Hardwood Flooring Nailer

[Todd Crawford]

I will be installing some new hardwood floors in the room over my garage in the next couple of weeks. I have been trying to find a nailer that will be able to do 3/8" - 3/4" flooring. I've found some with interchangable plates that will do different sizes, but have not found anything with this particular range.
I found a really good deal on some 3/8" flooring that I purchased for upstairs, but downstairs already has some areas that have 3/4" flooring that I would like to add to eventually.
Thank you in advance.

[Ron Natalie]

When doing 3/4 I just rent a pneumatic one. After going through the first half of the room with a hammer driven one I was ready.

For the thin stuff, I use a bostich floor runner (this I own). It works like a champ. The only problem is that you don't get real positive feedback when it runs out of staples so you shoot blanks sometimes without realizing it.

[Larry Prem]

The Powernail Flex fits your requirements. The base plate can be adjusted for 3/8" to 3/4" stock.
http://www.powernail.com/home/flex.htm
It's a commercial tool, so it is not cheap.

I have used mine to lay may floors over the years. I have no complaints. It gets the job done.

[Van Huskey]

I have done odd sized floor with the Bostich and just made a cover for the plate out of smushed cardboard, hardboard etc and just held it on with blue tape. I did about 2000 sq ft in our current house with tape and cardboard and never had to replace it and never had a single issue. It was Bamboo, I think 5/8". I just rented a nailer but we did it with several helpers (that all knew how to lay floor) in a weekend but it was new construction.

[Bob Lloyd]

I own a Bostitch flooring stapler, I have only used it for 3/4" flooring though. It has a couple of plates, the other is for 1/2" I believe. Following on from Van's comment I could see no reason why you could not shim below or above the interchangeable plate for the 3/8" flooring.

[Prashun Patel]

Unless you are planning on doing this professionally, I'd rent by the day. I think the best tool for the job is a hammer assisted angled flooring stapler.

Are you sure the upstairs flooring is 3/8" and not 5/8"?

[Todd Crawford]

It is definitely 3/8" - I just placed the order on Sunday. This will be a pretty small run compared the rest of the house downstairs when I get to that. I like the idea of just shimming the plate. I was thinking that might work. The prices I have been getting on a rental - well, I could own one after 3 days.

So - I think the plan will be to buy one for the 3/4" flooring and shim it to work on the 3/8' stuff.

That Powernail is way out of budget!

[Bob Lloyd]

Todd

I checked mine, the other plate is for 1/2". As I mentioned, mine is a stapler; I would have a little reservation about using a nailer on 3/8", the powernails that I have look a little heavy for that thickness of flooring. You might want to check it out.

[Todd Crawford]

Thanks Bob - the model I am looking at will do both nails and staples. I think you are correct, the staples are the way to go on this 3/8" stuff and is actually what is recommended from the manufacturerer.

[Todd Crawford]

These are the two that I am looking at:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202185066/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=flooring+nailer&storeId=10051

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202101760/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=flooring+nailer&storeId=10051

Any thoughts? Thanks again everyone.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Too bad you're so far away.
I'd make you a heck of a price on a HF flooring nailer. ;)

I picked one up three weeks ago for $99.00. If you know anyone that get's This Old House magazine, the March 2012 issue has a coupon in it for that $99.00 price. The coupon is good until June 6th.
I just finished installing about 100 sq ft of 3/4" white oak flooring with it. I used Bostitch 2" cleat nails. The nailer worked perfectly. Not a single jam & it sunk the nails perfectly w/only about 75 psi of air pressure. A good solid whump on it made the T&G fit nice and tight.
It comes with a 2nd plate for doing 1/2", that should easily be shimmed for 3/8".
The HF uses either cleat nails or staples.

I'm 50/50 on keeping it for future use. Not because of anything related to the nailer.
Flooring and I aren't a good match anymore. Too much up and down is too hard on the old body.
It took me and my wife 4 hours on Friday evening, all day Saturday and an hour or so on Sunday to do that 100 sq ft.
I still have to sand, stain and put 5 coats of finish on the floor.
I had a price of $800.00 complete to have it done by a pro.
Materials (including the nailer) ran me about half that. For an extra $400 I could have just sat back and watched someone else do all the work!


Also - see this:
http://www.amazon.com/Cepco-Tool-QuikJack-Flooring-Construction/dp/B0000224PZ/ref=pd_sim_hi_2

By the second board of the second course,,,,you'd about kill to have one...
I foolishly thought I could get by without a jack of any kind.
My wife couldn't put enough force behind a crowbar to push the T&G joint tight enough. I could, but it took both hands. My wife isn't good enough with the nailer, so we tried (in vain) to have both of us pry while I tried to fire nails for the 4th through final cource of nails.

Flooring looks nice and straight - until you get it on the floor...