Not All Nails Created Equal

Oct. 6, 2009

Nails, simple commodity, right? Wrong. Not all nails are created equal. In fact, nail quality affects worker productivity, and thus the all-important Bottom Line.

That’s right, you get what you pay for and we see this on jobsites all the time. Cheap nails mean more nail jams and tools wearing out prematurely. Cheap nails also mean trouble with building inspectors who have been known to question the structural integrity of a house made with inferior nails. They often will “red-tag” such a building, making the workers re-nail everything with code-recognized nails.

The only sure way to know you’ve got high quality, code-recognized nails – and won’t have the inspectors asking a lot of questions – is with the ICC-ES stamp on your nail boxes. Some manufacturers say their nails are “made to ASTM standards” and that may suffice, but having the ICC-ES stamp is better.

To obtain the ICC-ES stamp, nail manufacturers not only have to meet ASTM standards, but they must also demonstrate that their manufacturing processes and materials meet the rigorous standards of ICC-Evaluation Services an independent third party evaluator and subsidiary of the International Code Council. Every box of nails with an ICC-ES stamp means that it has an ICC-ES evaluation report, which provides evidence that the nails comply with structural integrity code, and rest assured building inspectors like to see the ICC-ES stamp when they look at your nail boxes. Of course all Paslode nails have the ICC-ES Stamp.  Got a nail story you’d like to share? We’d like to hear it.

Next week, we’ll talk about nail collation, plastic or paper, does it matter?

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Engineered or laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is all the rage in the home building industry. It has many advantages, but these woods are much harder and, we’ve noticed, your standard framing nailer isn’t powerful enough to drive a 3” nail flush. Workers are constantly stopping and pulling out a hammer to seat a nail. As you can imagine, this really slows things down. And time is money when you’re building a house.
	Paslode saw the need, went back to the drawing board, and we can comfortably say that the new Paslode PowerFramer PF350 is one of the most powerful framing nailers on the market today. It will sink a 3” nail into the toughest engineered lumber. But besides being a more powerful nailer, it is also one of the lightest, weighing just 7.5 lbs, and is extremely durable. In fact, the PowerFramer PF350 is made to deliver more than 18 months of service before requiring maintenance and has a tool life of more than five years.
So, what do you think? Have you tried the PowerFramer PF350?

As always, feel free to post questions or ideas you want insight on from fellow Paslode customers through The 'Lode' Zone blog.  Happy Nailing!

The Top Ten Are (in no particular order):

1)          Nail Mail

2)          The “P” Buddy Blog

3)          The Daily Nail

4)          Blogapalooza

5)          The Blab Blog

6)          Pasloders Park

7)          The “Lode” Zone

8)          The Paslode Lounge

9)          Orange Power Blog

10)      MyPas

 

Nail Some Cash! Get a $35 rebate on select Fuel Powered Tools
Speaking of fuel powered tools, going on right now until September 15, 2009; you can get a $35 rebate for every eligible Paslode fuel powered tool you buy. All you have to do is go to Paslode.com, print out the form and mail it in with your original receipt and the UPC code cut from the box. It’s that simple. Eligible tools include the new CF-325 Fuel Powered Framing Nailer, the 16 Gauge Angled and Straight Fuel Powered Finish Nailers and the 18 Gauge Fuel Powered Brad Nailer.

So tell us which name you like for this blog. Your comments are always welcome, and, until next time, happy nailing…..wear your safety glasses!

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We redesigned and upgraded the website to be easier to use and navigate. We’ve added links to online suppliers and made it easy to search for a store or service center near you. Our product pages are chock full of information, providing you with every tool’s features and benefits, as well as product reviews from industry experts, technical specifications, downloadable owner’s manuals and links to related products.

If you haven’t already, take a look around the new Paslode.com. On our new Website, you can learn about new products, become a fan on our Facebook page, sign up to receive our e-newsletter or check out local events and downloadable coupons as they become available.

But wait, there’s more: You can even submit your own product review or watch a video about what pros like you are saying about a new product.

We’re striving to provide the most up-to-date information on everything related to Paslode nails and nailers, be it building codes or parts and accessories. And with your comments here, on the first ever Paslode blog, we hope you will add to this resource and the ongoing discussions about all things nails and nailers that we are sure to have here.

So, whaddaya think?

P.S. HELP US NAME THIS BLOG. What would you call it? Post your entry here and in a month we’ll share the best 10 and let you vote for a winner. To make it extra sweet, the winner will receive a new Paslode CF325 Cordless Framing Nailer.