I am replacing old beadboard on our plaster walls. Around the windows there seems to be cement under the plaster. No matter if I use a nail gun, panel screws, nothing will penetrate the cement. The nails bend and blowout and the screws just won't penetrate. What are the best options to attach the beadboard to the plaster along the windows? I am not having this issue other places.
Best Answer
Nail guns into concrete need big power behind them, I almost said "powder" and that's the truth. Concrete rated nail guns use a black powder charge. They are literally nail bullets.
Random screws made for wood aren't going to go into concrete either. That expectation is completely unrealistic. There are screws specifically made for concrete, but they require pre-drilling. There are drills specifically made for concrete.
The fact that the concrete is cracked will present a problem for drills. (Tunnel boring machines making railway tunnels have the same problem.) The BANGnailer probably won't mind so much.