Has anyone ever put up vinyl siding with an air stapler. Have nailed it by hand but i am going to start on my new house soon and have a chance to get a new tool for this if I need it and was wondering if stapling
is any quicker than nailing by and and is the cost of the tool justified. Thanks to all who take time to answer
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First, welcome to BT! Generally, we don't sugar coat it, just give straight answers.
That is a pretty specialized tool... a siding stapler... no doubt it would save you time, but just to do one house? You probably would use it rarely if ever after the house is done... Personally, I'd spend the money on a helper...
Unfortunately, you won't get a lot of responses here - not a lot of vinyl fans - to me, it has it's place...
Edited 8/21/2005 6:58 pm ET by Matt
There are sidings that are designed to be stapled- Wolverine Millenium is one of them. There's a flexible band between the nailing fin and the body of the siding, which allows for the required expansion/contraction. If you staple conventional vinyl siding without using the special siding stapler (which leaves the staples proud to allow movement), it'll buckle all overthe first time the weather changes.
As already said, popping around $500 for the correct gun probably won't pay for itself on that one job. If you're going to use it frequently in the future, that's a different story.
Bib
I have used the Wolverine Millenium on one job and it does work very well. I would recommend it over the others. If I remember correctly, I think it has a 165mph wind rating. Cutting it on the saw is a little of a pain because it want to grab the flexible hem.
I have a Senco model # something40 and I paid $200 for it locally and I have seen the same prices online. There is an attachment part that can be added to the nose that will center the nose in the slot of the vinyl siding that costs around $25 with shipping(this is for the regular stuff and trim accesories, not the Millenium brand). The Senco gun I have is Oil-less and very lightweight. Great for someone that has major should injuriesI believe it is a 7/16" crown. I'd have to check
Absolutely no! Vinyl siding has to be able to expand and contract. You don't nail tight, the nail head has to be left out, not pounded in. The only nails you put in tight are the top ones on corner and J-channels. One nail in the whole wall, put in tight, will cause buckling that can effect many rows of the siding. This is a hand nailing job. Make sure you read the manufacturers instructions.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I have an ISM 1/2 sheather stapler that I bought the siding attachment for and have had very good sucess--Just note that snap out the studs on the house wrap so I hit consistant studs .
The tool gives me double duty as a regular stapler with the stock nose and and vinyl stapler with the assesory nose.
Compared to hand nailing it is no contest with the ISM--even if I miss on every now and then I carry a side cutter and snip the staple crown to relieve the pinch and sink another one groove over.
I literaly takes longer to cut and clip the piece on then it takes to secure it.
With that said I don't have a passion for vinyl but when a HO want s to hire me to reside their house It is awful hard to say no.
Good luck Mike
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I have a similar set up to Mike's but have had varying results. Since I do remodeling sometimes the surface isn't consistant and it varies from nailing so hard it breaks the siding to being to loose. DanT
Dan--All the vinyl I have put up has been on existing homes and I to had that problem--like when I miss the stud--Hense I map out the wall well to avoid that.Sounds like a regulaor prob. ---Too small a hose--too long?The only time I pinch the siding is when I miss the stud--Assumeing the studs are the same age and the sheathing is the same material and age I can't imagine how varied the surface would be.What kind of gun do you have? Is the vinyl nose adjustable? I know vinyl isn't the cream of the crop but around these parts it is very popular cause of our harsh weather towards wood--Hardi-plank is coming on strong and with the new tools the dust isn't near the problem it once was.MIke" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I have a Porter Cable 7/16" stapler. Use it for vinyl floor sub floor a lot.
Part of the issue when doing vinyl on an existing house is the need for varying depths based on the location in reference to the old siding. So if you are putting a piece up on an area where the old siding is low it is tough with a stapler to keep it from going too deep and making the siding pull in too much. Hope that makes sense.
I think you are right about the stud issue. I also think the staple would be much better suited for new construction vinyl. It is really popular here too. Even high end homes use it for soffits and accent to brick. We usually only do a house or partial house a year. Not one of the areas we really are competative in as the guys that hang it all the time are really fast and work for almost nothing. DanT
Now I see how the differing depths come into play--I have yet to do a house over the existing siding--I dispise the sunken window look , besides how many chances do you get to inspect the sheathing--The houses I have done I have stripped the existing, usually cedar shakes and one time Masonite lap siding, This planes out the wall and gives me a "level playing field" You have that right about being competitive with vinyl install--the families I have worked for are interested in my services and usually don't shop around--I tell them right up front that they could get it done cheaper, but probely not nicer and not with out customer service that I provide. Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Yeah, the varying depth makes the stapler a guileteen (spelling?) of sorts. In our area I have only seen a house stripped a couple of times........ever! Really unusual. We are stripping one in October, taking the aluminum siding off and insulating it. This time they are going for the natural wood finish with paint. Really unusual.
Man......do you ever sleep, or just a night owl? As you can see I am a morning person but your posts are like a lot of Bucks, late as hell. DanT
Uh Dan ...
4:58 IS late as hell!
off to bed ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
That's not late, that's early! I get up at around 5AM every morning. A big sleep in for me is 6. I only sleeep 5 or 6 hours a night. More than I ever have now that I am getting older. In my 20's I would go on 2 - 3 regularly. Wearing out I guess lol. DanT
Stripping a house of Alum. did you sign that you get recycling right to the stuff. You should --have you seen the price of Alum.?A while back there was a story of a house in Mpls. that was being sided in Alum. and the load was dropped off on a Fri. afternoon and when the installers came on Mon. the material they were promised wasn't there. Guess where they found it--Yup--in the pile at the recyclers. bandit stole the whole load took it out of the boxes and bent it up to make it look like a tear off and cashed it in.How would you like to explain that to the insurance company--let alone the HO.?Have I mentioned that I have kids and am self-employed? You have no idea how much stuff I can build in the garage when the kids are in bed the phone is quiet, and the music is rolling--I regually get home--mess with the kids--have dinner--play more--say goodnight and get out to the garage for a couple of hours--like 4 hours of regular work in two cause I can concentrate. Little time on BT and off to bed--Rinse, Lather, Repeat---Repeat ---Etc. If you think I am up late--Buck is an hour ahead of me-------Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Duo Fast makes a staple gun just for vinyl. It has two spacer pins at the tip so that the staple does not set tight. I have using these guns for about 10 years and they work great.
You can buy one for about 100 dollars at Duo FAst. I have three and I would not want to put up siding without them. The actual brand is Apach if you want to search the web about them.
AS far holding power, you will tear the vinyl apart before the staples come loose.
NEXTLEVEL
I have used an air stapler for half a dozen houses in vinyl, works great. used a Bostich sheating stapler with the adjustable depth nose. Just put 1 leg of the staple centred in the slot of the vinyl , adjust the depth so as not to drive it tight, your just trying to 'hang ' the vinyl on the house. Did a large 2 story farm house, had wood clapboard, covered it with 3/8 poly iso ridge foam, then the vinyl, used 2" sheeting staples. ALL BY MY SELF, goes really fast w/ a staplerer, no problems with any of the jobs I did 5 - 10 yrs ago. Have a depth atachment for my roofing nailer, but it is to hard to see the centre of the slot.
IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYONE COULD DO IT !