Crown molding is a kind of job that is incomplete and imperfect without a perfect nailer.
But which is the best nail gun for crown molding?
What are the features that make a nailer best for this work?
Finish and brad nailers come to the argument. 16 gauge or 18 gauge creates confusion as well.
Best Finish Nailer
Freeman Finish Nailer
Best Brad Nailer
Dewalt Brad Nailer
Best Cordless
Porter Cable Battery Nailer
Should I Use A Brad Nailer Or Finish Nailer For Crown Molding?
Finish nailers are more suitable than brad nailers for crown molding.
Crown molding is a heavy project that imposes some load on the nails. Finish nails are capable of holding a great payload.
Outside corners of crown molding can be done with a brad nailer and the brad glue. They leave smaller holes that increase aestheticism.
You should also use a finish nailer for plaster and polyurethane molding. On the flip side, brad nailers are good for solid wood, medium-density fibreboard, and polystyrene.
16 Or 18 Gauge Nailer For Crown Molding?
A 16-gauge nail gun is more suitable for crown molding for its thicker nails and higher holding power. Besides, you can work with thicker woods with the 16g finish nailers. On the other hand, if you are dealing with thinner woods or adhesive, 18g brad nailer will be a better pick. Remember that 16g finish nailers leave larger holes than 18g brad nailers.
What Are The Best Nails For Crown Molding?
15 or 16-gauge finish nails of 2″ size are suitable for crown molding projects. These nails are proven to show the ultimate performance in such types of non-structural applications.
Moreover, finish nails are more robust than brad nails in crown molding jobs. They come with extreme strength, as well as excellent holding power.
Galvanized finish nails can last up to 50 years, providing the best support for crown molding. Furthermore, their head is smaller, and so your project gets the highest aestheticism.
The 7 Best Nail Gun For Crown Molding
Before finalizing any best nail gun for crown molding, you should understand their detailed specifications. Here you know about the 7 best nailers for crown molding.
Best Nailer for Crown molding- Freeman Pneumatic Framing & Finishing Combo Kit
Crown molding is such a project which demands nails with extreme holding power.
It’s experimented that finish nails are the winner in this race. Besides, covering the corners of crown molding projects requires using brad nails.
Freeman P4FRFNCB pneumatic nailer is a nailer package with both finish and brad nails.
This nailer provides the best nails for crown molding, baseboards and trim. Its 70-115 psi operating pressure helps to finish most molding jobs efficiently. Though it has only 55 pieces of nail capacity, it’s not that bad.
With its durable magnesium body, it’s a great tool for extended applications. This nailer has Teflon-O rings to show high performance along with internal sustainability.
Besides, its anodized magazine and cylinder ensure the highest durability.
You can’t help but love this tool for its anti-dry fire mechanism to reduce dry fires. Also, this feature can prevent severe internal damage.
To ensure versatile firing, it has a switching trigger to shift between bump and sequential firing.
Users put their positive reviews also on its safety tip and adjustable air exhaust. New users loved its depth adjustment feature most as they could determine the depth quickly.
Pros
- Tool-free depth adjustment for various uses
- Dual mode trigger for shifting between firing modes
- Durable build
- Teflon-O rings for highest internal capability
- Empty fire reduce system prevents nail wasting
Cons
- Poor nail capacity
- Requires extra care for the compressor
Best Finish Nailer for Crown Molding- Dewalt finish nailer
15 or 16-gauge nails are suitable for crown molding and any solid wood molding. If the nail isn’t finish-type, it can’t attach wood pieces effectively.
However, get introduced to another best nailer for crown molding- The Dewalt 16 ga finish nailer.
This nailer can drive 16 ga finish nails from 1-¼” to 2-½” in length. That’s why you can use this tool for baseboards, cabinetry, crown molding, and paneling.
The package offers a nailer with a fitting and carrying case and an extra no-mar pad.
Dewalt finish nailer is exceptional and dedicated to crown molding jobs for some reasons.
First, it has the highest-rated air hose of 150 max PSI that can cover up to 150% of the system pressure. Secondly, its engine is oil-free, devoid of any extra care.
Most importantly, it can hold up to 100 nails at a time for consistent nailing. Its 2.0 cfm air consumption rate helps in executing heaviest molding jobs easily.
People also appreciated their trigger mode selector for exchanging firing type. Its no-mar pad is improved and promises to protect the work surface.
Users didn’t need to deal with disposing of internal dust as it has an integrated air inlet.
Pros
- Easily switch between actuation modes
- Allows controlling countersink of nails
- Powerful compressor with the best PSI
- Less maintenance for the engine
- Consistent nailing with 100 nail capacity
Cons
- Slight performance drop in inconvenient weather
- Could be a little bit more durable
Best Air nailer for crown molding- NuMax Straight Finish Nailer
Before getting introduced to the best nailer for cabinet crown molding, you should know about applicable nails for it.
Like other crown molding jobs, finishing nails is the right choice here. NuMax SFN64 straight nailer is manufactured for accepting finish nails of 1″ to 2-½” sizes.
This nailer is one of the best air nailer for crown molding because it has a maximum operating pressure of 110 PSI.
That means, crown molding, Polyurethane, PVC, Medium Density Fiberboard, Polystyrene- all projects can be covered with this tool.
It can drive 100 nails per minute. The magazine can hold up to 100 nails at a time. Users won’t easily face fatigue due to its optimal weight of 4.07 lbs.
Furthermore, this nailer offers a comfortable grip for the highest user convenience.
This is also an ideal nail gun for crown molding and baseboards. Along with no-mar pad and safety trigger, its 360-degree air exhaust system is more improved.
Newbies can rely on this tool because it allows cleaning jammed nails at a glance.
The only downside users complained about this nailer is its firing mode. They couldn’t find any mode except for the single sequential mode during their needs.
But, they appreciated the anti-dust cap, depth adjustment feature and rubber-O rings.
Pros
- Extreme nail driving capacity
- Satisfactory nail holding capacity
- Weight balance is adorable
- Easy jam clearing technology
- Pricing is very reasonable
Cons
- Not versatile for only single firing mode
- Build quality is average
Best Cordless Nailer for Crown molding- DEWALT 20V MAX* XR Finish Nailer
What type of nailer you use for crown molding, the utmost priority is the nail type. Using finish nails of 16 gauge is the best choice as it ensures best support for crown molding.
Dewalt 20V cordless finish nailer is here to eliminate the necessity of gas or compressor.
This nailer runs on a powerful battery which helps to run the motor and ensures maximum runtime.
Due to its 20-degree nail stick angle, it can fire nails of 16 gauge shank diameter precisely. Moreover, it has up to 110 nails holding power to ensure long-time firing.
You can select the firing mode on this nailer more easily. Its tool-free selectable trigger is sturdy enough, and won’t break even after high pressure.
As it has an inline magazine, it’s easy to use in multiple orientations.
People who used this nailer loved its tool-free stall release lever most. They had no problem resetting the driver blade in any situation. Also, they found no problem with its jam release mechanism.
Pros
- Easy countersink of nails for depth adjustment feature
- Ease of disposing of stuck nails
- Multi-functional LED light
- Large nail capacity for ultimate backup
- No hassle of maintaining a compressor
Cons
- Battery lifetime isn’t satisfactory
- Pricing isn’t worth its specifications
PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX* Cordless Brad Nailer
For crown molding and medium density fiberboard, brad nails are significant. Finish nails cover the most important part, but the contribution of brad nails are also remarkable.
So, meet Porter cable 20V cordless nailer to deal with the corners of crown molding works.
You don’t need to spend money for gas cartridges, compressors and after their maintenance. This nailer has a powerful Li-ion battery to ensure backup in the regular nailing. Besides, the innovative motor design keeps it ahead in the nailer market.
It has a trigger lock-off switch to prevent the nailer from unwanted firing. You won’t ever fall in downtime as it has a low battery indicator. If you have a certain jamming issue, its jam indicator will inform you.
According to user reviews, it’s the best nail gun for crown molding for easy jam clearing function.
They found it useful during crown molding when they had no choice without a battery. Unlike other nailers, it needs maintenance of the contact tip mechanism which was marked as a demerit by users.
Pros
- Innovative motor design for consistent power
- LED light for error indication
- Optimal centre of gravity reduces fatigue
- No maintenance for the compressor
- Multiple-tool free settings for user convenience
Cons
- Slightly heavy
- Build quality is compromised
Brad Nailer for Crown Molding- DEWALT (DCN680D1) 18g Brad Nailer Kit
Crown molding projects require finishing nails for the best output ever. But, to cover corner portions of crown molding, brad nails are recommended.
You can deliver restless brad nails from 5/8-inch to 2-1/8-inch. Along with ensuring the highest nailing access, it offers a wide variety of applications.
DCN680D1 2″ nailer’s powerful motor delivers 18 gauge brad nails in versatile types of woods.
The fun part is despite its aluminum body, it’s only 1 lbs. It won’t be affected by stains, or show poor performance while it’s dropped unexpectedly.
For having an ergonomically engineered body, this nailer can survive in the long run easily.
To ensure highest comfort to users, this nailer has 360-degree adjustable exhaust to direct air away. Furthermore, it has a comfortable grip which ensures the best control over the machine.
Users won’t easily face the nail jamming issue. If they face, they have integrated jam release technology to resolve it.
Users have rated their narrow nose design “best of all time” in the nailing world. This nailer has reduced their toil as it had built-in air duster.
Several users complained about the jamming issue. But, they also appreciated the nail jam removal technology simultaneously. Finally, most of them tagged it as the best 18 gauge brad nails for crown molding.
Pros
- Ergonomic design with weight balance
- Non-marring bumpers protect work surface
- Built-in air duster keeps the machine lively
- Adorable nail driving capacity
- Rubberized gripping facility
Cons
- Severe jamming issue
- Requires extra battery despite being corded
Pin Nailer for Crown Molding- Metabo HPT Pin Nailer Kit
Pin nails have the same potential as the finish nails to hold the crown molding. But, they’re not the same in size as the finish or brad nails.
Metabo HPT nailer uses 23 gauge headless pins. It can automatically adjust with ⅝”, ¾”, 1-3/16″ and 1-3-8″ nails easily.
This macro pin nailer runs under the PSI range of 65-100. That means, they can drive nails consistently on the molding fields.
It’s also the best nailer for baseboard as it uses headless pins to maximise aestheticism.
With its 2lbs weight, this nailer is useful in all day use. As it has an advanced depth adjustment feature, driving nails at various surfaces isn’t a problem at all.
It has dual trigger function to ensure safe placement of nails.
You should choose this nailer also for its less downtime and easy magazine reload feature. Due to the side magazine loading system, users can get back to work quickly.
You rarely find its alternative as it’s the best pin nailer for crown molding according to specifications.
Most users are satisfied with this pin nailer as it barely exposes the pin holes. After running 1000 micro pins from this nailer, they didn’t find any jamming issue.
Pros
- Easy nail depth adjustment
- Optimum PSI delivery from the compressor
- Excellent weight balance
- Fast magazine loading system
- Almost zero jamming problem
Cons
- The safety trigger isn’t user-friendly
- Not versatile for delicate crown molding
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s check out some FAQs to remove all the confusion you still have.
A pneumatic nail gun will be a better choice for crown molding since it is lightweight to carry, offers enough power, and can work until you finish the job for its electric power sources. Cordless nailers are heavier, lack power, and go down due to battery power.
Yes, it is always better to use galvanized nails for crown molding. However, if there is no chance of exposure to moisture, traditional nails can work as well.
While you can use staples instead of nails, you are not going to get the desired molding results. Staples cannot provide enough holding power to deal with molding.
Using sharper and right-size nails with the right diameter is important to prevent splitting. You can also use the pre-drilling method to reduce the splitting of the wood.
Yes, a good nail gun is suitable for both crown molding and baseboard. I will suggest you go for a 15 or 16-gauge finish nailer for a better result.
Yes, you can rent a nail gun for crowing molding installation, and I will recommend that if you have a smaller and one-time project. The cost will be lesser and you can rent multiple nailers within the cost for a better experience.
You should use the right nails and use putty to cover up the holes to avoid leaving holes in the crown molding projects.
Time to Wrap up
Now you must not confuse about choosing the best nail gun for crown molding. Using a brad nailer or pin nailer is acceptable for crown molding.
But you can’t use a framing nailer for crown molding. The crown molding requires nails with small heads, covering holes effectively.
Your shortlisting process should be started from your specific criteria. Before that, notice that your desired nailer has basic features like nail jam clearance, an actuation switch, and depth adjustment.
Some conventional nailers offer extra features than necessity. That means you need to put extra money in their pocket.
So, wisely choose which features you can’t avoid, your crown molding project can’t avoid.