2 inch brad nail good for putting up moldings?

Question

I have a porter cable that shoots 2 1/2's nails, but I also have this wen brad nailer that can shoot 2 inch brads and is lighter and more compact. Would using the brads be strong enough to use for finish work like crown, chair rails, baseboard? tx in advance

Answer 1

it is a judgement call. you did not say what type of wood you are using. if the wood is smaller crosssection area and fairly stable wood [ie. straighter grains] brads are probable OK, but something that has a lot of stress [ie. highly looped grain and other defects] in it might not stay in place with those brads. Some hardwoods want to move around over time no matter which gun you use. "liquid nail" glues would help with that.

make should you use carpenter's glue on the joints.

Answer 2

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RE:
2 inch brad nail good for putting up moldings?
I have a porter cable that shoots 2 1/2's nails, but I also have this wen brad nailer that can shoot 2 inch brads and is lighter and more compact. Would using the brads be strong enough to use for finish work like crown, chair rails, baseboard? tx in advance

Answer 3

Hello, I just finished up a 4 month long project for a customer of mine & I installed 7,000 lineal feet of three piece crown molding, case & base molding using 2" brad nails ( & finishing caulk to blend the edges to the ceilings & walls ) among other remodeling projects. Generally the longer the brad nail the better but, with areas near electrical, water & pocket doors you should be aware of the lenght of the brads you are using as not to hit any of the above mentioned with the fastener. If you are still questioning the use of the 2" brad nails for your project, use them with a construction adheisive.
In addition, make sure you are hitting the timbers behind the drywall to insure a good hold on your moldings.
The real thing here to determine what length brad nail to use is the thickness of the material you are fastening to the wall/ceiling & the thickness of the wall/ceiling material.

Answer 4

Anything 2 inches long is likely overkill but certainly, properly placed they will hold. The idea of the brad/finish nail is to then use a nail set to tap the head of a finish type nail to just under the surface. That said, DO NOT use anything with a "head" on it.

Steven Wolf

Answer 5

I am a building contractor who still does the trim work in my new homes (because I still enjoy it). I would NOT use the brad nailer for installing crown and base boards. Brad nails work well on small trim like shoe molding and for nailing door casing onto the door jamb, but you need the heavier gauge finish nails to properly hold the trim in place.

Answer 6

NO!

Brads are not strong enough. Use finish nails in the P/C finish nailer - that's what it's for!

If you plan to use a construction adhesive, THEN you can tack up the pieces wit brads, but otherwise, use the proper nails.

Answer 7

2 inch brads should be more than sufficient. I use 1.5 inch finishing nails and they work just fine.

Answer 8

Fashion difference amongst different cultures have been in existence since forever. I cannot tell you why more blacks and latinos choose to wear their nails this way as much as I cannot tell you why white women form Jersey love animal prints and big bouffant hairdo's. OR why, dark skinned black women dye their hair blonde while white women wear ugg boots with shorts in 90 degree weather. I say, we as cultures inherit different appreciations...I could go on and on providing more stereotypes but what's the point? It will always exist when it comes to fashion. To each their own.... I say fuggetaboutit! ;)

Answer 9

brads should be ok for thin moldings but i'd never use one for a chairrail first time a youngan gets ahold of it it'll come off

Answer 10

yes, try to hit a stud every so often if not every time .watch out for ELECTRIC and PLUMBING as always . remember 16 in. on center bays will 14 and a half in. "s tap the rubber side of the hammer and listen to the sound change in the wall , have fun .