How to Choose a Staple Gun for Your Small Construction Business

Starting your own construction business can be both financially and professionally rewarding in the long run, but it requires a lot of careful planning at first. One of the essential steps in development is represented by purchasing tools. In this article, we will help you decide what type of staple gun is most suited to your actual contracts and future prospects.   

The Main Types of Staple Guns

Like most tools, staple guns also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on the purpose of your project, there are a few types you can choose from. Two categories emerge in this case, based on two defining characteristics, namely intensity and power source.

When considering the former condition, there are two main types of staple guns. These are represented by light duty staple guns and heavy duty staple guns. Light duty staple guns are smaller in size and weigh less than their heavy-duty counterparts. However, they are also compatible with fewer types of staples.

Light duty staple guns can load quarter-inch staples, as well as 5/16 and 3/8-inch ones, while heavy-duty staple guns also operate with half-inch and three-quarter staples. This means that while the tinier tool is perfect for common household jobs, its bigger sibling will be better suited for more intensive and complex construction projects.   

Still, it’s important to consider the second criterion of staple gun evaluation mentioned above, namely power source. When you account for what type of energy the appliance uses to trigger its mechanism and implant the staple in the desired material, three main types of staple guns can be recognized. These are manual, electrical, and pneumatic.

When using a manual staple gun, you are employing the force of your own hands to power the mechanism. The fact that this device requires no exterior power source is a definite advantage, but it also leads to exhaustion faster. From this point a view, an electrical staple gun is the better choice, as it diminishes the risk of muscle fatigue.

This type of appliance is motorized by either a cord or batteries. Cord-powered electrical staple guns are the more affordable option, but they also lack mobility. Thus, investing a bit more in a battery-operated model is the superior alternative. As for pneumatic staple guns, they are incredibly heavy duty, and are better suited for industrial construction sites.

What Does your Project Consist of?

After analyzing what the market has to offer in terms of make and model, you will need to reflect upon the purpose of your project. As previously explained, different types of staple guns load various sizes of staples and operate at diverging degrees of intensity. Therefore, the nature of the job you are trying to accomplish is an incredibly important factor to contemplate.

If you are working on a small household task or performing light duty crafts, a manual staple gun is the obvious choice. This is also a suitable alternative for home décor duties, such as repairing lights, tacking fabrics, or creating drapery cornices. However, an electrical staple gun also works in this case, and it will get the job done faster.

Both manual and electrical staple guns are appropriate for projects involving window or door screens, as well as upholstery and insulation installation. Then again, when it comes to the last two, a pneumatic staple gun can be used as well. Still, this will be the case if the construction site is an extensive one. Lighter duty appliances are perfect for smaller households.

There are some jobs that a modest manual staple gun cannot do, such as installing or repairing carpets, floors, or roof shingles. These, as well as other duties that require repetitive stapling are simply unattainable for this device and need stronger action from either an electrical or pneumatic staple gun.

Finally, for projects that involve heavy duty construction and manufacturing, there is nothing else that can be used other than a pneumatic staple gun. Considering your small business status, you won’t necessitate such a mechanism yet, but it is certainly something to keep an eye on for the future of your construction company.

The Bottom Line 

Staple guns can serve a wide variety of purposes for a multitude of household and industrial projects alike. Depending on what you will need yours for, you can choose between three main types, namely manual, electrical, and pneumatic. By closely assessing your company’s necessities, you will surely take the right decision.