Fastening

Fasteners are critical to the longevity of any siding job. Cheap nails often rust prematurely, leaving unsightly streaks or rusting away completely. For a quality installation:

  • Always use nails, not staples.
  • When blind nailing, use double-hot-dipped galvanized ring-shank nails.
  • For exposed fasteners, use stainless-steel ring-shank nails.
  • Nails should be long enough to penetrate the framing by at least 1 1/2 in:
  • Nail from the center the ends of the board or from one side to the other. Do not start at the ends and work towards the middle.
  • Nails should seat firmly against the siding. DO NOT overdrive nails.
A coil siding nailer is a must for fastening denser siding or trim products. Most shoot nails in lengths from 1 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches (5d to 8d), and a few can fire 3-inch (10d) nails.
Sue Burnet A coil siding nailer is a must for fastening denser siding or trim products. Most shoot nails in lengths from 1 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches (5d to 8d), and a few can fire 3-inch (10d) nails.

A must-have feature for engineered siding is an adjustable depth of drive on a pneumatic nailer; many nailers have a thumb wheel for this purpose. This practically eliminates the need to leave the work area to adjust your compressor’s regulator. Use no-mar rubber or plastic nosepieces to reduce the risk of damaging prefinished material.

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