16 or 18 Gauge for baseboard

[Rich Riddle]

Do you folks recommend using an 18 gauge brad nailer or 16 gauge finish nailer to nail in baseboard?

As a side note, I have three 16 gauge finish nailers, a Craftsman magnesium, Grex, and Senco but only a Craftsman magnesium 18 gauge brad nailer. Any suggestions for a better 18 gauge brad nailer if that's the recommendation you folks make?

[Don Jarvie]

16g. I put all my baseboard on with 18g brads and its not coming off but could use a few brads here and there after 10 years.

Nothing wrong with a Craftsman nailer. I've had my bradnailer for 18 years and no issues.

[Tad Capar]

I'd use 16 ga to nail it to the wall, 18 ga to nail outside miter joints. For casing I use 16 ga to nail it to the wall, 18 ga to nail it to door jambs and outside of the miter joints.

[Peter J Lee]

I used a Senco 18 gauge to put up effectively 1 x 8 oak baseboard. Senco talks about the coating on their fasteners. I don't know how true it is but they're on solidly. I had a couple spots on casing and picture molding where I needed a bit more reach than the 2" capacity of my gun and I used trim screws but probably would have used a 16 if I had it.

[Troy Turner]

I've got an 18 gauge Craftsman that I shoot 2" brads from. Did all the baseboards and crown in the house with no problems.

[Dave Zellers]

You don't say what the thickness of the baseboard is (9/16", 3/4"?) but regardless, I wouldn't use anything less than 16g 2 1/2". It's not about how it looks right after you nail it, it's about how it looks years later. I use 15g 2 1/2" nails in my old Senco finish nailer and sleep well knowing it's going to stay right where I nail it.

[scott vroom]

For wood 15 gauge (18 gauge for the jamb side of casing). For MDF, 16 gauge or even 18 at times. MDF kinda explodes around the nail head...a PITA to repair, plus MDF is highly stable compared to wood so can get away with smaller gauge.

For crown we make and install KD fir nailers, over-nailed w/2-1/2 15G. Makes nailing the crown eazy-peazy.

[Jonathan Clement]

I have have done a fair amount of upgrading the trim in our home and have had good success using 18 gauge brads for crown and base moulding (Bostitch compressor and nailer).

[Jim Andrew]

18 gauge nails just don't hold well. They are great in oak where a bigger nail is more likely to split the wood, but look at the nails as they are positioned in the clip, turn the nailer so the bevel is positioned so it is with the grain, and the square side of the nail is across the grain, so it does not split the wood. For holding power, a 15 gauge nailer works well.