How to Nail Down Hardwood Flooring

• · Preferred ¾” CDX grade plywood with minimum of 5/8″ CDX grade plywood over joists subfloor
• · Existing wood boards over joists subfloor and
• · Dry Concrete subfloor ( only for Engineered Floors and some thin profile solid wood floors )

Note: Particle board or other similar type products are not suitable subfloors.

Subflooring must be clean, smooth and free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives, curing agents and other debris. It must also be straight, flat and leveled. Sand high areas or joints, and flatten low spots with layers of builders felt, plywood or shims (not leveling compounds). It is important that subflooring must be structurally sound. Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Replace any damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring. You also need to ensure that the subfloor is completely dry and meets moisture content requirements.

General Instructions Prior to Hardwood Floor Installation

• · It is recommended that the flooring be installed at a 90 degree angle to the joists for wood subfloors.  An additional 5% flooring must be added to the actual square footage needed when purchasing to allow for cutting and grading.
• · Plan out the installation determining an appropriate color match of boards before you nail down hardwood flooring. The floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure a good color and shade mixture. Otherwise it can make the room look off.
• · Remove any existing base molding, other moldings, door sills and old floor covering where applicable. Using a hand saw, undercut the bottom of door frames 3/4″ to slide hardwood board beneath.
• · Do not use flooring pieces with obvious defects. As mentioned above, it is the installer’s/owner’s responsibility to ensure that the conditions of the flooring are acceptable prior to installation. Manufacturers typically decline any responsibility for flooring which is installed with obvious defects and/or flooring which is installed under improper jobsite conditions.

Nail Down Installation Guidelines

• 1. Ensure that all the above subfloor conditions and general instructions have been met. Mark the locations of joists on perimeter walls so that the starting runs and finishing runs, which require face nailing, can be nailed into joists. Staple down 15 lb. asphalt paper or red rosin paper over the sub-floor, lapped 2″-4″ at seams. This helps prevent moisture from below, and helps prevent squeaks in dry seasons.

Note: some squeaking and crackling of the floor is normal when using the nail or staple down method, and is not considered a defect.

• 2. Direction of the flooring should be installed at a 90 degree (right) angle to the floor joists. Expansion gaps of 3/4″ are required between flooring and all walls in room.
• 3. Determine a starting wall. When possible, always begin the layout from the straightest wall, which usually tends to be an outside wall. Measure out from this wall at each end the width of one board (including the tongue) and then add an additional 3/4″ for expansion. At these measured locations, mark a chalk line parallel to the starting wall. The chalk line is the starting line for the placement of the first row of the floor.
• 4. Face nail the first row . Install the first board along the chalk line, making sure that the tongue side of the board is facing away from the starting wall (i.e. tongue side is facing you). Drill holes through the face of the board at 6″ intervals, with the drill holes located approximately 1″ from the back edge. Secure the starter board to the subfloor with 1″ long finishing nails, by driving the nails until the heads are just above the board, then sink the nails with a nail set. Fill nailed areas with appropriate colored wood filler to match the flooring.
• 5. Blind nail the board into place.  Drill pilot holes along the tongue side of the board, using an appropriately sized drill bit for the nails. Set the bit in the corner formed by the tongue and edge of the board, angled at 45 degrees. Drill pilot holes approximately every 6″ through the board, and up to 2″ from each end. Do not drill within 2″ from each end. Drive a 1″ finishing nail into each pilot hole and sink the nail below the surface with a nail set.
• 6. Install the remaining boards of the first row following all the instructions outlined in Steps 4 and 5.  Ensure that the end tongues and grooves fit together snugly.
• 7. For subsequent rows, ensure that the first board of  each row is at least 6″ longer or shorter than that of the prior row to maintain a staggered appearance. Securely fit the groove of the new board into the tongue of the previous row. If necessary, use a rubber mallet and tapping block to achieve a snug fit. Blind nail the boards as described in Step 5. It is highly recommended that the first few rows be nailed by hand rather than with a power nailer or stapler because of the vertical wall obstruction. Once there is adequate space, subsequent rows may be installed using a power nailer or stapler, which eliminates the need for pilot holes. Follow all the manufacturer’s instructions when using the power nailer or stapler and continue to nail/staple the tongue side of each board at a 45 degree angle and at 8″ intervals, but do not nail/staple within 2″ from the end of each board. As you approach the end of each row, ensure that a long board is selected as the last board of the row, so that the cut portion of the last board can be used as the starting board of the next row to minimize waste.
• 8. Due to the end wall proximity, installation of the last 4 to 5 rows will need to be done manually following the instructions for blind nailing outlined in Step 5.  The end row may have to be rip-sawed to leave the required 3/4″ expansion gap along the end wall. The end row must be faced nailed in place, by drilling holes through the face of the board at 6″ intervals, with the drill holes located approximately 1″ from the back edge (i.e. 1″ from tongue side). Secure the end board with 1″ long finishing nails, by driving the nails until the heads are just above the board, then sink the nails with a nail set. Fill nailed areas with appropriate colored wood filler to match the flooring.

Complete the Installation

• · Vacuum thoroughly and clean the floor with proper wood flooring cleaner on a soft, cloth mop. Then wipe the surface clean to remove loose dirt or soil.
• · Reinstall all base and/or quarter round moldings. Nail the moldings into the wall, not the floor.
• · Install any transition pieces that may be required, such as reducers, T-moldings and stair nosing.
• · Keep several spare boards from the installation in the event of future repairs.

Note: This is a guideline only. Carefully read the manufacturer’s installation instructions that come with your product before beginning the installation process.