Vent: My cedar fence pulled apart after 3 months in Phoenix

I built a 6 foot privacy fence with cedar boards and 2x4 rails last spring, but by August the joints had all twisted and split in the heat. Turns out I used galvanized nails instead of stainless steel screws and the expansion cracked everything. Has anyone else had fasteners fail because of sun exposure like this, or do you swear by a different metal for dry climates?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabeth_williams17d ago

Switched to stainless steel screws on everything I build out here in Arizona years ago. Had the same thing happen with a pergola, nails just couldn't handle the heat shrinking and swelling.

sam_rivera17d ago

Just ditch the nails completely for anything out here in the sun. I learned that lesson on my own patio cover, those little galvanized nail heads popped right off after a few months. Stainless steel screws are the only way to go if you want it to last more than one summer. Even ceramic coated screws can crack in this dry heat. You paid for cedar, might as well use the right hardware to hold it together.