Brian’s Blog

Bond Products is pleased to offer more products in our ProDriveHD™ line to our customers who need flooring and roofing tools and supplies. We recently added air hoses and parts to our inventory. If you need air hoses for your pneumatic tools, we want to be your source.

What Do Air Hoses Do? 

Air hoses are used to deliver the compressed air that pneumatic tools need to operate. Unlike other power tools that use either batteries or direct current to operate, air tools use compressed air. Workers in many different industries, including medicine, industrial, agriculture and construction, use air hoses for tools like sprayers, nailers, and torque wrenches. Bond Products’ pneumatic stapler is commonly used for both flooring and roofing applications. 

Because the air in these systems is under high pressure, the air hoses they use must be strong and durable so they will not leak or get damaged. The parts or fittings for air hoses must be able to withstand the pressure the tool generates. The parts we offer for sale are made of brass and tough and long lasting. It’s important to keep the hose away from contact with sharp objects or corners, but if your air hoses have an issue at some future date, they are easily repaired in the field.

Air Hose Parts 

Bond Products offers air hoses in 50-foot and 100-foot options. We also sell these parts for them: 

1/4″ NPT female-Brass, Nipple for Air Hose

1/4″ NPT female-Brass, Industrial Six Ball Coupler, for Air Hose

1/4″ ID 3/3″ OD Air Hose Splicer

Our high quality air hoses and parts are available for sale, and there is never a better time than now to stock up on the parts you need and any replacement parts you may need in the future. Call us at 1-888-800-BOND to order anything you need for flooring, carpet installation, carpet binding, roofing, or any other DIY projects you may have. 

 

Any tool that can make a task significantly easier is one that we know our customers will appreciate. Bond Products offers a variety of carpet cutting tools, but our needle nose cushion back cutter is both handy and affordable. If you’re looking for a carpet cutting tool that will make the carpet installation process simpler and faster, this is it. 

What Do You Need in a Carpet Cutting Tool?

Wall-to-wall carpet was a great development in carpet history, but installing it is definitely harder than placing an area rug in the right spot. Carpet backing can be tough to cut through, especially when the goal is to cut straight and connect carpet seams so well they aren’t at all visible.

Bond Products’ needle nose carpet cutting tool is awesome for this job. It features a point that separates carpet fibers when you push the tool through the pile, splitting the carpet evenly so you can create a nice, straight cut. Its handle is firm and grippable so it won’t slip in your hand. 

This tool takes round blades, and works wonderfully for row cutting. It’s simple to cut along the tops of carpets with this carpet cutter, and it’s excellent for berber carpets as well as any dense carpet that it’s hard to locate the rows. You simply put the blade down on the carpet where you want to make a cut, push the cutting tool through the carpet, and it glides through, making a nice, clean cut. If you want to trace a line in the carpet before you cut it, keep the blade up and use the edge of the cutter to push through the fibers. You can line up another piece of carpet this way and cut it to match exactly. 

The cut this needle nose carpet cutting tool makes is close to the fibers, so you will be able to create nice seams. It’s also wonderful for cutting carpet near doorways or doing patch work to replace damaged areas of carpet. 

Bond also sells the round-edged blades for this cutter separately in packs of 100. 

If you’re looking for a carpet cutting tool that will take the frustration out of cutting and seaming, call us at 1-888-800-BOND and order this needle nose tool. We think you will be very pleased with what it can do for you. As always, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have and match you up with the right products for your needs. 

 

Bond Products offers a large selection of Instabind carpet binding tapes, including faux leather Instabind. There are aesthetic and practical benefits to using faux leather to bind your area rugs. Here we will talk about why this type of binding looks great and wears well on area rugs.  

What Is Faux Leather Carpet Binding? 

Faux  Leather binding is a synthetic leather with PVC on the face and cotton backing. There are different types of faux leather, but the one used in our carpet binding products is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 

Chemical companies like DuPont began developing synthetic products in the early 1930s. Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers patented the first synthetic fiber and called it Nylon 6,6. The goal of experimenting with synthetic fibers was to create new material that would improve on the limitations of fibers like cotton, wool, and linen and be less expensive to manufacture. By the 1940s, vinyl leather was available and used to make shoes, upholstery, and the interiors of cars. The 1950s saw polyurethane products become available to the public. 

Vinyl upholstery is composed of two different types of synthetic materials. The fibers are made from polyester and then coated with vinyl that is made from PVC and plasticizers. The vinyl is melted on the fibers which seals them and makes them both strong and nearly waterproof. Vinyl is a great fabric for many uses for these reasons. 

Benefits of Faux Leather

While leather is a beautiful material, it’s not ideal for every use. Faux leather offers some advantages to leather, including: 

Affordability – Faux leather is much cheaper to produce than leather is and therefore cheaper to purchase.

Durability – Vinyl can take a beating and remain attractive. It won’t crack or peel like leather or fade in sunlight. It’s stain and water resistant too. 

Maintenance – It’s simple to clean vinyl material. Just wipe it with a cloth and warm water. It won’t absorb moisture. Some newer faux leather products are designed to make wiping away ink or food stains simple and fast. 

Uniformity – Because it’s mass produced, faux leather will look the same and can be easily matched or replaced.

Variety – Bond offers faux leather carpet binding in many colors which allows for much more choice for our customers and their needs. 

Workability – Faux leather is easy to cut and attach. Instabind makes it extra simple because it’s applied with hot glue rather than sewn. There’s no visible stitching or stitching mistakes to see either. 

We even offer a chart of our leather choices for purchase. If you’re looking for an interesting binding for your carpet that will wear beautifully and be simple to maintain, check out our faux leather Instabind. You won’t be sorry! 

 

We’ve talked before on this blog about your options for outdoor carpet. It’s good to know which kinds of carpet fibers are designed for places like patios, basements, and next to the pool. We have extended our living spaces into places that get exposed to the elements. “The elements” can mean a lot of things, but water is the main threat to carpet. No one wants to invest money in a rug that will be quickly ruined by mildew and mold.

If you are looking for a truly waterproof carpet for the more common living areas of your home, like living rooms and bedrooms, you’re now in luck. Shaw makes a residential waterproof carpet called LifeGuard. This carpet is designed to resist the destruction of kids and pets or anything liquid that life throws your way.

How does it work? LifeGuard’s RX2 technology is a stain and soil repellent that prevents the carpet fiber from absorbing dirt or spills. From a layman’s perspective, this sounds similar to the olefin (polypropylene) fibers used to make outdoor carpet. Plastic simply does not absorb like cloth fibers do. RX2 guarantees total fiber coverage, from the top to the bottom of the fiber, meaning that if you clean a spill up right away, it will not stain.

What’s more, LifeGuard carpet has a backing made from 100% thermoplastic that does not allow liquid to penetrate it. If your dog has an accident on the carpet, it will not seep through to the wood floor below. If your toddler spills milk all over your carpet, not only will that milk not get through to the cracks in the floor, but the LifeGuard fibers will wick the milk back up to the surface. There you can soak it up with a cloth and clean it with water and soap.

Lifeguard looks more like a typical wall-to-wall carpet than other water-resistant or outdoor carpet options which means you now have a lot of choices about what carpet to use for the different parts of your home. Artificial turf may be what you’d prefer on your patio, but if you’re finishing your basement to be a more formal looking living area, instead of only a playroom, LifeGuard may be a more appealing option. And, of course, you can make area rugs out of LifeGuard instead of installing it wall to wall.

Parents of young children don’t want to sacrifice everything nice in their homes. They’d still like to showcase their hardwood floors even if they’re covered by toys some of the time. Waterproof carpet and rug options offer them that option.

Bond Products has everything you need for installing carpet, making rugs out of remnants, or putting down turf. If you need staples, staple guns, mallets, mallet caps, L-cleats, or finish nails for your flooring project, shop our Pro Drive HD™ line of supplies. Call us if you need help or advice in your quest to make your floors more beautiful and user friendly.

 

Staple guns are very useful tools. They are portable, efficient, and simple to operate. This is why people use them for such a wide range of tasks and projects including woodworking, roofing, and carpet installation. However, staple guns can be dangerous if they are not handled with the right precautions or used properly. In this blog we will talk about the staple gun safety rules you need to know. 

Different Types of Staple Guns

Staple guns come in different varieties, including manual, electric, and pneumatic staple guns. Some are more affordable. Some are more efficient. The one you need depends on the job you want to do. All of them fire staples. 

Follow Basic Safety Rules

Because staples when fired are sharp projectiles, you should take the right precautions when you use your staple gun:

• Always wear proper safety gear. This includes goggles or glasses, gloves, and ear protection if you are using a pneumatic staple gun. Make sure the gloves you choose aren’t bulky and allow you to hold the staple gun easily and securely. 
• Hold objects you intend to staple in place with clamps instead of your hands. 
• Never walk with your finger on the trigger of a staple gun and do not disable the gun’s safety features. You should also never drag or pull it by its cord. You do not want to cause it to fire accidentally.
• Do not bang things with your staple gun or try to use it as a hammer. That’s not your staple gun’s function.
• Do not point your staple gun at people or pets. If you are holding it but not using it, keep it pointed downward and away from your body. 

Staple guns fire in one of two ways, either one staple at a time or on continuous feed. If you use a continuous feed staple gun, it’s easier to forget that staples are still firing, so you need to be mindful of what you are doing and focus on only pulling the trigger when you want to fasten something. If you aren’t careful, it’s easy to staple something you don’t want stapled. 

Read the instructions that come with your staple gun before you use it, and make sure you have the correct type of staples you need. If you are using a staple gun with a cord, make sure you unplug it if you have to move it from one location to another, give it to another person, or try to fix a staple jam. Watch the cord too. It’s too easy to trip over if you don’t, and you don’t want to stumble with a gun in your hand and your finger on the trigger.

Before you use your staple gun, check it over to make sure all the parts are working correctly. You should also clean it after every use and wipe it down with the correct oil. Do not let the oil build up, though. Wipe it off so it doesn’t attract dust or dirt. 

If you follow the staple gun safety rules, you will be able to use your tool to do your job or complete your project. These are very helpful tools as long as you maintain them and use them correctly. If you need either staple guns or staples, we have a good variety of them here at Bond Products and would be happy to talk to you about our inventory. Call us at 1-888-800-BOND for assistance.

 

Most of our customers are familiar with Bond Products’ featured carpet binding tape, Instabind. We offer many different types of Instabind in a wide range of colors. One style that our customers love is the rope edge Instabind. This style appeals to people who want a carpet binding that has a little something extra or who appreciate the nautical look in their home decor or on their boats.

Why Do People Love the Look of Rope? 

Rope is tied to the marine or beach look in many people’s minds, pardon the pun. Sailboats cannot function without rope, of course, so sailing and rope go together. According to Martha Stewart, “the same details that make rope sturdy—its innate twists, turns, and braids—also give it a strong visual presence. That’s why we love using it for decorative projects.”

While rope style binding is perfect for dressing up carpets or mats for use on boat interiors, rope can be used to add visual interest to mirrors, picture frames, and wreaths. With a glue gun and a few hours, you can add rope edge style Instabind to not only carpet remnants but also items like lampshades or anything with an edge to give it an elegant looking trim. 

Rope Edge Style Instabind

This style of Instabind is available in 22 colors from our Instabind color chart. It’s available for purchase in standard 50- or 100-foot rolls or in custom-size lengths priced by the foot. The diameter of the rope edge is 25/64” wide. The tools you need to apply the binding are carpet scissors, clear tape and a hot glue gun. That’s it! That’s all you need to turn a carpet remnant into a rug! 

Here’s what one of our satisfied customers said about their experience using our rope edge binding: 

“The braid was larger than I expected, and that was awesome! It was easy to install and turned out better than I had hoped for. So much cheaper and faster than sending out for binding. We installed it on a stair runner while it was still in place. We loosened the edges and did not have to remove them to install. Lifesaver! I will absolutely be recommending this product and using it again if a need arises. Loved it!” 

If you would like to purchase rope edge style Instabind and have questions about colors or how much Instabind you would need to order to complete your home project, please call our customer service representatives at 1-888-800-BOND. They would be happy to talk you through what you need and get you completely set up for your next weekend project. 

 

As we all know, 2020 was a challenging year for most people. At Bond Products we worked hard to keep our business open and operating for our customers. Here’s a look back at what happened with us in 2020 as well as our hopes for what lies ahead in 2021.

Bond’s Greatest Hits of 2020

Out of the gate, 2020 started off with challenges for shipping as well as changes in tariffs on goods coming from abroad. The coronavirus originated in China, and, since a great deal of manufacturing comes from that country, that meant many businesses worldwide had to scramble to remain productive.  

Bond Products introduced our Pro Drive HD™line of products in February, including mallets and mallet caps, staples and staple guns, flooring nails, and L-cleats. We’re excited about offering high quality flooring products to our customers who work installing flooring and carpet. 

In February COVID-19 reached the United States, and lockdowns began in many states shortly thereafter. Our customers began making masks using Bond’s binding tapes and they sent in pictures of their handiwork. We also began offering PPE: gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer, for people who were finding it a challenge to locate these items locally or even online.  

We premiered 5 new earth tones for our Instabind binding tape in the spring. It now comes in Heather, Lead, Smoke, Graphite, and Chestnut as well as many other colors. Because people spent much more time at home this year, they had the opportunity to do home improvement projects, including carpet binding. If you have a carpet remnant and a little time this winter, take a moment to browse through our Instabind color offerings. There’s something there for everyone. 

This fall we added two new helpful features to our website. For our international customers we made it simpler to purchase and ship products to other countries. We also offered financing on our carpet binding equipment so that businesses could purchase equipment simply and quickly without taking out a formal business loan.  

What’s Next in 2021?

Much seems up in the air right now due to politics, the economy, and COVID-19 restrictions, but Bond Products intends to be here for you and your business in 2021. We are proud of all the actions we have taken to remain open and operating throughout this year and will continue to provide a wide variety of products at reasonable prices to our customers. If you have any questions about our products or how you can get them in the U.S. or abroad, call us anytime at 1-888-800-BOND. We are always happy to help. 

From our Bond Products family to yours, we wish you all the best in 2021, and we hope it’s a safe, productive, and happy year for everyone on our beautiful planet. 

 

Dear Bond Products customers,

2020 has been a year full of unexpected challenges for all of us. Unfortunately, there are several more that are currently occurring throughout the world that will have an effect on the prices and availability of our products. We wanted to give an explanation of what the factors behind these are, including shipping challenges and higher steel prices. This may help you understand any changes we have to make going forward. 

Steel Scrap Prices

Over the past several months, forecast steel scrap prices for December have increased from $15/20 per ton of scrap to $80-$100 per ton or higher. The COVID-19 pandemic has already greatly disrupted the supply chain for steel and wire products around the world. Labor and raw material shortages also complicate this problem. At least in the short term we are looking at much higher prices for steel which will affect the price of finished goods in ways we can’t fully predict. 

Shipping Challenges

Another problem that American companies face is shipping challenges out of China. Currently there is a global shortage of shipping containers due to a lopsided trade balance with China and the delays of shippers in returning containers because of the coronavirus. There are almost 180 millions shipping containers across the world. These are used to move 60% of global goods. Without containers, nothing can ship and goods remain in port waiting to be shipped. 

Steady demand for products coupled with a lack of shipping options means that cargo costs are skyrocketing. This affects both retailers and manufacturers nationwide. The cost to store any waiting goods in warehouses will also add to shipping costs and costs to the consumer here. 

Right now shipping lines have announced that they are temporarily suspending cargo bookings into South China as well beginning in early January and extending perhaps until the end of February of 2021. COVID-19 has affected shippers due to quarantine rules for ship crews. 

The ongoing COVID-19 situation is beginning to be characterized as a force majeure event which is an event that is large enough to be beyond the control of individual manufacturers or even countries. There are provisions in contracts for force majeure events. Typically they nullify obligations for the duration of the event – which is a fancy way of saying that people cannot be held to the old rules when the game has completely and unexpectedly changed. 

We are looking at higher freight rates, higher prices on goods made of steel, and unpredictable shipping of goods. That is in addition to any challenges we face in the United States and in the state of Pennsylvania. Please know that Bond Products is working hard to keep our products available to you, our customers, at affordable prices. We will continue to serve you as best we can during this pandemic and beyond. 

If you have any questions, please feel free, as always, to contact our customer service representatives at 1-888-800-BOND. They will be happy to assist you. 

 

Bond Products now offers our customers the option of financing the purchase of orders over $3000. If you are interested in expanding your business’s offerings in the new year with the purchase of new equipment, it’s now quick and easy to do just that. 

 

New Financing Options for Machinery and Merchandise

It can be challenging to afford the entire cost of a carpet binding machine or serger at once. This is why we’re now giving Bond customers the ability to finance any purchase over $3000. This financing option includes merchandise as well as equipment, as long as your total order is over the $3000 limit. Here’s how it works: 

Go to any machine page. Next to the picture of the product and above its description, you will see a gray finance button. If you click on the button, a financing box will open on the right side of the screen. It will tell you what the most affordable financing option is for this product based on its price and will invite you to fill out a 60-second application. When you have filled out the application, you will be able to see what different equipment lenders are willing to offer you in terms of competitive rates. From there you can choose the best offer and order your machine or your machine plus merchandise and complete your purchase. 

It’s simple!

Our new financing option allows people to shop for the best rate and the best option for leasing equipment as well. If you have been waiting for an opportunity to buy carpet binding equipment and products to increase your capabilities moving forward, this is it. We are excited to offer this new purchasing choice. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy, after all.

As always, Bond Products’ customer service representatives are able to help you with any questions you may have about our products, shipping, and payment. If you have problems or need clarification, please call 1-888-800-BOND. 

 

Bond Products is pleased to announce that we now offer a simple international purchasing process for our customers outside the United States. If you are from an English-speaking country like Canada, the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, this will make purchasing with a different currency a snap. For customers from other countries, it will also help with translation of purchasing and shipping terms so you know exactly what you’re ordering, what it costs, and when it will arrive.

Bond’s New, Simple International Purchasing Process 

It can be a hassle for customers who want to purchase products from different countries. There are numerous legal and financial challenges when buying products internationally: language barriers, currency conversion, duties, taxes, and shipping costs. Because of this, Bond now has a software solution, Zonos, that our customers can use.

Using this software is easy. If you look on our website, in the bottom right corner you will see a circle containing a flag. If you click on that, you have the option to choose your own country. When you have selected your country, Zonos will tell you any issues with taxes or duties that you might expect when you order products through our website. 

When you click to purchase a product or multiple products, Zonos will translate your shopping cart to your native language and currency. This will make checkout, payment, and shipping much easier for you. There is also the option to order via USPS. With that option you will be responsible for paying any applicable customs duties and taxes, however.

We know we have customers around the world who are interested in Instabind, our carpet binding machines and equipment, our new ProDriveHD line of tools and fasteners, and the other great merchandise we offer. This is our way of reaching out to those customers and meeting the needs of carpet binding professionals across the world.

If you have any questions about any of our products or how we can accommodate purchasing and shipping to countries around the world, please call our customer service department at 1-888-800-BOND. As always, we will be happy to talk with you and get you set up with what you need. 

 

One of the questions Bond Products’ customers ask us about is how to fix a dripping glue gun tip. We sell a number of different glue guns, glue sticks and slugs, and other glue gun supplies, and we always want to make sure our customers are satisfied with their products. So here is an explanation of why dripping often occurs and what you can do about it. 

Why Is Your Glue Gun Tip Dripping?

There are a number of factors involved in how well a glue gun operates. It’s a combination of the glue formulation, its viscosity, the diameter of the sticks by manufacturing being maintained inside the specification of the glue gun design, and, perhaps most importantly, the ongoing maintenance of the glue gun by the user.

When you heat your glue gun up from a cold start, you will likely see some dripping at first. Most glue guns drip when they first heat up. This is due to the expansion of the glue as it transitions from a solid to a liquid. 

Most of the 12mm (1/2”) or 15mm (5/8”) glue guns have an extension nozzle design. This means that the extension tube of the nozzle which has glue inside is past the check valve. With extension nozzles those glue guns will also have a few drips throughout the day. Basically, every time the glue gun is used, a small amount of adhesive will melt past the check valve, and gravity will pull on it and cause it to drip. However, if a glue gun is dripping constantly, this is usually a sign to replace the nozzle or check the type of adhesive being used.

The Type of Glue Matters

Some glues are of a polyamide formulation which is moisture sensitive. Polyamides will absorb moisture from the humidity in the environment. If you use this type of product and allow the sticks to be moisture contaminated, the glue gun tip will drip nonstop. The moisture that is trapped in the glue stick is boiling inside the glue gun’s heating chamber, and the pressure builds up. This pressure releases itself by opening the nozzle valve and dripping down from the nozzle tip. 

Under normal circumstances because of the way glue guns are designed, the glue stick will “relax” when the trigger is released. Heat up your glue gun and feed a glue stick through. With the trigger compressed, mark the glue stick with a pen at the back of the inlet tube just before the glue stick enters the melt chamber, then wait a few minutes. You will see the glue stick will move backwards up to a half an inch or so. This is the result of the material in the heater housing melting and expanding.  As that happens, the pressure that is created in the heater housing by the thermal expansion pushes the glue stick back.  

However, if a glue gun has what’s called “melt back,” which can occur from laying the glue gun on its side, this can act as a resistance to this relaxing effect. It will cause the glue gun to drip as the pressure opens the nozzle valve.

Sometimes fibers or other debris works its way into a glue gun over time. This debris can build in the nozzle and cause the valve to be unable to close. The fix for this is to remove the nozzle while the tool is hot, purge a half stick or so through the tool, and install a new nozzle. Nozzles do wear over time, so changing out the nozzle is often the easiest solution to fixing a dripping glue gun. Bond Products has long nozzle glue gun tips available for sale. 

This may be a longer explanation than you were expecting for why a glue gun tip drips and how to fix it, but this problem can have a number of causes. If you know why dripping may occur over the life expectancy of the glue gun, it’s easier to know what to do. If you need help with finding supplies for your glue gun, call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We will be happy to help. 

 

 

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned in 2020, it’s not to predict what will happen next. We’ve seen many unpredicted and unpredictable things happen this year. For businesses that sell products that are imported or exported, some of the changes have affected prices because freight costs have risen and are still rising. We wanted to give our customers a heads up that, due to an increase in freight costs, the prices of some products, specifically the ProDriveHD fasteners, will be affected, at least in the short term.

Factors Involved in Increasing Freight Costs 

As with any other product or service, fluctuating supply and demand affect freight costs. Right now most of the available ocean freight capacity is being utilized. Because American consumer spending on imported goods has been and is high in 2020, space in freight containers is very tight. Demand is expected to remain high into the new year as consumers who are at home are spending more on goods and far less on services. 

In China and India specifically there are large backlogs of bookings. Companies are waiting long periods of time for space in containers for their goods. Carriers are charging premiums for storage space, and freight rates are unusually high. Rates for air freight are also rising as we enter the holiday season and companies buy up space in anticipation of fourth quarter spending.

As of November 1, 2020 General Rate Increase (GRI) has been filed for all cargo imported from Asian ports of loading, to ports in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

When products arrive here in the United States, there are further congestion problems, unfortunately. Most major American and Canadian ports are clogged with already shipped goods, especially on the West Coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver. On the East Coast, it’s not much better. There are vessel berthing delays, terminal operational delays, chassis shortages, and full warehouses preventing more goods from coming into the country. 

Once goods are unloaded off freight containers, it’s challenging to find truck power to ship them from the coasts to elsewhere on the continent. Right now trucks are booked for 1-2 weeks in advance. As a result, trucking rates are also surging. 

We are living in uncertain times with the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming U.S. election, among other potential disruptions, so it’s impossible to predict what freight costs will look like in the following months. The cost of imported products, including ProDriveHD fasteners, will increase due to freight costs, at least temporarily. We at Bond Products would like our customers to know that we always offer the most competitive prices we are able on the products we sell. We are proud of the quality of our product lines. If you have any questions about products or products costs, call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We will be happy to answer any of your questions. 

 

One of the products in Bond’s Pro Drive HD™ line that we haven’t yet talked about is our staples. Bond carries several types of staple guns and a wide variety of staples as well. Here we will list the types of staples, what their best uses are, and which staple guns they are suitable for use with. 

Staple Guns

Bond offers a hand stapler and a pneumatic stapler. 

The SSTGU81 Gunlach Heavy Duty Hand-binding Stapler #81 is a quality hand stapler. In the carpet industry, it’s used to attach 1½” binding tape to carpet and will staple the tails on corners because it will staple at any angle. Many people also use it in the flooring industry and for fabric and paper. Its curved handle reduces quick soreness that can result from use. 

Use the SSTGU248 24/8 5/16″ Galvanized Staples with the Gunlach stapler. They are 5/16” in length and come in a package of 5000 staples. 

We talked about why a pneumatic stapler is such a useful tool back in January. The pneumatic stapler we have available to purchase is the 18 GA Underlayment Stapler with Extra Capacity Aluminum Magazine. This stapler is used for flooring installation and has a bump/single fire operation and a fast jam release. Use GA staples from 7/8″ to 1-9/16″ in length with this stapler. 

If you would like to use this stapler out of the box in one package deal with the necessary staples, we offer that too. 

The Right Staple for the Job 

Here are the types of staples we have available for sale, along with what they are used for: 

15-1/2 GA 1-1/2″ Flooring Staples 10,300 ct per box 

15-1/2 GA 1-3/4″ Flooring Staples 9,000 ct per box

15-1/2 GA 2″ Flooring Staples 7720 ct per box

These flooring staples are used for 3/4″ hardwood or Maple flooring applications into wood sub-floors. They are E-G galvanized for rust resistance but not recommended for ACQ-treated lumber. Over time these staples may corrode, due to galvanization thickness. They are not intended to prevent rust on exterior applications. To ensure maximum protection, use stainless steel type 316 staples.

These staples perform. They will meet any manufacturer’s quality standards. We guarantee that they will fit 15-1/2 GA flooring tools, including Stanley Bostitch® tools or we will give you your money back.

The following staples have a blunt chisel point. They are thinner than a 15.5 GA staple or a 16 GA L-cleat and have a reduced chance of splitting. They are E-G galvanized to protect from rust. These are the most cost efficient staple we offer. 

18 GA NC1000L13D 1″ Premium  steel 1/4″ Crown Staples 5,000 CT – This staple is similar to Duo-Fast® 1832 and fits ALL Duo-Fast® SureShot Staplers models plus Hitachi® N3804AB3 & Spotnail® WS4840 & TC4825. It fits most 18 gauge 1/4″ narrow crown staple tools including: BeA®: 90/38-150 / Bostitch®: S32SX, SX150, T40SX-CT / Craftsman®: 18300, 18306,18367, 18406, 18435 / Duo-Fast®: KN1848, KN1848A, KB1836, KS7648 / Fasco®: F20P 90-40 / Hitachi®: N3804AB / Jamerco®: JTS061825, 1838a, 1838H / Makita®: AT638 / Porter-Cable®: NS100, NS100A, NS150 / Senco®: A100LS, A150LS, SKS-L, SLS20-L, SLS25L, SLS25XP / Spotnails®: @WS4840, FS4825.

It WILL NOT FIT : Paslode® 3/16″ Crown Staplers.

18 GA NC0875L12D 7/8″ Underlayment Staples 5,000 CT – This staple is similar to Duo-Fast 1828 and fits ALL Duo-Fast® SureShot Staplers models plus Hitachi® N3804AB3 & Spotnail® WS4840 & TC4825. It fits most 18 gauge 1/4″ narrow crown staple tools including: BeA®: 90/38-150 / Bostitch®: S32SX, SX150, T40SX-CT / Craftsman®: 18300, 18306,18367, 18406, 18435 / Duo-Fast®: KN1848, KN1848A, KB1836, KS7648 / Fasco®: F20P 90-40 / Hitachi®: N3804AB / Jamerco®: JTS061825, 1838a, 1838H / Makita®: AT638 / Porter-Cable®: NS100, NS100A, NS150 / Senco®: A100LS, A150LS, SKS-L, SLS20-L, SLS25L, SLS25XP / Spotnails®: @WS4840, FS4825.

It WILL NOT FIT : Paslode® 3/16″ Crown Staplers.

18 GA NC1250L15-8 1-1/4″ Premium  steel 1/4″ Crown Staples 5,000 CT – This staple is similar to Duo-Fast® 1840. It fits ALL Duo-Fast® SureShot Staplers. It fits most 18 gauge 1/4″ narrow crown staple tools including: BeA®: 90/38-150 / Bostitch®: S32SX, SX150, T40SX-CT / Craftsman®: 18300, 18306,18367, 18406, 18435 / Duo-Fast®: KN1848, KN1848A, KB1836, KS7648 / Fasco®: F20P 90-40 / Hitachi®: N3804AB / Jamerco®: JTS061825, 1838a, 1838H / Makita®: AT638 / Porter-Cable®: NS100, NS100A, NS150 / Senco®: A100LS, A150LS, SKS-L, SLS20-L, SLS25L, SLS25XP / Spotnails®: @WS4840, FS4825.

It WILL NOT FIT : Paslode® 3/16″ Crown Staplers.

The following staples are made of premium graded steel. They have an improved point, superior strip integrity, and holding power and do not bend or break. 

20 GA 5010D 5/16″ Divergent PAD Staples 5,000 CT – This staple is compatible with: CS-500 Duo-Fast®, EWC-5018A Duo-fast®, HT-550 Classic Duo-Fast®, SureShot®5020 DLAF Duo-Fast®, SureShot® 5020 S Duo-Fast®, SureShot® 5020 Duo-Fast®. OLDER MODELS: CT-859A, EWC-5018, HT-550, JP-5020, JP-5020 DL, JS-5020 DL. 

A-11D 3/8″ Hand or Electric staples 5,000 CT – This staple is equal to Arrow T50. Use this with Slap Stapler– Interchangeable with Senco® A-11, Duo-Fast® A-11, Rapid® 11, JK671. It fits Arrow® CT50K, ETFX50, ETF50BN, ETN50, HT50, T50PRN, ET50, ETC50 Electric Staple Guns. Air Staple Guns Fasco® F1B A11-16, AUTO, L/M. 

19GA 7512D 3/8″ Divergent PAD Staples 5,000 CT– This staple is for use with HT-755 Duo-Fast® series 3/8″ x 15/32″ Crown.

20GA 5418D 9/16″ Divergent Electric Staples 5,000 CT (14MM) – This staple is GUARANTEED to fit all 5400 & 5418 SERIES & Older Models: BN-54245, BND-5424 SP284, ENB-5418A, ENC-5418A SP330, ENC-5418A SP330A, ENC-5418A. 

The final two types of staples we offer are: 

16 GA 7/16″ Crown Staples “N” WIRE Available in DIFFERENT LENGTHS – This staple is ideal for sheathing, soffits, underlayment, lattice, cabinets, case backs, drawers, and more. It’s electro galvanized and made to fit Senco N series and Hitachi, Porter Cable and similar N WIRE staplers. It’s similar to Senco® N17BAB staples and available in sizes 3/4″, 1″, 1-1/4″, 1-1/2″. These above lengths are 7/16″ crown x 3/4″ leg,16 gauge. 

3/8 Arrow Electric Gun Staples 3/8″ #T50 – This is a 3/8″ | 10 mm staple that’s great for carpeting, plywood, lattice, and paneling. It comes in boxes of 5,000 staples. 

Bond’s Staples – “Superior Products At The Right Price©” 

As you can see, we have a full line of staples and quality staplers to meet your needs. If you need staples, staple guns, mallets, mallet caps, L-cleats, or finish nails for your flooring project, shop our Pro Drive HD™ line of supplies or call us at 1-888-800-BOND with any questions. We will be happy to help you. 

2020 has been a very challenging year for businesses. Many of the services that companies have provided are either temporarily not in demand or prohibited by government mandated lockdowns. As is the case in any recession, now is the time to look at what your company does and see if you can make adjustments to remain profitable or regain profitability. One of the ways to survive is to change your product and service offerings. To do this, you may need to invest in quality equipment.

Find the Opportunities

Few people enjoy a recession. Times are tough. If you need to make changes to your business model, that can be hard and require some flexibility. All businesses have to look at consumer behavior now and then try to predict what it will be in the future, in both the short and the longer term. 

For example, if you have a carpet business and you have been installing carpet in new construction or residential homes, it’s likely that you’ve lost business in the past months. With the economy in freefall, fewer buildings are getting built. People have been ordered to remain in their homes and to isolate themselves from other people. Unemployed people have a lot less discretionary income to spend, so you may not be selling and installing nearly as much carpet as you were in 2019. 

In order to balance the loss of income from these streams, it’s possible to make changes in the services or products you are offering. If you, like many people, anticipate that the above trends might continue, you might want to look at offering services like binding and serging carpets, repairing area rugs, and selling area rugs. In the short term, rugs may be what is in demand and what people have the discretionary income to purchase. 

Investing in Quality Equipment

Bond Products offers a variety of high quality carpet binding machines and equipment for sale or lease including: 

• Portable sergers
• Portable binders
• Tapestry binders
• Stationary industrial table binders
• Table mount heavy duty sergers

If you would like to jump right into carpet binding and want everything you need to begin, we have machine deals that combine equipment and supplies and make everything as simple as possible. 

We also offer an assortment of carpet cutters and bevelers to suit your carpet cutting application. These range from simple carpet scissors and electric shears to portable bevelers and six blade carpet cove cutters. 

For customers who might want to invest in carpet binding equipment but limited budgets for equipment outlays, we also lease equipment and have used equipment for sale on our clearance outlet page. The equipment listed changes, so check back regularly to see if what’s in our clearance inventory fits your needs. 

Diversifying your service offerings or products is one way to survive the pandemic and recession. If you’re looking to invest in quality equipment like carpet binding, serging, or cutting machinery that will last over time, call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We will be happy to help you find exactly what you need. 

 

Roofing fasteners are a necessary component of any roofing job whether you’re installing a new roof on a home, a business, a commercial building, a pole barn, or a garage. The roofing screws you choose will make a difference in the overall strength and integrity of the roof. Bond Products has the roofing fasteners you need to get the job done right. 

Why Are Roofing Fasteners Important?

Using the right roofing screw will not only secure the roofing material to the building, it will have an impact on the building’s energy efficiency and the longevity of the structure. Choosing a good quality roofing fastener can also impact your homeowner’s insurance!

We have roofing fasteners in a number of different styles and powder-coated paint colors to match a variety of roof panel colors, creating a clean and attractive appearance on any structure. 

3” x 10 GA ¼” Hex Head Screws

These screws are self-drilling screws. They are designed to attach metal to wood on a house, porch, pole barn, shed, barn, or other utility building and are ideal for attaching roofing panels and siding on post-frame & residential metal roof applications. They utilize 16mm EPDM virgin rubber vulcanized to a steel washer. This forms an excellent seal even when the screw is driven at an angle.

The metal section of these screws are coated with an additional topcoat that exceeds 1,000 hours of salt-spray performance and the powder-coated head of the screw has a topcoat that reduces chalking or fading. They are available in the following colors:

• Classic red
• Terracotta
• Stone gray
• Slate gray
• Midwest green

1” x 10 GA ¼” Hex Head Screws

These self-drilling screws attach metal to wood and can be used for a variety of building projects, including roofing HVAC, steel stud framing, gutters, and register vents. They are ideal for attaching roofing panels and siding on post frame and residential metal roof applications. They use 12mm EPDM virgin rubber vulcanized to a steel washer forming an excellent seal even when the screw is positioned in the roof at an angle.

Like the roofing screws above, these 1” screws are premium mechanical coated with a topcoat that will exceed 1,000 hours of salt-spray performance and their heads are powder coated so they will resist chalking or fading. They are available in white and tan. 

1” #9 Hex Head Self-tapping Roofing Screws

This is a self-drilling screw as well, designed to attach metal to wood. They are C1022 steel hardened with a thread cutting end designed for penetrating wood. They are mechanical zinc/tin coated for 1,000 hours of salt-spray performance. Insert these screws with 12.7 mm EPDM steel-bonded washers which come bulk packed with the screws. Used together, they will form a great seal even when they are driven in at an angle. 

These roofing fasteners are commonly used on houses, porches, sheds, pole barns, and other buildings. They are ideal for attaching roofing panels and siding on post frame and residential metal roof applications and can be used for HVAC, steel stud framing, gutters, and register vents too. 

Roofing screw selection is important for ensuring that a roof will be strong and will stay strong over time. If you are not sure which type of roofing fasteners would best meet your needs, please call us at 1-888-800-BOND. We would be happy to talk over the specs of each screw type and advise you. 

 

Summer is here again. The days are long, warm, and sunny. After being cooped up in our houses during the COVID-19 lockdowns, most people are ready to be outside as much as they can. Life may be getting more “normal,” but many people are still not ready to spend lots of time in public spaces. For them one solution might be to extend their house outward to the outdoors where it’s easier to be social. If you want to make your porch, patio, or deck more attractive and cozy, what are your options for patio carpet? 

Patio Carpet Challenges

The main enemies of carpet are water, too much sunlight, dirt, and insects. If your outdoor living space is protected from moisture, as a three-season porch is, you can use whatever carpet type you like to decorate. Bear in mind that too much sun exposure will fade carpet, though. If your space will be exposed to all of the above, there are still a number of possibilities for patio carpet or deck carpeting. 

Carpet Options for Outdoors

In terms of aesthetics, it’s hard to improve on carpeting or rugs made of natural materials. They look wonderful outside because the materials they are made from, such as jute or bamboo, naturally belong outdoors. They will blend in beautifully with stone or wood. Their only downside is that they will be more vulnerable to staining, mold growth, and decomposition. You will have to take some care in maintaining them. 

If your space will be used regularly or face tough challenges like high traffic or use by children and pets, opting for indoor/outdoor carpeting or rugs is a good choice. Waterproof carpets are excellent for the pool area or around a hot tub or spa. The plastic fibers in indoor/outdoor carpets are resistant not just to water, but to dirt, fading, stains, and mold. If they get dirty or smelly, they can be cleaned with a mild bleach solution. 

We talked about another solid option for outdoor carpeting in our last blog, and that’s artificial turf. It’s a bit more complicated to install artificial turf than it is to install carpeting and certainly more complicated than to add rugs. Still, for the right location and the right use, artificial turf is a wonderful long-term solution in the home for areas next to decks or patios. 

Adding small rugs to porches or patios is an easy way to make a space pretty and cozy. Smaller rugs can easily be removed if the weather gets too wet. They dry faster in the sun than larger carpets. If you have a carpet remnant, you can always cut out a small piece and bind it with Instabind to make a rug for your space. Our new Instabind colors are all earth tones. They complement a variety of colors and patterns and look good on carpets for the living room or the porch or patio.

For outdoor rugs, we’d also suggest our Outdoor Marine Instabind. It’s especially suited for the wear and tear nature specializes in. The Outdoor Marine Instabind couples well with our Hi-Temp adhesive glue sticks for a tough rug binding that will stand up to heat and moisture. 

Many homeowners have invested time, sweat, and money into their homes this year because they had down time or were stuck at home during quarantines. It was a good time to accomplish a project or finish up one already started. If you’re working on making your porch, patio, or deck a little nicer this summer, don’t forget to add a rug or patio carpet.