If you are wondering what size is a 10d nail, you aren’t alone. This common nail is only 0.148 inches in diameter, three inches long, and D-width. The building code defined it one place. That means 100 three-1/2″ nails equal 16 denarii or pennies. Then, in 16th century Italy, a 1000 8-penny nails weighed eight pounds. Unfortunately, this definition didn’t explain the length of a 10-d nail.
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0.148″ diameter
A common nail with a diameter of 0.148 inches is known as a 10D. Its length is three inches, and the diameter is one-tenth of an inch. This nail has the correct length, as long as the thickness of the member it is being driven into is equal to or greater than the nail’s diameter. However, there are instances where a nail with a diameter of less than 0.148 inch may be used. These nails are not typically picked up by an inspection agency, so it’s crucial to follow the building codes that describe the size of each nail.
3″ long
In the building code, the 10d common nail was defined as 0.148 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. That’s the minimum penetration required for a 10d nail in 3/8-inch-thick sheathing. While it’s impossible to define a 10d nail’s length in terms of thickness, users often make the assumption that it’s at least 2 inches long. In reality, the length of a 10D nail should be between three and four inches depending on the thickness of the sheathing.
D-width
A D-width is a standard men’s shoe size and is wide for ladies’ shoes. It is generally three to five inches across the ball of the foot, depending on the size. For example, a size 10D men’s shoe will have a D-width of four inches while a size 14D men’s shoe will have a width of 4.5 inches. The D-width of a shoe is equivalent to the width of a size 14D shoe.
