Tongue and groove?

[goaliedad]

I am going to help instal T&G pine on a cathedral ceiling
Never done it before. Any tips on how to nail it? I plan on using a finish nail gun FWIW. Adhesive needed? It will be going over drywall and the rafters are -6 inches OC

[jteneyck]

I've only done a couple so I'm no expert, but I don't think you want or need adhesive.  What you will need are nails long enough to get through the drywall and into the rafters.  I think you need a 16 gage nail, minimum, and recommend 15 gage if you have one, and probably at least 2" long.  You nail at an angle through the tongue where it meets the field of the board.  Pretty simple process.  The hardest part for me was keeping the courses straight and parallel.  It sounds so easy but it's more of a challenge than I would have thought.  Chalk lines help a lot.  

The last one I did was with another guy using tall step ladders.  What a PITA.  I highly recommend scaffolding if you can manage it.  Three people are best.  Two in the air and one on the ground cutting the boards as you need them.  We also had quite a few bowed and twisted boards.  Another PITA.  Try to get straight stock, and be sure to let it acclimate well before installing it, at least a week.  

John

[goaliedad]

We will have scaffolding. 2 1/2 people. Not sure about the 1/2 person cutting. More of a gopher. I have a 16 gauge gun. And an 18. The 16 is heavier/bigger but if that's what works, so be it

[MikeBob]

Never did a ceiling, and gravity, just a wall, I would use the longest nail you can, but would use 18ga 16 at the most. With that said, how thick is the TnG?  The one we used on the wall was 1/2 or 5/8". No adhesive needed, but if it makes you feel better, go for it, better to over do then under do.

[JGrout]

2" Long 16 gauge minimum  nails 

no adhesive

[jteneyck]

If your boards are really flat an 18 gage nail might be enough.  When I used them on warped boards the boards would pull away from the rafter.  It was better with a 16 gage, and the 15 gage ones held the boards flat.  Traditionally, finish nails were used for installing tongue and groove lumber.  A 2" finish nail is 6d or 13 gage, a 1-1/2" one is a 5d or 15 gage.   You don't need as large a diameter to prevent bending when you drive a nail with a nail gun, but lateral loads afterwards are the same regardless of how the nail was driven.  

John

[rwe2156]

You normally nail the tongue side at about 30 degree angle over drywall I would definitely use 2 1/2" nails.  With 2" you will only have about 1/2- 3/4"" penetration in the joist.

To be honest on a ceiling I would just face nail the tongue side with 16 ga nails nobody will ever see it.

Do NOT use glue the wood has to be able to move a bit.

[JGrout]

The only time I ever see flat non twisted or bowed T&G in any length over 6' is, well, I am still waiting. 

Maybe if you cut the bad out you _might_ get by with 18 G 2" nails.  the problem lays in the head and the ability to force it tight to the ceiling every 2 feet.

[Phil S.]

Ya - put T&G on the ceiling of our church - hurry up and get it done type of job.  Stuff has dried out now and opened gaps and warped in some places so it doesn't lay flat.  Notice that during dry sermons.

[Steve N]

Same with 15 or 16 gauge 2, or 2 1/2" nails. Lotta guns limit you to 2" though. No glue. Scaffold absolutely, with enough room for 2 Men working on it, and a third ground guy to pass up material, and keep you on course. Measuring anything overhead can be a PIA. I've found the few dollars you spend on a good laser level at the rental place to be like having an army of trained helpers when it comes to accurately laying out the ceiling. It can be confusing knowing which type laser does what, but a rotary laser will make a line in a 360* circle, so your ground guy can lay out your courses on the ground, and the laser will project the same line onto the ceiling. If you make sure your first course is dead nutz on, the following ones go up pretty easily provided you:

1) Make sure you completely seat each course before nailing.

2) Use good stock where the tongues and grooves are well defined, even if an upcharge, this is not when you want to scrimp and save a few pennies.

I like to nail across the tongue side at an angle below the actual tongue once they are firmly seated on the groove of the next piece already up. It holds both halves well, and I've had better luck with not having tail chunks flying off. Check the video, and look at the "end matched" if you are going to be working in a room wider than your stock is long, it will give a much better appearance. Have fun





Oooops. Just like any wall in any house the ceilings are never quite square. Start your first coarse 3/4 of the width of the stock away from the wall, and scribe the first piece to fill in. If you place a piece against the wall, and start building out, you'll have a mess to play with at the peak. Making adjustments up there you will have every little kid who ever walks by point it out to you, along the wall, not so much. Hang some Crown, and no one will be the wiser. You can measure it out corner to corner first to make sure it's not really out, but usually 1 to 2" will cover you.