Here's a story we missed back in 2006: the
HurriQuake Nail, Stanley Bostitch's advanced entry into the
ring-shank nail market. Developed by a team led by engineer Ed
Sutt (now with Simpson Strong-Tie), the HurriQuake nail has
aggressive rings on the end of the shaft to bite into framing
members, a smooth shank on the upper portion so that sheathing
isn't held away from the framing by the rings, and a wider head
to resist pull-through.
The new nail won a
"
Best of What's New" award from Popular Science in 2006
— which may not impress you, but is rumored to impress
some home-buyers. The PopSci.com videos aren't live any more,
but there's a
Bostitch's infomercial where you can see the nails go
through laboratory testing to demonstrate their holding
power.
Of course, you can also drive ring-shank nails by hand. And in
Florida, at least, that's what you'll have to do if you don't
find a ring-shank gun nail: Florida codes call for ring-shank
nails on roof sheathing in all high-wind zones. There's good
reason for it: Ring-shank nails have around twice the
withdrawal resistance of smooth-shank nails. In a hurricane,
that could be enough to save a roof — or a house.