Which Side Do You Nail Hardwood Flooring

The humble nail has a long history of craftsmanship behind every bag or box.

Which side do you nail hardwood flooring.

Predrill nail holes 1 4 inch from the narrow side of the plank at 1 2 inch from the wall. Shf15 senco manual hardwood flooring cleat nailer. If you try to nail any deeper than that without a nail set you ll. For instance solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down.

Even though it s generally made of vinyl. Hi i just put down a 15 x 27 1 2 x3 7 8 strand woven bamboo down on 3 4 subfloor with 1 1 2 brads using a freeman 4 in 1 with angled flooring shoe placing brads every 6 inches. Use 1 1 2 long cleat nails when installing thinner 1 2 thick wood flooring. Always check with the manufacturer s instructions to determine if your hardwood floor can be installed over an in floor radiant heat system.

Types of nails for laying hardwood floor. You ll need a nail set when hand nailing flooring and you should use it when the head is about 1 2 inch out. In addition you must countersink every nail to avoid interfering with the tongue of the next plank. If you re handling any installation specifically a prefinished floor check the plate on the underside of the fastener.

Engineered flooring can be installed above grade at grade and below grade level do not install hardwood flooring in bathrooms. However if the nail needs another half inch to seat in the proper location it should be removed. The type of installation you choose will depend on your subfloor budget lifestyle and the type of wood flooring you select. Place spacers inside the expansion gap the space between the wall and floor that allows the wood to expand from heat and humidity.

Use 1 3 4 long cleat nails when installing 3 4 solid wood flooring when 3 4 thick plywood is applied directly over a concrete slab so the cleat nail does not go through the 3 4 thick plywood hitting the concrete. Flooring nails have special qualities that make them suitable for the job. Solid hardwood flooring only can be installed on or above ground level with a plywood subfloor. A flooring nailer has a shoulder that fits over the tongue for accurate nail insertion but a nailer doesn t fit on the groove edge.

For your first row you ll want the straightest planks arranged with the tongue side facing the center of the room.