1×4 vertical t&g installation
We’re about to start installing pre finished (both sides) 1×4 Western Red Cedar tongue and groove siding. It’ll be a vertical install over a rain screen and the architect requires blind fastening. I know it’s not best practices to install siding with a 15 ga nail or 16 ga crown stapler, but the siding is so narrow, the idea of hand nailing, or even screwing, kind of kills me from a speed/efficiency standpoint, and a siding gun won’t work for a blind install.
If it was 1×6, I’d be more hesitant to use a 15 ga nail (and would probably recommend to the architect that we face nail), but the siding is so narrow, my gut tells me a few 2″ stainless 15 ga nails every 18″ (Our horizontal rainscreen layout is 1×4 every 18″ over 1/2×2 vertical furring strips) would hold plenty. Has anyone used this approach?
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User ...o25,
I'd have no hesitation in putting them up that way.
Before I knew better, I installed a porch floor of 1x4 PT pine near Boston, using stainless steel smooth-shank nails. Two years later it needed to be redone because all of the nails had backed out. I've seen a lot of smooth nails working their way out of exterior trim. I would use ring shank nails, installed by hand if necessary. But if your climate is more consistent than mine, maybe your plan will work. I've even seen white pine vertical siding nailed with ring shanks over a rain screen pop off the wall on the sunny side. Doing it twice will cost more than doing it once.
I think clips are the way to go if you don't want to see nails:
https://www.frueh-systems.com/products/frueh-tongue-and-groove-50-sq-ft-coverage-clip-hidden-fasteners-103sksb-100-pcs-0-12
I'm with Michael, anything less than rink shank and asking for trouble.