Pneumatic Nail Guns and Building Decks

Toss out the Hammer and Buy a Nail Gun for Building a Deck

By Mark J. Donovan




If you have visions of building your own deck, toss out the idea of using a hammer. Instead look at buying a pneumatic nail gun. The right pneumatic nail gun can support both the framing of the deck and the installation of the decking material.

Framing a deck and installing decking material can be a slow and arduous effort when using a hammer. In addition, using a hammer can become painful, not only on your thumb, but also on your elbow. Also, with hammer and nails, there are many types of problems you will enviably run into. These problems include dealing with bent nails, hammering at bad angles, denting the decking material, and inconsistent nail depths.

A pneumatic nail gun on the other hand, will prevent any sore body parts when used safely, and make short work of building your deck. In addition you will get a much better finished deck.

When shopping for a pneumatic nail gun you want to make sure you buy one that can be used for both framing the deck and installing the decking material. The Senco #1G0003N Clipped Framing Nailer is a perfect choice as it is easy to handle, light weight and has a 33o angled magazine for holding nail clips. It can hold nails from 2 – 3.5 inches in length, and provides 884 inch/pounds of power, making it ideal for both framing and decking applications. In addition, both the nail depth and exhaust are adjustable. Its operating air pressure is between 70 and 120 pounds per square inch (psi).  Sand your deck and restore it to looking like new!

When considering buying a pneumatic nail gun, you will also need to purchase an air compressor. For framing applications look for ones that have sufficient power and reservoir to support both framing and decking applications. The Makita MAC2400 13 Amp 2-1/2 Horsepower 4.2-Gallon Oiled Twin Hot Dog Compressor is a great choice. It is a 13 amp, 2.5 horsepower air compressor with 4.2 gallons of storage capacity. It is designed to provide an air flow of 4.2 cubic feet per minute (cfm) delivered at 90 psi.

Building a deck is a home building project that many do it yourself homeowners can undertake. However if you want to save time, and produce a better constructed deck consider buying a nail gun.


For help on building a deck, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Deck Installation Bid Sheet. The Deck Installation Bid Sheet will teach your how to hire the right deck contractor, and help to ensure that your deck project is completed on time and budget.

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