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Thread: Siding nailers & Hardie board

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    Skillman, NJ
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    Siding nailers & Hardie board

    Going to be doing a lot of remodeling on my own home for a change....and will be installing Hardie board siding. I am looking for the siding guys input on some siding nailers: Hitachi, Max or Makita? I know only the Max & Makita offer the sequential fire feature as standard and I feel this is quite an advanatage. While the bump feature is great for roofing where it is 3 or 4 shots per piece I would think you want a bit more precision with Hardie board since you have to nail to studs. I also sold off my Hitachi stick nailer last year so the Hitachi siding/framing coil nailer was a bit intriguing....any thoughts?

  2. #2

    Siding Nailer

    I think that if you check the literature on the Hardie Plank siding , it will tell you to use a roofing nail. The guys that put the Hardie Plank on my used a roofing nailer and have had no problems. They shot the nail at the top of the siding to hang the siding rather than the bottom and I am well pleased.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Kanasas City, MO
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    Paul,
    I resided my home with Hardi plan siding last year (as well as replaced the roof). I have a friend who's silly enough to climb on roof's everyday on the day job... She works for her Dad and they have used Hitachi forever. Her advice alone got me to buy the Hitachi Roofing and Siding. Both nailers are great, I had 2-3 jams TOTAL (one from the last nail drop out getting hung up & 2 from deformed coils). I think they NV45AB2 & NV65 something or other....
    Here's my reason for the siding nailer... better nail availibility. Almost every roofing nail you see today is electro-galvanized and Hardie spec's out either hot dipped or stainless, both are readily available for the siding nailer. The siding has a 50 year warranty (if I remember correctly).... and the electro-galzanized nails just don't seem like they'll stand that test of time. Most asphalt roofs aren't installed with nails meant to be around 50 years from now...
    The shank diameter and head size of most roofing nails are about what Hardie puts on the installation directions, but the superior coating available on the siding nails is worth it IMNSHO.....
    If you don't want to buy one, rent it and do it as the mfr. suggests and don't void the warranty out of the box...with my luck the "just in case something happens" is something I've never been "lucky" with, or had good luck with.
    It's great stuff to work with, but makes an epic dust cloud when cut with a circ saw!

    Cheers.
    Greg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Central Illinois
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    You can shoot siding nails with a framing nailer. I have a senco framing nailer which I am using to install the Hardie Siding on my house. I am shooting 2" and 3" stainless nails that I bought from McFeelys.

    Mike

  5. #5
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    Feb 2003
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    siding nails in a framer? really? Do you have a coil nailer or stick? any problems with depth settings? How about the no-marr tip?

  6. #6
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    Mar 2003
    Location
    Central Illinois
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    Paul, yes I just change out the nails if I want to do any framing. I didn't think I would use a siding nailer again after the project was over, but I would probably use a framer. It is an angled stick nailer that shoots full head nails. It has an adjustable depth stop. It has a standard claw tip for framing, but it also came with a no mar cover to use over the tip which is what I use for the siding.

    Mike

  7. #7
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    Feb 2003
    Location
    San Ramon, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Lutz View Post
    Paul, yes I just change out the nails if I want to do any framing. I didn't think I would use a siding nailer again after the project was over, but I would probably use a framer. It is an angled stick nailer that shoots full head nails. It has an adjustable depth stop. It has a standard claw tip for framing, but it also came with a no mar cover to use over the tip which is what I use for the siding.

    Mike
    When you get a chance can you supply a brand and model number? Like Paul, I'm looking at a big re-siding project this summer using Hardie products, although I'll be using the HardiePanel sheets, and I'd like to have something more verstile than a siding nailer.

    thanks

  8. #8
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    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    The installation specifications I posted above stipulate that the nailer must supply full-head nails, so be sure if a framing gun gets involved it's of that type.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  9. I did our church hall last fall with vertical Hardie siding and picked up a Bostitch N66C Coil Siding nailer. Big difference between it and a roofing nailer is the weight. The siding nailer is a couple pounds lighter. Sequential firing is standard.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Central Illinois
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    Eric,

    I just checked. My nailer is a Senco Frame Pro 702XP. Let me know if you have any questions.

    Mike

  11. #11
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    Feb 2003
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    Skillman, NJ
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    Did not that framer get really heavy after awhile? I see it weighs in at 8.5 lbs. I am no weakingly but something that heavy being held out away from your body on a ladder might take its toll after some time. I have roughly 4000sf of siding to put up....Did you ever look into the Hitachi NV75ag? It is a coil nailer which can take both framing & siding nails. Most siders weigh in between 4.5 to 5.5 poundplus add a full coil of nails and it will get up there a bit too. Did you use stainless ringshank or galvanized?

  12. #12
    I've had a bit of experience fixing up a large installation of the larger boards (4x8+) and its my experience that guns just don't give the depth accuracy needed for a good finish. I spent tons of time filling holes and sistering over-shot nails left by a supposedly professional crew while another guy flew along hammering in replacement panels by hand. That said, these were the large panels and the furring we were working over was pretty uneven. Just my $.02.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Paul, you can grab the installation instructions for the siding at:

    http://www.jameshardie.com/pdf/hardiplankinstall.pdf

    (I happened to have the information handy as we are using the pre-finished version for our addition project for both the new work and as a retrofit for our existing structure)

    The nailing specifications are on page 2 and 3 and they should help you choose the type of nailer you need/want. There is specific notation on using pneumatic nailers at the top of page 3.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #14
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    Feb 2003
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    Skillman, NJ
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    Thanks guys...yes I already had seen that info..considering my "day job" I have just a wee bit of access to that kind of stuff. It does state either roofing or siding but I prefer siding nails as there may be a case or two where blind nailing is not possible.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Kanasas City, MO
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    Paul,
    I didn't have issues with nail depth as mentioned above....
    For the butt joints on some of the plank siding I did make sure to face nail (by hand) the bottom corners on the butt joints as well as the blind nail.
    Maybe a little overkill, but here in the middle of the mid-west, we have some rather windy days, nights & storms.....
    BTW, this stuff paints well. I'd also use a good quality primer before paint, I had to bicker with my helper (my Dad) that the factory primer isn't "good enough".....

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