Hello all,
I’m installing some cypress novelty siding, and curious about using a pneumatic nailer instead on hand nailing. I’ve only every hand nailed the siding with shank siding nails. Obviously, this is super time consuming…and a real pain to countersink each nail to hide it.
Any suggestions on types of nails to use with a pneumatic nailer? I have a 16 gauge bostitch finish nailer and dewalt framing nailer.
Thanks,
Tom
Replies
Greetings renobird,
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again which will increase it's viewing.
Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
is it Saturday yet?
Yes, I have installed many a shake and you need a siding/sheathing nailer from bostich. I think its called an "Bostitch N64C-1 " . It shoots ring shank nails up to 2 1/4". I buy the stainless steel so they wont rust . Great gun for sheathing, trim work , siding etc. the nails have a small cap head so the shakes will stay put. A framing gun would split the shakes and a finish gun would not have capped heads or the ring shank holding power. You'll wonder how you made money any other way,great gun .Good luck.
Heres a link http://www.amazon.com/Bostitch-N64C-1-Industrial-Fencing-Siding/dp/B00005RZMZ
What, exactly, do you mean by "novelty" siding? I'm assuming it's some sort of horizontal siding, but beyond that, I'm not sure of the format. Is it rabbeted?
Lots of "old work" from the pre 1930s time period used countersunk casing nails (a little beefier version of a finish nail). If you want to avoid seeing nail heads, then you can use 15ga nails from a finish nailer. The 15ga nail has a small head on it and works pretty well for horizontal siding. However, the 15ga nails alone are not really that robust of a solution. If using bevel siding with mitered corners, for example, I'll put in a traditional siding nail (it has an abbreviated head and is typically 5d or 7d) by hand a few inches in from each miter at the outside corner.
If seeing the nail heads is not a big deal, then you can shoot ring shanks through a coil nailer as AllTrade suggested. The only problem I've had with that approach is that the nails can be overdriven fairly easily using a pneumatic gun. Especially in remodel work, the hardness of the sheathing seems to vary a lot; even when you think you've got the depth dialed in, you can hit a soft spot and overdrive the nail.
Ragnar17,Thanks for the advice. Novelty siding (or german siding) is pretty traditional in the south...especially where I'm at in North Florida.
Not sure if it's called something else other places...but it's basically horizontal siding.I attached a photo.I installed the siding over the weekend, and decided on stainless ring shank siding nails. I gave up on the idea of hiding them (mostly because it takes forever). Hand nailing is still a time consuming method, but I'll stick with it for now.--
Tom
up North here We'd be calling that BARN siding,What ever! Dave
Around here thats sometimes refered to as Dutch lap sidding.
Doug
Good choice , after seeing the siding ( when nails are visable) always better to hand nail!
Yeah...handnailing seems to be the way to go.
I tried a few tests with the finish nailer, but didn't want to risk it.
The siding is cypress...way too expensive to mess around with.: )--
Tom
Thanks for the picture, Tom.
I've seen that siding in the Northwest, too -- but typically in the very late Victorian time period -- maybe up to about 1905 or so. Our local lumberyard carries it -- I think they call it "drop siding" (but I'm not sure).
Regards,
Ragnar
Tom,
novelty, dutch lap, or drop siding are names I'm familiar with .......
"...and a real pain to countersink each nail to hide it."
why are you counter-sinking and where are you nailing? You should only be setting the nail "just flush" with the siding, not counter-sinking more than a "hair"... if that. The nail should be applied just above the rabbet of the board you are nailing.. so that you are not nailing thru the lower board.... this allows wood movement without splitting.
Geoff
Hi Geoffrey,I didn't countersink the nails this time around.
The other times I've installed this siding, I would countersink just a hair...but I realized that was a bit of overkill. I've always used the nailing pattern you mentioned.
Thanks for the advice though.: )I'll post some pics here soon.--
Tom
Hey Tom,
pics would be great!
Geoff
Drop lap siding is just one with ship lap edges.There are a number of different patterns in dropped siding.But I am guessing that they all have similar installation problems..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.