My old boss told me to always use a 3/8 inch crown stapler for trim, I finally switched

For years, I stuck with the 3/8 inch staples he swore by on every job, thinking anything else was wrong. Then on a big custom home project in Scottsdale, the lead carpenter showed me how a 1/2 inch crown holds better on wider casings and reduces splitting. I tried it on the next window and the difference was night and day. What other old-school rules have you guys found it's okay to break?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_perez3mo ago

Honestly, it's just staples. The trim isn't going to fall off because you used a slightly different size. People get so hung up on these tiny details like it's rocket science. My uncle used finish nails and a hammer for everything, and his work held up for decades. As long as it's secure and looks clean, who cares?

nora7673mo ago

People get so hung up on these tiny details" is exactly why some jobs last. The wrong fastener can split thin trim or not hold right, and that's how you get callbacks. It's not rocket science, but the small stuff is what separates a quick fix from a proper finish.

the_tara8d ago

Wait, your uncle used finish nails and a hammer on trim in this day and age? Like, no compressor, no nail gun, just hand-hammered finish nails? That's wild to me, but okay. I'm more stuck on "slightly different size" though - a 16 gauge vs an 18 gauge is a world of difference when you hit a knot or a brittle piece of pine. One will mushroom the wood out, the other just sinks in clean. And staples? On trim? I've seen those leave these little crescent moon dents that never sand out right, especially on painted stuff. You might not get a callback for years, but that's when the customer notices the splitting around every single joint and calls you out.