Here are a few tips for determining the right nail depth when using stainless steel fence nails:
Check the thickness of the fencing boards you are using.
The nails should penetrate completely through the fence board but not protrude out the other side.
Do a test nail on a scrap piece of the fencing wood.
Drive the nail in and see how deep it goes. You want it to go close to the full thickness but not poke out the other side.
Consider swelling and shrinkage of the wood over time.
It’s best to have the nails go a little deeper, around 1/8 to 1/4 inches deeper than the fence board’s thickness to account for contraction of the wood.
Use a nail depth locator or gauge on your nail gun to dial in the right depth setting.
Test it out on some scrap wood first to confirm the setting is correct.
Visually check the nail after driving it.
It should sit flush or slightly recessed into the fence board and not protrude at all on the back side.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended nail depth in the instruction manual for your specific nail gun.
Consider the material you are nailing into
nails driven into wood posts may need to go deeper than if you are nailing into concrete or steel posts.
Go slowly and do test nails first to dial in the proper depth. This will ensure the nails securely fasten the fencing without splitting or poking through the boards.