Nail Guns

[PetePontoValentino]

Hi,

I am about to replace some rotten floorboards with chipboard sheets (as a base for a floating floor). I am thinking of buying a nail gun to simplify the process.

Any thoughts / experience on the various nail guns on the market?
It seems many work with a specific nail size which seems a bit limiting. Am I correct?

Best
Pete

 

[Doug B]

Personally I’d screw the chipboard sheets down, if you do go with a nail gun you want one that will fire ringshank nails something like a DeWalt first fix nail gun they do them in battery or air powered, I’ve had the unclipped air powered version for the best part of 20 years & it’s a great gun.
As you’ve seen you generally buy a gun for the gauge of nail you want to use.

 

[Noel]

+1.
Pilot drill and screw the boards down-
more secure, no chance of damage near edges, easily lifted if needed for wiring/plumbing, less chance of creaking.
Use T & G.

 

[Ollie78]

Use floortite screws.
If you nail gun it with ring shanks and have to remove it you will be cursing the nails.
On the other hand nailguns are fun, you will have to find another excuse for one.

Ollie

 

[Lons]

Personally I'd screw the boards down as it's a better job but if you do use a gun then as said you need ringshank nails. That said I find my nailgun very useful even though I'm now retired, any of the first fix gas or air powered will fire several sizes of nails from 50mm (probably what you need for the floor up to 90mm and in plain, ringshank, galvs etc. so not just one size. I use 3 standard sizes these days 50 / 65 and 90mm, rinshanks for permanent structures and plain if it's a temporary template or support to be dismantled later.

I had a Paslode for years which was great but a pain having to clean it, I now have had a DeWalt cordless which is absolutely superb for my needs. I used it ealier this month to put up a fence, 90mm for the rails, 50mm for the boards. Takes a fraction of the time compared to a hammer.

 

[artie]

I have two nail guns both air powered, one takes a range of coil nails, the other takes a range of strip nails, but since I use the same two sizes all the time I can't tell you off hand what they are.
One cost in the region of £400 20 years ago and does the job well. The other cost £94 about 7 years ago and does the job well.

I would find it hard to justify £400 for one floor job, even £100 for one job might be to much but as they say ymmv.

As for ring shank nails, I use 38mm a lot for fixing 12mm plywood to battens and if the plywood is good quality they are a doddle to remove.

OSB, a different story

 

[MARK.B.]

+ 1 for screwing it down, you might want to put a bead of mastic on the joists before putting the chipboard down as it can help a bit with squeaky floor syndrome

 

[PetePontoValentino]

Okay, so it seems screws are the way to go. After a dose of Lyme Disease a few years ago and a mild stroke 18 months back I am not so mobile / flexible as I used to be so I was thinking a nail gun would be more manageable but if the result is going to be wrong then doesn't make sense.

Thank you for your input

 

[Robbo60]

Just looked up what ring shank nails are EDASD, and they look like they would be a bugger to get out??

 

[paulrbarnard]

Just looked up what ring shank nails are EDASD, and they look like they would be a pipper to get out??

They certainly are. I had to replace a floor that had been double skinned with ply using ring shank nails. Whoever did obviously just got the nail gun and really loved using it. The nails were fired in on about 3 inch centres. There were literally hundreds of them. The floor just tore up in little chunks. It took me two days to get it all up and all the nails out.

 

[OldWood]

I was involved in laying a chipboard floor recently in an attic conversion. The plumber had laid his pipes for the bathroom. Stud walls plus p/b then went up and the bath in only for the customer to decide that that the layout would not work and the floor had to be cut and lifted to re-route the pipes. Thank goodness for screws and battery saws.
Rob

 

[Chris70]

Yes, screws all the way. If for no other reason, it would be so much easier to lift the odd board down the line, since you never know what's around the corner. On the subject of screwing, I'm sure you have a cordless drill, but do you have an impact driver?

What's the difference between a drill and an impact driver? The main difference between a drill and an impact driver is power and rotational action. Unlike drills, impact drivers have quick-release shanks that accept all one-quarter inch hex driver bits. Internal mechanisms allow impact drivers to produce more torque than drills, and in quick bursts.

I'm sure you'd find using an impact driver would make your task easier than an ordinary drill; and I'm not against nail guns. I have a De Walt 2nd Fix Nailer and it helped me put up a large garden fence last year.

 

[Chris70]

... and I think an impact driver would be less expensive than a nail gun!

 

[segovia]

Screw, nails will come loose

 

[baldkev]

Plus 1 on impact driver, screwfix and toolstation both have dewalts on offer at the mo

Plus make sure you use the correct bit for the screw.... pz bits for pozidrive screws, not ph ( they fit the screws properly )

 

[sammy.se]

As someone who has just replaced a) an entire subfloor with new floor boards and b) taken up floor boards, that were previously nailed, to do some wiring work, and replaced some bad floorboards with chipboard flooring sheets,
I can whole heartedly agree with those that say you should screw the boards down. Nailing pretty much ensures you will get damaged floorboards the next time you need to lift them, and I don't see any advantage. The edges of chipboard floorboards can be brittle, so use a pilot whole.
Oh, which ever screws you decide to use, I would make sure they are not full thread. Full thread just causes the floorboards to 'jack' instead of pulling them tight to a joist.

 

[cowtown_eric]

There are such things as divergent point staples. I would never use brads to attach a subfloor. Screws don't come loose...wood shrinks- but indeed screws are easily removable should changes arise.

Eric