As minor as they might seem, nails are what hold much of a house together. Only galvanized nails should be used on exposed materials, both inside and out. Unless the house is roofed over immediately, a sudden downpour could cause regular steel nails to rust and streak the surfaces in just one night.

If your walls will have studs with 24-inch o.c. (on center) placements instead of 16-inch o.c. as recommended, nailers will have to be installed so drywall or plaster lathing can be securely attached. Nailers are small 2- by 4-inch or 2- by 6-inch blocks attached perpendicular to the studs, in between pairs of studs. The nailers will also give extra support and stiffness to the walls and will act as a fireblock to discourage flames from spreading throughout a wall.

It’s a good idea to specify that exterior wall sheathing be applied by hand nailing only. Some of the more fragile sheathings such as polyurethane board can be easily torn and damaged by power nailing equipment.

For optimum efficiency, nails should be spaced 6 inches on center (o.c.).