Be Careful Using Nail Guns

[missmanors]

The number of incidents of a nail hitting a plumbing pipe, or electrical wire within a wall has increased dramatically with the number of homeowners and even professionals using nail guns and drywall screw guns for remodeling projects.

These pneumatic "weapons" can shoot projectiles up to 3.25" long, and can punch 30 nails into a wall in 10 seconds or less, many of which miss their intended target.

A professional can usually tell if the nail has hit a stud, a pipe or air inside a wall, but will that professional tell you that he's just hit your water pipe with a nail? If the nail gun is in your own hand, can you tell the difference between a stud or an electrical wire?

A 2x4 is only 3.5" wide at most. Most codes require a minimum of 1.25" from the edge of a hole to the edge of the stud on both sides before needing protection in the form of a steel nail plate. So that unprotected wiring which is passed through the inside of a wall stud, can be pierced easily by a nail that's been shot into the wall with a nail gun, not to mention the damage that could be caused to a plastic pipe.

Even copper pipes can be pierced by a nail from a nail gun, then the pipe can seal itself until rust begins to set in, and a leak develops. This leakage can take a few weeks, or even years before being detected.

If you are planning a remodeling project and are planning to use a pneumatic nail gun, or drywall screw gun, please be aware of the danger to your electrical and or plumbing, as a nail placed in the wrong place, can cost you not only in having to do a future repair, but in a major headache as well.

[homealone]

I personally have never liked nail guns. To me they just seem to dangerous to the user, though I never thought of the damage they could cause to your home. This is another mark which I now have against the use of these machines. I would much rather use the old fashion hammers to get the job done and get it right, without so much worry. Thanks for giving us all this safety reminder.

[JaredfromIndiana]

Aahhh yeah, a subject near and dear to my heart. I used to build sheds and used 4 different nail guns. Well, the big framer was the one that I used to shoot a nail into my thumb. Talk about pain...

[missmanors]

Ewww, Jared - that had to hurt! Well, that's one more reason to be careful when using this type of equipment. Those nailers can shoot a nail hard enough, that if the operator is not careful, someone could really get hurt.

[flippinout]

I saw a story on television where a man who had been having severe headaches had finally gone to the emergency room and they did exrays of his head to see what was going on.

They could plainly see a nail embedded in the mans brain. It had entered through the corner of his eye and had lodged in a place where it caused no damage at all, but did cause severe headaches.

Surgery was done to remove the nail and the man completely recovered, and after all was over with, he remembered that one day while he was using his nail gun, that he had thought that something had hit him in the corner of his eye, but had no idea that it had been a nail, let alone that it had lodged in his brain.

Safety is an ultimate necessity when using nail guns.