Fitting external cladding

Joined
10 Dec 2008
Messages
832
Reaction score
17
Location
Jersey Marine
Country
United Kingdom
Large project to clad ... using Red Pine Thermowood (being delivered next week)

Rather than fix it with hammer & nail, it would be much better to pneumatic nail ...

I have a 16g brad nailer .... is this suitable for the job ? ......... the shiplap pattern means that nails will be going through only 10mm thick Thermowood, into a 50x50 softwood batten.

Just wondering if 32mm Stainless brads would be strong enough.

The alternative would be to use a 10mm wide x 32mm long staple ... I have the gun, but can't find a source of stainless staples unless I want to buy a 50,000 box at more than £150 (only need 4000)
 
Sponsored Links
Brad nails have a very small head, and i have seen some instances where the boards just pull over the head, though normally this is an issue where there are high wind loads (tall or coastal buildings), or where undue expansion pushes them about. If we are talking a typical domestic 2 story house, then no problem.

a possible issue with shot firing soft timbers* is that when shot fire, you can get varying density and so sometimes overshoot the nails if care is not taken.

I'm also confused as to why only 10mm thick, are the boards 10mm thick, or are you only fixing them at the top edge of the board under the overlap. If so, this wont work, it will leave the bottom of the board free to curl outwards, look at the profile and you will see the fixing needs to go 1/4 up from the bottom of the board, so the overlap holds the top of the board below down.

If the boards are thicker, say 19mm, then 32mm nails will be abit weedy unless they are annular ringshank (32-19=13mm of fixing going into the batten)



*not necessarly softwoods but soft timbers like cedar, the thermal process can make timbers softer and more brittle
 
This is for a single storey 'oak barn style' out building. Two sides are made of timber frame construction (OSB sheets on 100 x 50 frame)
There is then a 50 x 50 vertical batten, the shiplap is being fixed to this batten.

http://tinyurl.com/lsgyyc

The intent is to secret nail, the thickness of the part that the nail goes through is the 10mm I referred to.
 
I don't think brads are recommended as they may pull through the board, or otherwise be too flexible in terms of lateral movement of the boards

Also fixings should normally be 2.5x the board thickness, so if these boards are typical 15mm profiles, then the brads are not enough anyway

And check the boards potential for bowing and cupping, as secret nailing may not restrain them

Finally, be careful with power nailiers, as the nails tend to get driven in at various depths - so look crap on the face, or may go straight through or split tongues
 
Sponsored Links
I don't think brads are recommended as they may pull through the board, or otherwise be too flexible in terms of lateral movement of the boards

Also fixings should normally be 2.5x the board thickness, so if these boards are typical 15mm profiles, then the brads are not enough anyway

And check the boards potential for bowing and cupping, as secret nailing may not restrain them

Finally, be careful with power nailiers, as the nails tend to get driven in at various depths - so look crap on the face, or may go straight through or split tongues
If you use the 2.5 x board thickness ... the thickness at fixing point is 10 mm ... so 25mm would be long enough ... was thinking of using 32mm so well over that.
However I am following thoughts here that wood could pull off the nail, as head on 16G brads is quite small.
 
The guidelines for fixing Thermowood recommend that secret nailing is avoided, and for boards under 120mm one fixing at the bottom 1/4 point of the board or 30mm from edge, and double nails for wider boards

Nails to sit flush with the surface. If using brads, use more fixings to counter lower pull resistance

Despite its treatment, I still think that this type of cladding undergoes quite a bit of seasonal dimensional movement, which needs to be restrained with better fixings than brads
 
The guidelines for fixing Thermowood recommend that secret nailing is avoided, and for boards under 120mm one fixing at the bottom 1/4 point of the board or 30mm from edge, and double nails for wider boards

Nails to sit flush with the surface. If using brads, use more fixings to counter lower pull resistance
....

Do you have that fixing detail ? could you upload it, or email it ?..... I have a full spec pack, and all I can find is that stainless nails should be used, and fixing should be by pneumatic nailer to avoid splitting.
My boards are 135mm wide.

Considering buying a coil nailer and using 2.1mm galv nails - other option so far is to drill a pilot hole for each and use Gunnebo grooved nails (these are thin and good holding power)

There are also the 'Green' decking nails, but never used these.
 
Stainless steel nails, dont consider galvanized.

Is it shiplap, or is it T&G?

You can't secret nail shiplap, think about it. The boards overlap each other, they do not lock into each other, so the fixing needs to be near the overlap to provide restraint

You need to put 1x fixing 1/4 from the bottom of the board, making sure it is above the overlap and not through both boards.

EDIT = you need to make sure the fixing pentrates into the batten by at least 20mm (this is minimal for a plain shank nail and more would be better), if you have a 50mm batten why skimp?
 
do you know of any good source for Stainless nails ? ..... these are extortinate everywhere I look.
 
I don't think you can put stainless steel nails, and cheap in the same sentance, without the word "not".

assume someone must sell them at fair price ... most of usual places sell them in 0.25kg bags ... and that is an expensive way to buy.
 
update ... bought a 2nd hand coil nailer .. that and a consignment of 21. x 50mm ring shank stainless nails are on their way to me.

Big buy to do the job .. but will sell nailer on afterwards.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top