Fixings for siberian larch batens

Tock · 23-06-2021 08:03PM #1

Im planning on building a privacy fence with 94 x 18 batens of siberian larch. Planning on a 6mm gap between batens. Would like a neat or hidden finish. Reading around im not sure whether i should use lost head nails, paslode 2nd fix nail gun or screws.
Im looking at stainless steel fixing - will a nail gun split the wood, should i predrill? Ive about 70 batens to put up.

Car99 · 23-06-2021 08:08PM

I find good quality screws best and I dont pre drill. I find using one of the batons on edge makes spacing easy and quick. Are you using a cap rail on top ?

policarp · 23-06-2021 08:16PM

What are you fixing to?

Tock · 23-06-2021 08:24PM

policarp wrote: »

What are you fixing to?

Wooden posts

Tock · 23-06-2021 08:26PM

Car99 wrote: »

I find good quality screws best and I dont pre drill. I find using one of the batons on edge makes spacing easy and quick. Are you using a cap rail on top ?

Problem with screws is that they are on show and i would want them all aligned. The reason i was thinking of nails is that they would be hidden.

policarp · 23-06-2021 08:35PM

If you were fixing to a smaller batten you could fix from behind.

Lumen · 23-06-2021 08:52PM

p11-13 has some ideas

https://www.woodcomponents.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MTS-Cladding-Detail-and-Design.pdf

Also

https://www.woodcomponents.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Support-for-Timber-Cladding.pdf

Tock · 24-06-2021 08:33AM

Lumen wrote: »

p11-13 has some ideas

https://www.woodcomponents.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/MTS-Cladding-Detail-and-Design.pdf

Also

https://www.woodcomponents.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Support-for-Timber-Cladding.pdf

Thanks Lumen - ive read those, they suggest annular ring shank nails, but the finish wont be great with those i expect.
If i was renting a nail gun, would a 2nd fix gun be the correct one? Ive read a couple of forums where they are recommended and the others where people say it will split the wood due to the force of driving the nail.

Lumen · 24-06-2021 12:51PM

Tock wrote: »

Thanks Lumen - ive read those, they suggest annular ring shank nails, but the finish wont be great with those i expect.
If i was renting a nail gun, would a 2nd fix gun be the correct one? Ive read a couple of forums where they are recommended and the others where people say it will split the wood due to the force of driving the nail.

Can you get a second fix gun that takes stainless ring shank nails? Dunno. Brads aren't going to have enough grip.

There's these coil nails:

https://www.securallfastenings.ie/product/stainless-steel-coil-nails-ringed-shanked/

...which would obviously require a coil nailer.

Or if you can be bothered to use a hammer:

https://www.securallfastenings.ie/product/40mm-stainless-steel-ringshank-nails-1kg/

The shank on those is only 2.65mm, that's not going to split larch IMO, but they're cheap enough that you could buy a bag and experiment.

I used 40mm screws because I was using vertical larch cladding into 18mm hardwood counter battens, but if you're going horizontal then you'll be going into deeper softwood battens so 40mm might not give enough penetration - do the maths.

Those PDFs described a couple of methods for secret fixing, including pre-assembling the panels, but the point of using stainless fixings is that the wood greys to match them.

Fine Cheers · 24-06-2021 06:34PM

Last summer I did a cheap and cheerful wall cladding project, fixing treated softwood boards (4 x 1 and 2 x 1) to timber posts bolted to block wall. Sourced lost head annular ringshank nails from Inox.ie in Nenagh. As you can see the heads aren't exactly 'lost' but I am happy with them. Didn't want to chance any fixings other than stainless. Gun is probably the way to go if you want hidden fixings. Just carefully consider the gap between the slats - maybe the larch won't shrink too much but personally I like the gaps to be narrow - I used old slates that I had 2mm thick as I wanted to ensure you couldn't see through to the blockwork.

hesker · 25-06-2021 08:23AM

I fitted vertical larch cladding to my shed a few years ago.

Used SS annular ring shank nails. Predrilled the holes. I found larch was easy to split so I’d wonder if using a nail gun is a good idea.

You can’t see the nails easily due to the fading but it never bothered me. It’s quite simple to run a string line and line them all up. When done right and neatly I think it adds to the look.

Tock · 26-06-2021 05:14PM

The 2nd fix nail guns are generally 16g nails - thats 1.6mm diameter - which seems a little small to me. I dunno. Im planning on treating the larch - so it doesnt grey - hence the preference for hidden fixings as much as possible. Maybe im over thinking it a little.
Im planning on a 6mm gap between horizontal battens - was going to do 18mm the width of the battens, but the gaps looked too large to me

policarp · 27-06-2021 12:08AM

For an outside project I think you're overthinking this job.

Fixings for siberian larch batens

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