Toenailing or skew-nailing is the driving of a
nail
Nail or Nails may refer to:
In biology
* Nail (anatomy), toughened protective protein-keratin (known as alpha-keratin, also found in hair) at the end of an animal digit, such as fingernail
* Nail (beak), a plate of hard horny tissue at the tip ...
at a roughly 45-degree angle to fasten two pieces of wood together, typically with their grains perpendicular. A common example is toenailing a wall stud to a sole plate in
stud framing.
Toenails are typically driven in opposing pairs when possible, or pairs of pairs when appropriate. The angled nailing makes later dismantling difficult or destructive.
Another common application of toenailing is attaching a
rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...
to the top plate of a wall at its
birdsmouth. Alternatives to toenailing include the use of
joist hanger
A joist is a horizontal structural member used in framing to span an open space, often between beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical members. When incorporated into a floor framing system, joists serve to provide stiffness to the su ...
s,
hurricane tie
A tie, strap, tie rod, eyebar, guy-wire, suspension cables, or wire ropes, are examples of linear structural components designed to resist Tension (physics), tension. It is the opposite of a strut or column, which is designed to resist compressio ...
s, and other engineered steel connectors designed to drive nails on a perpendicular to a wood surface.
Skew nailing is also a technique used by other woodworkers, for example a drawer or box can be glued and skew-nailed with finer nails or panel pins. Skew nailing will fasten the joint, while the glue sets, avoiding the use of clamps. A variation of toenailing is to use screws, casually known as "toe-screwing".
References
*Reader's Digest, (1973). ''Reader's Digest Complete Do-it-yourself Manual'', p. 384 and p. 392. Reader's Digest, New York. Lib. of Congress Catalog Card 72-87867.
*Jackson and Day, (2001). ''Collins Complete DIY Manual'', p. 143. HarperCollins, London. .
Joinery
Woodworking
{{Carpentry-stub