don't know what a fluted masonry nail is!
Dang, the man with all the answers is stumped!
Fluted masonry nails are sold by Maze nails and most other nail makers. They are 9ga high carbon steel nails. The shank has numerous small flutes that are straight and go from tip to head. I presume the flutes deform and increase holding power.
I can't imagine using them to hold down flashing, overkill.
I also can't picture the flashing situation either, not enough information.
Thanks
for the education.
Can't remember the last time I had to nail to masonry by hand. I still have a bin of case hards from thirty years ago. Normally shoot in from powder accuated or use Tapcons
Hand driven nails for masonry are made for green concrete, so they probably aren't too hard to use, but hand nailing into cured concrete is nothing I want a part of.
The ones I recall from my youth had spiral flutes. And kind of a gun metal finish.
Yep, spiral, straight flute, and square tapered shanks were popular for masonry nails. I don't really know what the difference is for application. My dad was an electrician, and I think he bought whatever was available. Used hand operated star drills too.
He's a tough one, I sure didn't inherit that. He's 83 and complains that he gets tired sometimes when he works all day. Said he never did before, except when he was a teenager and worked as a logger with axe and hand saws. Had to cut 40 hardwood trees a day down for coal mine supports.
Materially they are the same
The masonry nails and the galvanized flashing are both iron (steel). The flashing has a coating of zinc bonded to it and the nails have added carbon and possibly a few other materials to increase hardness, but the bottom line is they are iron. They will not have a problem with corrosion caused by dissimilar materials. The nails are not rust protected to they will start to rust quickly, silicone will slow it down some.
I agree with the others that I don't think driving those nails into concrete will be at all fun. I have some masonry nails that I got from my father but I don't think I have tried to use one for thirty years. If I need to attach something to concrete I use Tapcons. They go in much more predictably and are rust resistant if you don't mind their blue color.
LOL
" I have some masonry nails that I got from my father but I don't think I have tried to use one for thirty years. "
I'm starting to tink that my stepson might wonder what in the world those case hards are for when he inherits them along with the rest of my "prizes"
Masonry nails
I've often wondered what folks meant when they would say, "oh for the good old days". Hell, I;m old enough to remember them and believe me, they aint what they think they were. :>)
Attached is a photo showing the flashing along the bottom course of siding. It's stil not easy to visualize from a photo, but the rim joist on this house is actually on grade, or slightly below (only on this side of the house, the lot slopes down towards the other side). To ease with water runoff, they poured a concrete 'curb' next to the house as you can see. When I installed the flashing, I wanted it to be snug to the concrete, so I drove a few nails. They actually drove quite easy with a framing hammer, I was surprised.
I am curious who "they" is
I am curious who "they" is that performed that curb dance and what they did to keep the insects and ground water from destroying the rin joist and other framing.
Yeah, that's a pretty poor setup. Of course, it's probably a narrow lot, so there weren't too many options, but I would have thought long and hard to figure out something else. (And, of course, it would have been better if the house weren't built like that in the first place.)
Lot of the time, it is not built that way to start, but changes in topography happen, sometimes from what the people on neighboring lots do
Well, now that I see mor of the whole situaton, I am thinking that you do not want to drive nails down into that crete curb. Eventually that will be a water course to direct rain to the sill behind it