Tried fastening hardwood with a 15-gauge finish nailer instead of my usual 18-gauge on a job in Austin

The 15-gauge held way better on the quarter round but the heads left craters that took three extra passes with wood filler to smooth out, has anyone else run into this trade-off between hold and finish?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby18926d ago

Huh, I actually go the other way on this one. I'd rather fill a few bigger holes than have nails that don't hold tight enough (especially on quarter round in humid Austin). A little extra mud work is worth it for that solid grab, you know?

amy97526d ago

Wait, did you catch that This Old House episode from last season where they tested different nail guns in simulated humid conditions? It was pretty eye opening, especially for Austin humidity levels. They found that slightly oversized nails actually pulled tighter in wood movement experiments than the "perfect fit" ones. Your point about quarter round is spot on too. I've seen too many skinny nails just spit right back out after a couple seasons in Houston. A few extra minutes with spackle beats having trim gaps all day long.