Hi Everybody!
I’m working to upgrade some old aluminum, single pane windows to vinyl double pane. My house is a manufactured home from the early 70’s. Now that I’ve pulled off the trim, it looks like I’m in for lots of staple pulling to remove plywood siding. Any suggestions? Is there a good tool for staple pulling? Good techniques?
Thanks!
Replies
I'm guessing these are air-driven wide crown staples? For those I use regualr nail puller. Makes a mess of the ply if the claws aren't fairly sharp and new. Tedious too.
Why are you pulling sheathing off? If it's just to enlarge window openings you can cut with recip saw, framing and all, and never mind the staples.
The original aluminum windows were set into the rough opening and then the sheathing was applied over the top of the flanges. Guess that was the "manufacturing" technique ...... Tedious is RIGHT! Didn't know if there was a special tool or technique out there.
You can remove the aluminum window frames without removing the trim, or any exterior work at all. I've done it a thousand times. Remove glass, insert pry bar behind the aluminum frame, insert wooden block between pry bar and plaster, pry as hard as you can. Move bar, and repeat as needed. Basically the fins will break around the nails(if there are any), and you can slide the window frame from between siding and sheathing. That was the window of choice around here in the 70's(good for me, bad for home owners).
I've done it the same way dustinf. Usually, I make a saw kerf in the first side jamb. It breaks at the kerf. Then I peel the other three sides out with the big wrecking bar.
Each window takes me one minute. It takes longer to remove the curtains!
blue
I have a hand held staple puller from an upholsters shop. Works great on most staples that can fit a bang stapler. I've never tried it on heavy duty staples (roofing). I would probably grind them off.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
You can get one of the minature Wonderbars and grind down the short leg to a better chisel point. There's a notch in the middle of the short leg, generally, that lets you use half the width to get under the staple.
This works a little better than a cats-paw style puller, but still it's a bunch of work.
Removed some stapled underlayment once using a hand held 3"? electric grinder, ground the piece of metal off that connects the 2 staple legs, then popped it right up with a wonder bar. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!!
My favorite staple pulling tool is a pair of fencing pliers.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00070FQM0/ref=hi_de_a_smp/002-8918040-2880864?v=glance&s=hi&n=228013&vi=pictures&img=14#more-pictures
I place the hooked side in position by the crown of the staple and give the "hammer side" of the pliers a tap with my hammer and it digs the staple out. Works just like a catspaw for staples.