# stapling vinyl siding



## guyod (Jan 12, 2008)

Has anyone used a siding staple gun or nailer to install vinyl siding. I am install siding on a cider block home and if i have to hammer 1 1/4 nails by hand in the cold i may start breaking things. 

Any info would be great. 
Thanks


----------



## mudmixer (Jan 12, 2008)

You cannot attach vinyl siding tightly. It must have "loose" nails/attachments that let it move with the temperature extremes.


----------



## guyod (Jan 13, 2008)

I know I know. Not my first siding job. They make a "vinyl siding stapler" and "Vinyl siding nuematic nailer".   They are made to leave a gap. I seen the nailer at Home depot and was a little pricy $350. Just seen the stapler online. there is even a cord less version seemed handy no price though. How good they work, i dont know... That my question


----------



## Daryl in Nanoose (Jan 13, 2008)

I personly would like to see this stapler because as far as I understood you need a nail with a good sized head on them.


----------



## guyod (Jan 13, 2008)

A staple would go through the nailing hole and the top of the siding. manufacter Installation instructions refer to stapling or nailing but that is all they say about stapling. Here is a cordless pasolode stapler that does it

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/839.shtml

other naumatic staplers have attachments for siding


----------



## Daryl in Nanoose (Jan 13, 2008)

Interesting  gun, I'll have to keep my eye on this one even though I don't install final siding maybe good for other uses.


----------



## glennjanie (Jan 13, 2008)

Hello Guyod:
The problem with the pneumatic nailer, if you can get it to drive a nail in the concrete blocks, the interior of the block will flake off leaving very little holding the vinyl siding.
I did a concrete block house in the mid 80s with masonry drill, plastic anchors and screws. It burned up 2 masonry bits but the job went very well and is still looking good to this day. They had tapcons and aj's back then but the price was exhorbitant. 
I have done some jobs on furring strips too and that's a mess I'll never subject myself to again. 
Glenn


----------



## booft (Jan 13, 2008)

So is this a real nail type siding gun? Im confused here, I know they need to be loose but wouldnt this make it end up being too tight?


----------



## guyod (Jan 13, 2008)

you sided an entire house with anchors and screws??? How long did that take? My plan was to use furring strips which im stuck using since half the house is already aluminum sided with furring strips (ripping off) and the gable roof peaks are framed padded out. im not a big fan of furring strips either. espcially around windows. but this 1200sf house only has 5 windows!!! 

booft: Yes they make a coil nailer just like a roofing gun i guess it uses the same nails.  then there is a gun that uses staples. they both leave a gap. dont ask me how (thats why i stated the thread) but there advertised to do so. 
my main concern was how accurate you can be with them. i have a roofing nailer and cant image trying to use that to find the nailing hole in the siding


----------



## inspectorD (Jan 14, 2008)

Those staplers work OK, they are made for just siding. The stop is preset. I would not get one because I sub contract that out anyway. For as much siding you are going to put on ...you don't need it. Hand nailing is not much slower with firring strips.
If you are going to nail it tight, there is also a siding with a web mesh above the nailing flange which allows for the expantion. I just cannot remember who.....
Try www.vinylsiding.org


----------



## glennjanie (Jan 14, 2008)

Hey Guyod:
You got it! Just figure how long it would take to glue and nail furring strips and how many of them would curl up and break the bond, and how you would have to cut the insulation to fit between the strips. Now subtract that from the time it would take to screw the siding on. Use a good hammer-drill and a driver drill and it goes really quickly. Now count the call backs to repair the strips and skipped insulation and the screws are like money in the bank. I didn't have a single call back on that job.
Glenn


----------

