*
My construction foreman told me that he will be
able to install the spruce clapboard siding on my
100 yr old house much faster if he doesn’t have to
use the stainless steel siding nails I purchased
for a Duofast framing nailer. He said the
stainless steel nails split the siding whenever he
tried to shoot them, and that he had installed siding
before using his Bostitch finish nailer and
galvanized 2.5 inch finish nails that he shoots
every foot in opposite diagonal directions to lock
in the siding (behind the siding of the 100 yr old
house is 3/4 inch pine sheathing).
I thought his idea might fly because of the number
of nails used and the nailing pattern. But then I
thought that corrosion of thinner nails in those
areas where I have reinstalled original cedar
siding might cause failure in 10 years or so (due
to tannins in cedar). But I figured that the
new spruce siding would not corrode the nails and his
idea prevents any nail head exposure or nail pops,
making for a nicer finished paint surface.
Most of the siding lengths are 6 feet or less, and
I thought the holding power of so many nails would
probably equal the holding power of the fewer but larger
stainless steel nails. (I think they are 10d stainless
steel nails)
Any opinions? Has anyone tried this? Or should I
just grind off the points of the stainless steel
nails and hope that a blunt nail won’t split the siding
when I shoot it?
I would be really bummed if the siding started falling
off in 20 years.
Replies
*
Robb:
Can you get thinner shanked SS nails for the Duofast framing gun?
*Check some of the nail suppliers in the back of FHB. Maze and Swan come to mind.
*Robb 10d nails may present a problem because they may split the siding and he doesn't sound like the type to predrill. Also they won't hold paint if that is a concern. Still I don't like the finish nail solution. Sounds like some one"s got it in their mind to go that route. Maze or one of the other manufactures have been putting out siding nails as long as I can rememember. They are good products. that 100 year old house won't mind if it takes another hour or to in the long run. Gool duck!
*Rob, Another 2 cents. 2.5 finish nails for siding is not a far fetched concept. Bostich and Senco can both provide them.We installed over 7,000 bd.ft. of vertical grain Douglas fir siding and fascia with stainless steel 2.5's. What I found most impressive was the fascia. It was 5 layer; with the upermost member being a 2x10. Out side miters are still tight 4 years later and the mitered butt joint show only slight cupping. Well, it is a 2x10. I have always been a fan of diagonal nailing. Seems to add more insurance than coated glue or size of fastener. Worth considering, Rick
*Rick - what profile was that Fir siding? Thanks - jb
*jb, It was board and batten with 3/16 kerfs in "field" and a double step down at edges. Fairly standard profile for architect(Fay Jones) Rick
*Is that sheathing run horizontal or diagonally? I'd still go for the old fastener into the stud program but it does take a little more effort. And whether You hand nail or gun it I prefer small head siding nails. For what it's worth.
*Is that sheathing run horizontal or diagonally? I'd still go for the old fastener into the stud program but it does take a little more effort. And whether You hand nail or gun it I prefer small head siding nails. For what it's worth. What did they use originally? Cut nails?
*hell if your gonna paint it and are worried about it falling off and your using a soft wood use galvanized drywall screws and counter sink the heads a little into the soft wood. Caulk the holes and it aint goin no where
*
Hey, thanks everyone for your responses. I think I will pick up
stainless steel 2.5 finish nails and use them. I'll call Maze or
Swan.
The original lap siding was 6' cedar w/ 4.5" exposure laid
horizontally with single face nail pattern. Nails were iron 10d's.
They were rusty and streaking. I pulled off all the old siding,
stripped it, and am going to reinstall it where I can and
where it's condition isn't too bad. Unfortunately, the new
stuff I got (1/4 sawn Spruce in 6' lengths and shorter)
doesn't have the same butt thickness as the old, so I can't
interlace old and new.
Does 1/4 sawn really hold paint better and last longer? The
stuff I pulled off was just face sawn cedar. Granted - it
was from old growth trees from 100 yrs ago - but it sure
held up just fine, and held paint fine too. The face sawn
cedar I can get from Home Depot would be a lot cheaper than
the 1/4 sawn shipped down from Maine. I still have to
purchase a load of it for the three remaining sides of the
house (no it probably won't get done this year [1.5 years
and all my money later [[money pit redefined]] ])
I like the idea of sinking counter sunk and filled screws for cheap
insurance. I'll probably buy a load of stainless steel screws and put
in one every three feet for cheap insurance. Then I'll be
able to sleep at night w/out worrying about the siding
falling off.
*
Robb save a buck spend two?
*Robb quarter-sawn is going to hold paint better than plain sawn. Smooth siding is usually run threw a planer. When the material is run threw a planner it actually crushes wood cells. When this happens it can create slick spots were paint will not be absorbed very well causing peeling. Thats why rough sawn cedar stained will outlast any paint,because it acts like a sponge. The quarter-sawn will absorb more paint, because of the direction of the growth rings.
*
My construction foreman told me that he will be
able to install the spruce clapboard siding on my
100 yr old house much faster if he doesn't have to
use the stainless steel siding nails I purchased
for a Duofast framing nailer. He said the
stainless steel nails split the siding whenever he
tried to shoot them, and that he had installed siding
before using his Bostitch finish nailer and
galvanized 2.5 inch finish nails that he shoots
every foot in opposite diagonal directions to lock
in the siding (behind the siding of the 100 yr old
house is 3/4 inch pine sheathing).
I thought his idea might fly because of the number
of nails used and the nailing pattern. But then I
thought that corrosion of thinner nails in those
areas where I have reinstalled original cedar
siding might cause failure in 10 years or so (due
to tannins in cedar). But I figured that the
new spruce siding would not corrode the nails and his
idea prevents any nail head exposure or nail pops,
making for a nicer finished paint surface.
Most of the siding lengths are 6 feet or less, and
I thought the holding power of so many nails would
probably equal the holding power of the fewer but larger
stainless steel nails. (I think they are 10d stainless
steel nails)
Any opinions? Has anyone tried this? Or should I
just grind off the points of the stainless steel
nails and hope that a blunt nail won't split the siding
when I shoot it?
I would be really bummed if the siding started falling
off in 20 years.