Quick - Rusty Nails - Removing Vinyl Siding Job

Observing Pressure-Treated Lumber on a Construction Site

As I'm working on this job today, removing vinyl siding from a wall, I came across something that caught my attention. As I was pulling out the roofing nails or shingle nails, I noticed that they were quite rusty. This sudden rustiness led me to wonder what could be causing it. Upon further inspection, I realized that there might be pressure-treated plywood used on the bottom edge of the wall, whereas the rest of the wall didn't have any.

To verify my theory, I decided to open up the wall and see if I was correct. This handheld video is meant to show you how we always talk about using hot-dip galvanized or ACQ deck screws when working with pressure-treated projects. In this particular instance, I'm on a construction site where I came across some unusual rustiness.

As I observed, my siding nails were present at the bottom row of the wall and began to rust suddenly. This led me to suspect that there might be pressure-treated plywood beneath the surface. To confirm, I decided to cut some foam to access the interior of the wall. Upon cutting through the foam, we found that indeed, there was pressure-treated lumber on the bottom edge of the wall.

This discovery highlights an important issue with using standard siding nails on projects involving pressure-treated lumber. The nails were present throughout all other rows above but only began to rust at the bottom row. This difference in rustiness becomes more apparent when comparing one nail with another, one being new and appearing almost brand new while another shows signs of rust.

A closer examination of both sides reveals that the rusty nail on the pressure-treated side should be identified as such due to its characteristics. The presence of a small amount of rust indicates that it may have been in place for about five or six years. Comparatively, other nails on the same wall do not exhibit any signs of rust.

Upon further inspection at another part of the joint, I observed that this particular nail shows virtually no signs of rust. This reinforces my theory and serves as a concrete example for why using hot-dip galvanized or ACQ deck screws is essential when working with pressure-treated lumber. These types of fasteners are designed to prevent corrosion in projects involving treated wood.

This video serves as an example of how critical it is to use the right materials when dealing with pressure-treated lumber. Using standard siding nails can lead to rusting issues, which could compromise the integrity of a project. It's always best to be aware of such potential problems and take necessary precautions to avoid them. By doing so, we can ensure successful outcomes in our construction projects.

In conclusion, this video aims to illustrate an important point regarding pressure-treated lumber and how using hot-dip galvanized or ACQ deck screws is beneficial for preventing rusting issues.