Thanks to all for the comments and suggestions that have lead me to decide on fiber cement claps for my new house. I have been using Paslodes for years and am wondering if any one has nailed this siding with these nailers. I will be using stainless fasteners and a non-marring tip if I go this route.
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I use a hitachi coil siding nailer. I don't think the stainless nails are necessary. Fiber cement siding is usually blind nailed. Nails go an inch to an 1" to 1-1/4" down from the top of the piece, and then are covered by the piece below. No exposed nails means galvanized nails are fine.
I tried using a coil roofing nailer as suggested in a FH article> I was nailing up Certainteed brand cement siding. I had to finish adriving all the nails by hand. Don't know if it was the siding or the nailer. Next house, I used a coil siding nailer and used James Hardi brand siding. I much prefer the Hardi siding to work with. Not as brittle. I also use Paslode guns and have used them for cememt siding. Just adjust the depth till your happy with it (see siding nailing instructions for depth). If you miss the stud behind the sheathing, sometimes the nail goes right through beacause the clipped head fo the Paslode doesn't have as much resisitance as the full head siding nails of a coil nailer. Try your paslode before buying a new gun.
Chris Calhoun
Blackstone Builders
Douglas, GA
I use a coil nailer to blind nail and my framing nailer to face nail at butt joints (stainless steel nails).
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
From James Hardie website:
Do not use aluminum fasteners, staples, or clipped head nails.
http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/installation/hardiplank_installation.php
Hey Bill,
I use 1.5" screw shank stailess or HDG here in hawaii, and nail about every foot with hitachi coiler. Hard to always get on stud sometimes without wasting time getting lined up on tyvek wrap and windy days on a pump jack....fun!
Hardi approves this method to use, not sure about others though
The Paslode doesn't like cement dust too much and hafta reload way too often, would be a PIA in my opinion.
Gives you an excuse to get a new toy. (I mean tool)
Get the lap gauges too, especialy if solo, hook the springy thing on the bottom edge of the piece you are installing, lift and hooks onto the piece on the wall just enough that you get a couple nails in then nail off like norm.
So the lap gauges really work? should I keep my helper at home? would save some $$$$$?
Grunge on. http://grungefm.com
Works best with a little tweak of the end that hooks onto the piece on the wall. Just a little with vice grip or a hammer whack. The ones I got feel like they want to slide off, a little tweak and they hang just right.Still gotta have the poor guy to set up and haul it all up the scaffolding for ya! ; )
My Hitachi shoots a 2-1/4" round head glvanized nail. My Paslode framing nailer isn't made for siding, I hope when you said your Paslode you weren't talking about a framing nailer.
woodroe,
I am sorry if I misled you or maybe I got it wrong. I was under the impression that it was the Paslode cordless impulse gun, which I have and use on occasion ( I fired a couple nails for lap siding thinking this would be handy up on scaffold, nail bends, head snaps off and now I'm pissed off, go figure.) The hitachi coiler is my gun of choice for Hardi siding though.
Paslode framing nailers have a quirk. I used mine to attach 35 square of cedar shakes. It worked with the shakes without splitting them ...
HOWEVER. Pay attention to the quirks
Paslode nailers have the dual point shoe to regulate the depth of the nails penetration or set depth. (that is the piece that breaks if you put it out too far) This shoe works consistently if you hold the nailer at the exact same angle every time. If you place it with the nail rail close to the surface nailed, the nail will set much deeper. Conversely roll it up on the nose and you leave the heads proud.
It is the operator who controls the set. The cordless gun is really consistent
The problems are:
Deeper set.. cracks the cedar shakes
Proud heads.. make for a bit of rework.
The nailer has a bit of art to it, but it beats the heck out of hand nailing. I don't think this setting depth issue is confined to Paslode only. I suppose it depends on the shoe design.
I used my Rigid framing nailer with (I think) 8d ring shanks and it worked very well. Took about 5-6 nails to get the depth set right, but then it was full speed ahead.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
The Certainteed product, blind nailed with clipped head galvanized from the Paslode, has been on my house for about 3 years with absolutely no problems. It may be the best looking part of this little weekend project now into it's 5th year. The depth-of-drive issue was easily mastered after a couple of strips were shot in; and, it is important to keep a consistent angle in order to get consistent depth.
I used my pasload framer 9 yrs ago and have not had a problem -- one thing I did do was I used the soft tip on the framer so it would not dent the clapboards -- Clipped head worked ok -- just made sure they were not flush and a little proud of the clapboard -- may have put a few extra ones in on each row as insurance -- Dudley