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Sean Troy
09-05-2009, 10:06 AM
Hey all. Is there any reason why you couldn't use an air powered finish nailer to install hardwood flooring with instead of the air assisted floor nailer you hit with a mallet? Referring to 3/4 wood floor. Less mallet swinging would be much better for my back it it's at all possible. Thanks for any help.

Dan Friedrichs
09-05-2009, 10:20 AM
You can, but the point of swinging the mallet is to make sure the plank is installed as close to the previous plank as possible. It triggers the nailer while simultaneously giving the plank a good "whack" into place.

Also, the planks regularly have some bow to them which necessitates such force.

I would not attempt using anything else.

Mac McQuinn
09-05-2009, 11:15 AM
I did my Kitchen with 3/4" red oak with rented Non-Pneumatic, It was a two stage affair that pushed the wood into place on first hit and and sunk special flat serrated nails on second. It was a back breaker to say the least. The Pneumatic model helps a lot but still is alot of work. A few years later, I did a hallway with red oak to match the kitchen although found a solid wood product that was 3/8 thick. Installed with combination of construction glue and toe-nailed with a bradnailer. Worked fantastic.:D So much faster and has held it's tightness much better than the thicker product. I will never use the 3/4" material again! Product came from large wood flooring mfg., Launstein Woods in Mason Michigan. Good luck and get a back-brace.:(

Mac

Dan Friedrichs
09-06-2009, 11:55 AM
Mac, was the glue recommended? The whole point behind only nailing the tongue on solid flooring is to allow the plank to expand and contract width-wise with changes in humidity. Glue a standard plank down, and you risk it cracking. Perhaps you had an "engineered" product?

Sean Troy
09-06-2009, 12:25 PM
I did my Kitchen with 3/4" red oak with rented Non-Pneumatic, It was a two stage affair that pushed the wood into place on first hit and and sunk special flat serrated nails on second. It was a back breaker to say the least. The Pneumatic model helps a lot but still is alot of work. A few years later, I did a hallway with red oak to match the kitchen although found a solid wood product that was 3/8 thick. Installed with combination of construction glue and toe-nailed with a bradnailer. Worked fantastic.:D So much faster and has held it's tightness much better than the thicker product. I will never use the 3/4" material again! Product came from large wood flooring mfg., Launstein Woods in Mason Michigan. Good luck and get a back-brace.:(

Mac

I have two adjoining rooms the new floor meets up with and would prefer to keep them at the same 3/4 level. Sounds like I'll be stocking up on some pain meds :)

Mac McQuinn
09-07-2009, 6:27 PM
Mac, was the glue recommended? The whole point behind only nailing the tongue on solid flooring is to allow the plank to expand and contract width-wise with changes in humidity. Glue a standard plank down, and you risk it cracking. Perhaps you had an "engineered" product?


Dan,

With a degree in Residential Construction and current MI Builder's License, I questioned the same thing. Yes the glue was recommended by MFG. and no it was not a Engineered product. The company does make a 9/16" and 3/4" Engineered product although the 3/8 material is one piece, solid Red Oak all the way through. I guess the theory is the 3/8" material does not have the same expansion/contraction rates as thicker material. After 10 years it's still as tight as ticks on a hound's rear end. No squeaks, and looks great. I've had 100 times more noise and expansion problems with the traditionally applied 3/4" material in the Kitchen. I will never use the 3/4" material after using the thinner material. I can supply some pics if you'd like to see end results.

Mac

Mac McQuinn
09-07-2009, 6:31 PM
I have two adjoining rooms the new floor meets up with and would prefer to keep them at the same 3/4 level. Sounds like I'll be stocking up on some pain meds :)

Get one of those back braces like HD guys wear. When I went to hallway with 3/8" material, I used a "Transition" strip that slowly tapers down to thinner material in a slight arc. Made a nice job of things. Good luck with this project.

Mac

Sean Troy
09-09-2009, 9:05 AM
Get one of those back braces like HD guys wear. When I went to hallway with 3/8" material, I used a "Transition" strip that slowly tapers down to thinner material in a slight arc. Made a nice job of things. Good luck with this project.

Mac
I think I just need to actually see what the transisition would look like in person before deciding if 3/8 would be ok.