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Ensuring you use the right size of nail for any DIY task will ensure better durability and a stronger attachment, no matter what it is, you are trying to nail together. Choosing the right nail can be difficult, though, and every task requires a different size or style of nail, complicating things even further. Today, we are just going to be looking at one specific task here on Best of Tools, and that is the process of attaching a baseboard.
Choosing the right size of nail for your baseboard is important, as the wrong size may lead to the board splitting or, worse, the nail punching through a wire or pipe buried within your wall, causing other problems! That is why we at Best of Tools are here to help. Below, you will find a guide to choosing the right size of nail for your baseboard, helping you to confidently pick out the best nail for the job and simplifying your life significantly.
Choosing the right gauge number for your baseboard
The baseboard, or skirting board, is a piece of wood that stands at the base of your interior wall, covering up the connection between the wall and the floor and protecting the wall from being damaged when you move furniture. These pieces of wood are attractive as well as being protective, giving a unified and beautiful look to all of your lower wall areas.
The gauge number for the nails you use is important, as it determines how thick the nails are. Larger gauge numbers mean that the nails are narrower, as the number indicates how many nails fit within an inch of space.
In general, finish nailers use larger nails ranging from 15 gauge to 16 gauge. Other nailers, such as brad nailers, use narrower nails ranging from 18 gauge to 23 gauge. When you are working with a baseboard, you generally want to use a thinner nail with a larger gauge, as these nails leave smaller holes that are usually much easier to cover up with filler or even just a thick coat of paint once you are done nailing your baseboard into place.
Thicker nails can easily damage the baseboard, potentially splitting the wood and causing unsightly uneven patches or other such problems. They also create larger holes, which are harder to cover up once you are done, making it harder to get an attractive finish on the surface of your baseboard.
Preparing your baseboard for nailing
Pieces of wood can easily change in size over time, depending on what the climate surrounding them is like. In the case of interior environments such as your internal walls where you will put your baseboard, these are often likely to cause the wood of your baseboard to shrink over time, leaving gaps and making the finish of your baseboard wall look poorly applied and unattractive. This is because of differences in temperature and humidity between your home and wherever the baseboards have come from.
In order to avoid gaps in your baseboards or other problems with a poor fit, it is recommended that you leave your baseboards in the room where you are planning to set them up for 24 to 48 hours before nailing them in place. This will allow them to finish shrinking before you fix them in place, meaning that you can nail the baseboard to the wall without worrying about further shrinkage.
Choosing brad nails for your baseboard
We have already established that a higher gauge nail is thinner and, therefore, better suited for fastening a baseboard in place, but what about length? If you use a brad nail that is too short, then the baseboard will not be firmly fixed into place and could easily come loose or fall off the wall completely. If you use one that is too long, then you run the risk of breaking through a hidden pipe or wire located within the wall, causing damage to your electrical or piping systems and leading to a whole host of further problems that you would really be better avoiding altogether!
That means that you do not want to go for anything longer than 2 inches as an absolute maximum limit. Any brad nail longer than 2 inches is very likely to penetrate things buried within your walls, causing unwanted problems. In general, it is better to stick to brad nails of about 1 ½ inch in length. Anything shorter than that runs the risk of detaching from the wall, undoing all your hard work, while anything longer risks damage to your wall and home.
Best nails and nail guns for trimming baseboards
The best nails to use for trimming baseboards are always going to be brad nails, as these high gauge nails are easy to keep unobtrusive and minimize the risk of damage to the wood of your baseboard. That means you are looking for gauge numbers above 15, usually in the 18 gauge to 23 gauge range for the best and most unobtrusive finish. Any 18 gauge to 23 gauge brad nail of around 1 ½ inch in length should be perfect for the task at hand!
If you don’t already own a nail finisher, it is probably worth buying a 16 gauge tool for multi-purpose interior wall trimming. This is the perfect gauge for smooth finishes and general indoor use, striking a good balance between finesse and power for added versatility.
Conclusion
Choosing the right size of nails for the task at hand can be difficult, but it does not have to be so complicated if you know what you are doing! Fortunately, all baseboards are similar in size and construction, so you can use our Best of Tools guide to the right size of nail for finishing baseboards in order to find the best nails for the task no matter what your baseboard may look like.
Hopefully, with the help of our guide above, you should be perfectly well equipped to attach a new base board to your wall with no risk of weak fastening, striking a pipe or a wire, or baseboard shrinkage and an unattractive finish. If you follow the suggestions above, you should be able to easily get a perfect looking finish on your baseboard and a strong attachment to the wall behind it in no time! If you are a bit inexperienced, then just take things slowly and carefully and try not to rush any stage of the process in order to get great results quickly.
