My foreman in Tacoma told me I was over-driving my 16d nails by a full 1/8 inch, which was causing splits in the treated lumber.

I started setting them flush instead, and the difference in the last two decks has been huge... anyone else get a piece of advice that totally fixed a small, annoying problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_garcia3mo ago

Yeah, that "over-driving" thing is real. I've seen guys sink them so deep the head almost disappears, especially with a fresh battery. It doesn't just split the wood, it actually weakens the hold because you're crushing the fibers around the nail.

lee_ward543mo ago

Come on, how often does that actually matter?

laura_knight5418d ago

@lee_ward54 I bet you'd change your mind if you saw the piles of split lumber I've had to set aside on a job. The real kicker nobody talks about is that over-driven nails can mess with your nail gun's depth adjustment too, making that problem worse over time.