Crown molding can be a great extra detail to add to any home. You want to take care that you fit it correctly without damaging your crown molding, which will affect the final look of your work. You can mount your crown molding in your home in many different ways, with many different tools available on the market. However, you may already have a pin nailer and are wondering if you can use your pin nailer for fitting your crown molding.
You are able to use a pin nailer to mount your crown molding in your home. Just be certain that you have the correct length of nail that can penetrate through the crown molding into the wall to secure it. You must also apply a thin layer of glue to the crown molding to help keep it in place.
Pin nailers are a superb addition to your toolbox as they can help with many different jobs around the home. What are they designed to do, and are there any other nailers out there that can successfully do the same job of mounting your crown molding?
What Are Pin Nailers Designed For
Pin nailers shoot very thin fasteners that are headless and range in length from 3.8 inches to 2 inches. Not all pin nailers can handle all lengths of fasteners, so ensure you buy the right length fastener for your pin nailer.
Pin nailers are designed to help attach trim pieces to furniture and thin veneers. Using a pin nailer allows you to get into tight spaces and lowers the risk of splitting the wood in finely detailed and delicate crown molding pieces.
Pin nailers usually have little to no trouble piercing hardwoods, and although the pins are small and have no heads, they provide more than enough holding power. However, they will sometimes strip through the wood in certain circumstances.
To avoid this type of problem from occuring, you should add some glue to the pinned joints, basically using the fasters to replace the clamps you would use until the glue dries.
Pin nailers are great when used for installing small to medium-sized molding on furniture, interior millwork, and cabinets. This is because the molding can come in various different shapes and may be difficult to clamp into place until the glue dries, and the pins will leave little to no trace in the woods.
You may not be able to use clamps, but using regular nails may not be an option either as they leave holes and tend to detract from the appearance of the final result even if you try to file them down. If you want a good-looking final product that will hold together for years, then pin nailers should be your go-to fastener.
Pin nailers are a great tool to have in your toolbox as they are a finesse tool and can be used to work with delicate, thin trims that other nailers will not be able to.
Using A Pin Nailer For Crown Molding
Pin nailers are very easy to use and have a safety-interlock system that provides safety for the user. This requires you to press one of the triggers down, which will engage the nailer, then when you are ready, press the other trigger down, which will fire the pin nailer. This system prevents any misfires from occurring.
You can use a pin nailer to put up your crown molding in your home. However, there here are a few considerations you should be aware of before you do so.
There are different types of crown molding, each with a different size and thickness. This could affect the success of using a pin nailer for crown molding. You also need to take cognizance of the thickness of the surface you are attaching the crown molding to.
There are multiple, varying types of crown molding, and the crown molding is not limited to being used on just ceilings and walls. You can put crown molding on window frames and door frames to give them an extra royal appearance.
Depending on the length of fasteners that your pin nailer can hold and how thick the crown molding is, the fastener may not reach all the way through to be able to secure the crown molding to the wall correctly. This can cause the crown molding to fall off prematurely.
You must also make sure that the surface you are applying the crown molding to is thick enough that the fastener does not poke through the back of it. For example, the door frame may be a thinner wood.
Pin nails may lose their grip on the wood over time; this can lead to the crown molding falling off or moving from its position. To make sure that this loss of grip does not happen, you should apply a layer of glue to the crown molding and wood before you pin them together.
This will secure the crown molding in place for an extended period of time.
Other Nailers For Crown Molding
Although pin nailers can be used to attach crown molding to your walls and ceilings, not many people have access to them as they are still quite a new tool. Luckily, there are other options that you can utilize to attach your crown molding.
Option one is a Makita AF505N which is a brad nailer. This nailer is great for tight spaces as it is small and compact as well as easy to use. This nailer is quite popular among professionals due to its size and durability.
Another option is the NuMax 18-gauge 2-inch nailer. This is a high-quality nailer that is relatively cheap to buy. This nailer is also light and compact, which makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. This nailer has a reload indicator that allows you to avoid any potential dry firing.
You could use a Neu Master nailer, which is an electric brad nailer for your crown molding. This is the cheapest option for homeowners to buy as it does not need any accessories, compressors, or the battery and charger that is required for cordless nailers.This nailer is powerful; however, you do have limited reach because of the cord.
There is also the Senco FinishPro nailer, which is a finish nailer. This is a lightweight nailer, and it is maintenance-free, so there is no need to apply oil or lubricant to make the tool run smoothly. However, this tool does have less durability; for this reason, it is only suitable for homeowners as you should not rely on it for long-term jobs.
These nailers are only a few that are out on the market today; there are many more, so be sure to do your research to find the right nailer for you.
Other Methods Of Mounting crown Molding
If you do not have access to a nailing tool or any sort, then you can still mount your crown molding to your wall. You can use just a hammer and a thin nail for this process.
You need to ensure that you find the thinnest nail you can to do this. Otherwise, you could affect the look of the finished crown molding. You also need to protect the crown molding from any misses with the hammer. Use can use a piece of foam or cloth for this.
You do need to be extra careful when you get close to the wood to knock in the rest of the nail, as for this part, you will need to remove the protective cover that you put on the crown molding.
Once the crown molding is mounted to the wall, you can then file down any piece of the nail that is still sticking out. You might need to fill the hole on top of the nail to ensure a clean look once you paint the crown molding.
Conclusion
You are able to use a pin nailer to mount your crown molding to your wall. You just need to take care that you have the right-sized nail so the nail can penetrate through the crown molding into the surface behind it to secure the molding properly.
If you do not have access to a pin nailer, there are many other nailers out there that you can accomplish the same results with. You just need to find the right one that suits your needs.
References
https://countrysilo.com/best-nailer-for-crown-molding/
https://canadianhomeworkshop.com/1411/tips-tools/portable-power-tools/the-pros-of-pin-nailers