# Forum Home Renovation Structural Renovation  best sized nails for fixing weatehrboards

## tobymcclure

hey guys , im looking to buy a new gun so that i can start re-boarding section of my house. Im was looking into buying a fixing gun that would take up to 64mm angled racks. I happen to score 2 box's of senco's so i was thinking of using them. The problem is im not sure if the haed would be big enough. WHat size , angle , even brand do people recommend to use when re-boarding houses   
many thanks

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## nww1969

Best thing to do is ask your supplier of the weatherboards. 
I reclad with weathergroove which is a masonite product which has a special nail head
just designed for this product, I used the old fashion method of Hammer and nail.

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## rrobor

I would'nt use a nail gun on weatherboards, I dont think it would give enough control.  You could nail too tight and spit boards

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## tobymcclure

i only assumed you would use the nail gun to save time. So i take it tradies use the old simple method of hammer and nail ?

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## rrobor

Oh Ive no doubt lots will use a nail gun, and perhaps a good tradie would have the skill to get an exact weight on the gun. An amateur though, I think you would be pushing your luck. You must remember that nail is not hit hard home or you will crack the board.

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## barney118

I used 65mm gal bullet heads on mine with the old hammer and nail.I have a nail gun but I find it hard to take off a weatherboard if you use the nail gun as the glue makes the board stick alright and you will guarantee to either split the weatherboard if you need to remove / repair at a later date and the head of the nails on nailguns shear off when you pull them out which can cause you issues renailing.

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## tobymcclure

> Oh Ive no doubt lots will use a nail gun, and perhaps a good tradie would have the skill to get an exact weight on the gun. An amateur though, I think you would be pushing your luck. You must remember that nail is not hit hard home or you will crack the board.

  
If i dont hit it home or atleast use the nail punch , then ill see every nail ? sorry just may have read your post wrong.

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## rrobor

Woa lad weatherboards are nailed at the top ONLY then the nail heads are covered over with the next board. If you nailed top and bottom they will pull themselves apart. As they stack there is a gap between the board and the stud, its not flat. There is a correct position to drive the nail, I think its about 1cm from the top but I could be wrong. Never ever nail the bottom. Also fit sarking which your house wont have if its old. Please, before you start do a bit of research as to coverage, guides to keep boards at the correct distance and the like. There is a skill in fitting weatherboards, do it wrong and it will destroy itself. or look shocking.

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## Eastwing

> Woa lad weatherboards are nailed at the top ONLY then the nail heads are covered over with the next board. If you nailed top and bottom they will pull themselves apart. As they stack there is a gap between the board and the stud, its not flat. There is a correct position to drive the nail, I think its about 1cm from the top but I could be wrong. Never ever nail the bottom. Also fit sarking which your house wont have if its old. Please, before you start do a bit of research as to coverage, guides to keep boards at the correct distance and the like. There is a skill in fitting weatherboards, do it wrong and it will destroy itself. or look shocking.

  Yeah not really good info here, I hope you only use that technique on your own house. Weatherboards are nailed at the bottom of the board, if you have 30mm of cover the nail will be driven about 35-38mm from the bottom, making sure you don't nail through the top of the last board you put on. I would not use a fixing gun (lots do) I use a coil nailer with a good quality gal nail. Now what was your original question? Oh an make sure you use breather foil under timber boards 
Have a look here for a better explanation   http://www.timber.org.au/resources/R...%2072dpi_0.pdf

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## rrobor

I would suggest that the information shown in the timber org thing is for use with a nail gun so as not to split the board. It, I would suggest is the new method and will work but gives exposed nailes. I believe the traditional method differed, and as I would prefer not to see the nail, it would be under the overlap. as such a hammer is the reqired tool.

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## Eastwing

I really hope you are only joking, if not you have no idea, and really should not be giving advise. I'm not sure of this traditional method you talk of. I've been a carpenter for almost 20 years, The carpenter I trained under was a carpenter for 30 years before he trained me, my grandfather worked as a carpenter since the 1930's. Your method must pre date all of us. 
Looking through your past posts I see you weigh in on any subject with little if any factual information, I do find your posts funny others may not if they build something using your advise. I'm not sure of your area of expertise, building standards and codes is not it.

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## Eastwing

> There is a skill in fitting weatherboards, do it wrong and it will destroy itself. or look shocking.

  That is some good advise.

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## TermiMonster

Eastwing is correct, IMHO.
TM

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## rrobor

Yes after some research I was incorrect. The correct method was shown on the PDF. But you know i waited quite some time before I posted and  I think we all agree Toby needed advice, I asked him to do some research.  Then yes I got ity wrong. But guess what, Toby now knows exactly how it should be done. How good is that.

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## tobymcclure

> Yeah not really good info here, I hope you only use that technique on your own house. Weatherboards are nailed at the bottom of the board, if you have 30mm of cover the nail will be driven about 35-38mm from the bottom, making sure you don't nail through the top of the last board you put on. I would not use a fixing gun (lots do) I use a coil nailer with a good quality gal nail. Now what was your original question? Oh an make sure you use breather foil under timber boards 
> Have a look here for a better explanation http://www.timber.org.au/resources/R...%2072dpi_0.pdf

  
thanks mate, the PDF file was exactly what i was looking for. Ive got a coil gun as well so ill use that instead of the fixing gun.  
The sarking is a must , but i knew that before hand.  
As for doing my reasearch, thanks for pointing out the obvious, would doing my research , count as asking these sort of questions before i under went any work count as research.  Im hardly an idiot , i just work in another industry , Im not a seasoned carpenter. So sorry if my questions came accross idiotic...................................... 
thanks to every one for the help.

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## tobymcclure

Is there a rule of thunmb when it comes to the size's of the timber used for stop Head / Beads for the finish of an extrernal join. I only ask becuase i would have to sya that there are not 2 the same size. Im not neededing to do an internal join just curoius about that too.. 
again thanks guys

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## Eastwing

> Im not a seasoned carpenter. So sorry if my questions came accross idiotic......................................

  Questions were fine some of the answers were a bit off. 
I would use a 50mm ring shank gal coil nail, good luck and make sure you get breather foil.

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## Eastwing

> Is there a rule of thunmb when it comes to the size's of the timber used for stop Head / Beads for the finish of an extrernal join. I only ask becuase i would have to sya that there are not 2 the same size. Im not neededing to do an internal join just curoius about that too.. 
> again thanks guys

  Yeah standard weatherboard stop comes in internal and external sizes. you can get it from bum-rings. Make sure you get a can of endseal if you use the pre primed stuff. I also use it to spray the cut ends of weatherboards, as it can sometimes be hard to keep a pot of paint on the go when it's hot. 
one last tip when you get a join on a wall I use a bit of plastic damp proof behind the join. I think it's about 110 wide, I just cut bits about 250 long and slip them behind any joins.

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## tobymcclure

thanks again, i was planning on sealing all the end's and cuts. Ill make sure i get some damp proof for the wall joins too. thanks

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