Atlantic Xpat

Ah yes, the constant learning experience that is Canadian house building/reno's.....

We're having a new kitchen put in AX Towers. (Which has been quite the saga but that's another tale.) The kitchen fitter had to take the trim off from around the kitchen window as part of this process (he is going to put it back he says...) which lead me to notice that there is bugger all insulation around the window & a bloody great gap that for all intents and purposes goes through to the siding outside.

Clearly this is not doing a lot for insulation & probably explains why we've felt draughts at other windows even when they're closed. So I can probably assume that unfortunately other windows are in a similar sorry state. This is an 8 year old house btw.

As our guru, Mike Holmes, would say this is 'unacceptable' so I plan to 'make it right' over the coming months by carefully removing the trim (I stress again carefully) and filling the gaps with squirty low expansion foam. (Already done this for the kitchen window). I'll then do my best to replace the trim so it looks like it's never been moved.

Simple enough but here are the questions. In England we'd use a hammer, nails, or no-more nails to do this. Here in Canada of course an air powered nailer is the weapon of choice and of course it gives me an excuse to buy another tool. (Man+tools=happiness). So what do I need? I've seen things called 'Brad nailers' and things called 'finish nailers'. Can a brad nailer be used for finish work? I understand that I don't need a framing nailer cos I'm not planning on framing a house. I also don't want to spend a fortune on this so will the cheapo nailer/compressor combo from Crappy Tire do the job or am I looking at $100's? I could rent one but this is going to be a long term job so thats not too practical.

Souv & other DIY hero's. Share your wisdom!

AX

Novocastrian

What's wrong with hammer, nails (or No More Nails) in the first place? Lazy bugger.

R I C H

I'd use the same in Canada, but still buy a new compressor and nailer if it was going to make me happy

Elaine B.

Surley using duct tape is the Canadian way

pinkmcfarquhar

Over here in Mcfarquhar estates, my esteemed OH has already given into the temptation and bought a compressor (to cure a blocked pipe! hmmmmm??).

Feel free to borrow said compressor, you would then only need to purchase a nail gun (leaving some pennies for mrs Ax to go to the pics to see sex and the city!). Unfortunately, I can't give you specifics about it other than i think it is blue.

Seriously, just give us a shout if you want to borrow, we have no blocked pipes at the moment!

Bill_S

Brad nailers shoot brads, which are 18 gauge. Finish nailers shoot, you guessed it, finish nails. Typically, finish nailers are available as 16 or 15 gauge. Brads are normally for thin, light trim, such as quarter-round moulding. Finish nails are for heavier stock, such as door and window casing. Since you sound like a real man, you need BOTH
I have Hitachi nailers, an 18-ga brad gun and a 15 ga finisher. They were not cheap. I have a DeWalt compressor, which also was a bit pricey. Many people are happy with the combo units (often Bostich or Porter-Cable). Those deals usually provide an oilless compressor with an aluminum cylinder. These work but are extremely loud and will not have a long life if used heavily. I spent extra for an oil-lubed compressor with cast iron cylinder.
I highly recommend pneumatic nailers to speed up trim carpentry.

dthomas

If you want speed rent the brad nailer (as per previous posts). Otherwise use the old 1 1/2 - 2" ardox (spiral) finishing nails with a countersinking nailer.

Word of warning: if you have vinyl plastic window frames do not use any type of expanding foam at all - you could (a) bow the frames - and vinyl has minimal tolerances for bowing vs. window jamming, and (b) annul any warranty that came with the windows. Best to use lightly packed r-12 fiberglass insulation. My neighbour found out the hard way and none of his windows open smoothly now . . .

dbd33

A small note on expanding foam. It says on the top of can to wear gloves when using the product, next time I'll do that.

Novocastrian

What the hell did you try to fill in?

dbd33

Around the window, every house I've lived in in Canada had bitter drafts around the windows so I wanted to get one right. Alas, I got the stuff on my hands and it's a bugger to get off.

Novocastrian

Oh, how disappointingly prosaic. No wolfbagging connection, then?

AlvicBC

Two nights before our wedding, the guys who worked with my husband to be, thought it would be funny to squirt expanding foam down his socks

His socks and some of his skin had to be cut off him in the hospital and the nurses told us to use petrol to get the rest of the foam off.

Not very funny for him, although I laughed at him constantly on honeymoon as bits of expanding foam came off him in the pool

Lorna_D

(sorry Richard)

rae

just worked with one of these in my basement, very effective indeed, almost a pleasure doing the work and easy to fill in relatively small holes afterwards.

Inse

Use a very low expanding foam. Part of my job doing energy audits involves an air tightness test on the home. Believe me, using R12 or R anything else fibreglass around the windows will not do the job.