Co-Authored By:
Hereof, what size nail should I use for trim?
Mouldings can be fastened using brad nails or a power nailer but you should never use nails that are more than 2 inches. Unless you know exactly where your homes electrical wires run you might be in for a shocking experience. 1 ½ inch nails are the perfect size for installing baseboards with a brad power nailer.
Also asked, can you use 18 gauge nails for baseboards?
Both are commonly used for installing baseboard, chair rail, door and window casing, crown molding, and door frames. One advantage to 15-gauge nails is that they are collated at an angle, which allows the nose of the nailer to reach into tighter spaces. Brad nailers use smaller 18-gauge nails up to 2 inches long.
The common gauge sizes for nailers are 15, 16 & 18. Simply put, the higher the gauge number, the thinner the nail. The number stands for how many nails per inch. For example, an 18 gauge would have 18 pieces per inch which are going to be thinner than 16 gauge nails, which would have 16 nails per inch.