Hi
I am a remodeler / home repair guy in the Boston area. Its the beginning of painting season here and time to repair all the rotten exterior trim. When replacing trim I prefer one of the PVC products – Koma, Azek etc. Typically I lay down a bead of polyurethane caulk then hand nail with either 2-1/2″ nails, either stainless, galvanized or the white coated PVC nails.
Hand nailing is obviously time consuming. Has anyone used either 15ga or 16ga galvanized finish nails from a nail gun in this type of application? If so how do they hold up? I am especially concerned with what happens when it gets hot and the material expands. In New England the South side of a house is usually in the worst shape and I would not want a call back because the trim is popping off the house on a hot summer day.
Thanks
HomeCPR
Replies
Hello there,
I run a small remodeling outfit in Natick, MA. I've installed a good deal of PVC trim in the past two years. Using finish nails would really make me nervous with our temperature swings. PVC expands and contracts a great deal and it wouldn't take much to pull past those tiny finish heads.
I've had great luck with a siding nailer and the appropriate length ring shank SS nail. Coil nailers are nice and light and still pack a good punch. I use the SS because PVC trim is a long-life product. It only makes sense to me that the fastners should be top quality as well. Siding nails also have plenty of tooth and a head large enough for good holding power and small enough to be concealed easily. I've also spoken to guys who use SS screws....little too rich for my blood. I save those for finer decking and such.
Thanks.
I thought ring shank nails would be a good choice also but the Koma installation guide - http://www.coastalforestproducts.com/products/koma/komainstall.htm - from Coastal Forest Product specfically recommends against ring shank and suggestes finish nails.
I think I may have heard that before somewhere. Any idea why they recommend not using ring shank? I dunno though.....finish nails on exterior trim larger than maybe a 1X4 still makes me nervous. Been wrong before though.
ADDED: A coil siding nailer still makes for a good installation...ring shank or not. I've got a Hitachi and would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone.
Edited 4/13/2004 8:59 pm ET by dieselpig
Yes I tried a Hitachi coil nailer on some test pieces and it did a wonderful job. There is a new Hitachi, the NV75AG, that shots both siding and framing nails it looks very tempting!
I have installed tons of Azec here on Martha's Vineyard. Use a coil gun, with stainless nails or galvanized nails. I prefer the light weight Hitachi coil nailer, which takes multple brands, is extremely lightweight, and durable. Good luck, and watch the edges on the Azec, which are sharp and concave slightly. ......BRH