How to Get Started Nailing Hardwood Floors
Starting a hardwood flooring installation is not as difficult as it may seem, though there are a few things that must be done to make the process easier on the installer. Have all of your tools ready to go in the room where the installation will begin, and choose a starting wall that is straight. An exterior wall is usually the best wall to begin from. And be sure the hardwood flooring will be installed perpendicular to the direction the floor joists run. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Undercut saw
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Chalk line
- Pneumatic finish nailer
- Nail set
- Hammer
- Wood filler
Instructions
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1
Remove all existing baseboards and undercut each door jamb with an undercut saw, using a piece of the hardwood flooring as a thickness gauge.
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2
Measure the face width of the starter boards with a tape measure (not including the width of the tongue of the board) plus one inch away from the starter wall (an exterior wall is ideal because it is straighter than an interior wall) and mark the floor with a pencil at least 18 inches away from each corner. Snap a chalk line across each mark. This will create a guide line that will allow for a 3/4-inch expansion space along the wall perimeter.
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3
Pick through the hardwood flooring and find the longest, straightest boards available. These boards will be used for the first two rows. Line up the tongue side of the flooring planks with the starter line. The groove side should face the starting wall.
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4
Face-nail through the groove side of the flooring plank with a pneumatic finish nailer 1/2-inch from the groove side and one to three inches from the end of each plank. Place a nail every six inches. Then blind-nail the tongue side of the plank with a pneumatic finish nailer, placing the nail in the corner where the tongue attaches to the plank. Insert the nails at a 45-degree angle every six inches.
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5
Set the nail heads that poke up through the wood too far below the surface of the wood with a nail set and a hammer.
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6
Continue installing the first few rows of hardwood flooring until there is enough room to use a pneumatic flooring nailer or stapler (usually the first three to six rows, depending on the face width of the flooring planks).
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Tips & Warnings
Fill the face-nail holes with either a stainable or a pre-colored wood filler to hide the nail holes.
