Nailing T&G flooring

[alex trent]

Never having done it but watching people do it with a hammer, I presumed that would suffice. As I read, I see lots of reference to nailers and how essential they are.  But I also gather that the nails are specific to eavh one/model which makes it of limited usefulness here after my first use with the nails for the model.  if someone wants to use it, means getting nails from the USA...a chore.

Am I incorrect in assuming that 400 sq feet is not a big deal for a couple of guys with hammers.

While in the subject...casing or cut nails?? floor is 3/4 T&G  a bit harder than pine..close to oak.

[rick91351]

Best to use a floor nailer.  Looks like this.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/nailers-staplers/2-in-1-flooring-air-nailer-stapler-97586.html

But the you might not want a pneumatic.  They do still make the old arm strong nailers.  I never have nailed with one of those.  However my buddy says he can nail almost as fast with one of those, when he has someone racking for him.  But he is not much good the next day.   

If you purchase a nailer like that you will need also the big rubber mallet for a striker.   

Find you longest run, snap a chalk line and lay that down.  Then start start 'racking' boards.  Keep the end butts a minimum 4 inches however 6 inches in a lot better from any butt joint above or below it.  In the event your longest run has a nook or another room off of it.  You can put a spline in the grove to make a tongue to that side and start racking that direction as well.  Always nail to the tongue.  Then when you find a wall you sort of trim cut and nail that down best you can.     

[Redoverfarm]

In a pinch you could also use a finish nailer with 2" heavy guage nails.  The nail spacing should be closer than the standard flooring nailer but angled through the tounge will work.

[rick91351]

In a pinch you could also use a finish nailer with 2" heavy guage nails.  The nail spacing should be closer than the standard flooring nailer but angled through the tounge will work.

Thanks John, never knew that.  I might give that a try some time.  I don't think my CP finish nailer would do maple or oak.  Just never know until you give it a try I guess.     

[considerations]

Nailing 2" T&G by hand was very hard for me, I managed 4 24' rows the first day...the next day a nail gun, compressor, and a case of nails was in my front yard when I came out to do chores. I never looked back...after I tracked down the neighbor who had dropped it off and got him to come back and show me how to use it. LOL

[Don_P]

When we were running tight Dad used to have an old man do his floors, he would hand nail with cut nails while his boys used a porta-nailer. This was before we had air tools on jobs. The old man could give the boys a run for their money. He would drive the nail close then lay a nailset across it first hitting the round barrel and then sliding the square end over the nail, tucked into the angle formed by the tongue and set it home. We used casing nails for any face nailing in the last few rows. Our cut nails didn't work in Australia with their harder tropical species when nail making technology was evolving. They developed a nail that you won't see in the states that was headed, 4 sided but tapered to an oblong point.

The labor is likely reasonable, I'd hand nail it, I've hand nailed much more than that in 2" T&G flooring. As to which nail, the cut will be better than a casing if you can drive without them collapsing. Our ability to manufacture a good cut nail is much better now than in the 1830's

Not for the floor but for the rest of the job; If you want closer to the speed of a nail gun using loose nails an air powered palm nailer will drive a wide variety of nails. It takes a fairly healthy compressor to keep up with one though.

[John_M]

I have found that a good pneumatic nailer helps keep the floor boards nice and tight.  That hard "whack" with the mallet helps close those small gaps that occur from time to time between boards!!