Bright nails have no finish. They can cause rust streaks if they are used in siding or decking, for example.

A common way of making nails corrosion-resistant is to coat them with zinc. Hot-dipped (H.D.) nails have been galvanized by dipping them in molten zinc. Electro galvanized nails are plated with zinc, and are not as corrosion-resistant as hot-dipped nails. A third process peens zinc onto the nail. By roughening the nail's surface, all these treatments – but especially hot-dipping – increase the holding power of the nail.