Hardwood Flooring Install: nail or staple?

[dan mahler]

Installing 3/4" T&G oak hardwood in my workshop using a Porta-Nails 421 (PNEUMATIC) nailer. The base is double 3/4" plywood. Should I use the 2" nail (serrated tooth design) or staple? Thanks.

Shop dimension 16'x24'.

[Sam Shank]

I've never had a problem with the nails you describe. They should be completely sunken in your sub base of 1.5 inches.

Never used staples.

[Tom Slupek]

I used cleats (serrated nails), they hold better than staples according to my floor supplier. I used 3/4" T & G prefinished white oak 3-1/4" wide. After two years still no movement or squeaks in the floor. I nailed every 8 to 12 inches.

[Christof Grohs]

I used cleats (serrated nails), they hold better than staples according to my floor supplier. I used 3/4" T & G prefinished white oak 3-1/4" wide. After two years still no movement or squeaks in the floor. I nailed every 8 to 12 inches.

The jury is out but I have to disagree on this one. I nail in about 100,000 ft of floor a year using only staples. If you install properly either will work just fine;)

[Greg Funk]

I used 2" Bostitch staples (1/2" crown) into 1" of plywood (3/8 + 5/8). They have thermoplastic glue on them that heats up when they penetrate the wood. Very difficult to remove once they're in.

If you stick with 2" they won't penetrate very far into the 2nd sheet of plywood. I would probably use 2 1/2".

Greg

[Jon Endres]

I also used Bostitch staples. 1-1/2" in my case, I didn't want them penetrating the subfloor because of staple-up radiant heating. I had to remove one piece to recut it, and the staples pulled through the board and stayed in the subfloor. In my case, 3/4" soft maple T&G flooring. It was tough getting those staples out.

[ken bleadow]

Good Evening Dan,

I just finished installing 600 sq ft of 3/4" prefinished Bruce hardwood flooring. I borrowed a 2" flooring nailer from a neighbor who is a flooring contracter. I asked him what type of instalation he preferred (staples or nails), and he said that he never had a problem with either. But, his installers liked the stapler better because they didn't have to bend over as far to use it. I can verify that the nailer was tough on the lower back. Luckily my brother-in-law and I took turns with the nailing duties.

Good Luck with what ever you choose, Ken