Special Nailer/Stapler for Wood Flooring?

[Pat Germain]

Mrs. G. wants me to install wood flooring in our dining room and living room. They are next to each other and not very large. I'm looking at the bamboo flooring available at the Costco just a stones throw from my house. In my my neighborhood, I'm not sure I could recoup the investment of expensive hardwood flooring. (Although, Costco also has oak flooring for $20 more per box.)

The instructions for the bamboo flooring suggest it can be glued or fixed with nails or staples. I'd rather not glue it. Does nailing require a special nailer/stapler for wood flooring? I imagine such a nailer would require staying at a fixed angle. It is possible to use a standard nailer/stapler with a jig, or something? I get the impression this wouldn't be possible, but you never know. I expect I could rent the special nailer/stapler.

Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

I helped my GC lay down some of the wide pine flooring in our addition. We had a rented pneumatic stapler that shot fasteners with "about" a 3/4" crown and legs that were something like 2.5" long at an angle through the top of the tongue into the subfloor. A "soft" head mallet was used to strike the tool. In addition to driving the fasteners, the tool also helped with the alignment/tightness of the flooring...the hard mallet hit on the tool drove the boards closer to its mate while simultaneously shooting the staple. Renting is the way to go for this one, Pat!

[Pat Germain]

^^ Thanks, Jim! That's "good gouge" as we used to say in the Navy.

[Gene Michael]

I did about 1800 sq feet of white oak flooring in our house with the Bostitch pneumatic floor stapler. A friend suggested I buy a cheapo from Harbor Freight, but I was leery of damaging the flooring with a cheap tool. The staples are 2" long with a 3/4 in crown and have a lot of holding power. Only had 1 misfire in the entire process and that was because I accidently bumped the striking plate with the hammer. The jam was easy to clear. There are two plastic feet for the Bostitch, one for 3/4" flooring and one for 5/8". I have nothing but compliments for this machine. It cost $500 two years ago, but many rental stores carry them.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Unless you want forearms like Popeye, a pneumatic flooring stapler (like the Bostitch) is the ticket. Jim has it right, the action on the driving the fastener serves two purposes, fastening the flooring to the sub-floor and tightening the fit of the tongue and groove.

[Yves Pinet]

I installed that bamboo in two bedrooms and the hallway at a friends house. Went to Home Depot to rent a nailer/stapler and they lent me a small Bostich 18 ga narrow crown stapler with an attachment that goes over the tongue. Worked great. The guy behind the rental desk told me that the larger gun tended to split the tongue on the bamboo. That stuff is really hard and brittle. It takes a bit more work, because you have to get your boards tight first, and then nail it.

[Eric Franklin]

I installed the same stuff in my living room using the flooring stapler from Home Depot. I just had to turn the pressure down on the air compressor so it would split the bamboo. It worked really well.

Just a word of caution. The bamboo floor at Costco is really soft and scratches really easy because it's immature bamboo. If I had to do it again, I would have paid the money for mature bamboo.

[Pat Germain]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, everyone. Good info about the Costco bamboo being particularly soft. I'm going to visit my local Lumber Liquidators and see what they have going on. A friend told me they sometimes have small batches discounted. Or, maybe I'll just suck it up and pay a fortune for brazilian mahogony. ;)

[Brian Weick]

I can tell you that the Bostitch flooring nailer is a phenomenal nailer , I own one, bought it brand new not to long ago ~ expensive, but sweet! Just have to be careful using it on bamboo and some other hard brittle woods. Just don't nail at the very end of the boards- you will start splitting the tung and then start to have matting problems between the boards,
Speaking of lumber liquidators I just bought some Maple , Brazilian cherry,and blood wood ~ all top grade ~absolutely beautiful wood~ in my opinion. Just to give you an idea The blood wood sells for $7.99 a square foot , it was 70% off~ costs me $2.99. Once a year they have a liquidation sale but you have to get on their mailing list to receive the notifications, I received a card from them in the mail and when they say you have to get there early, you have to get there early- the store was swamped at 8:00am. I looked at the bamboo as well - nice wood. Just remember to leave the wood in the environment in witch it is going to be laid to adjust to the climate, check the moisture content and put a good moisture barrier on the sub floor before you install the flooring. Wish you the best!:)
Brian

[Art Mulder]

(Although, Costco also has oak flooring for $20 more per box.)
...
Does nailing require a special nailer/stapler for wood flooring? I imagine such a nailer would require staying at a fixed angle. It is possible to use a standard nailer/stapler with a jig, or something?

Pat,
When I was looking at putting in Hardwood, several folks (Both local folks I trust, and people on forums) advised against Costco any anyone else selling Chinese imported hardwood -- too much variation in quality. But I also had some people who said they were totally satisfied. I found a local lumber dealer that was selling Canadian-produced hardwood at a price I liked. Still, chinese stuff from the borg was cheaper. Your call.

I posted pictures and stories on my website (http://www.wordsnwood.com/2008/hardwood/) about my flooring install. There are some photos there that show the flooring nailer that I rented from HD. I consider it well worth the cost. As I got close to the wall I did use a regular 16 guage gun, held at an angle shooting into the tongue. Yes it works, but it is far slower, and Jim is right about what swining the hammer does for you.

DO BE SURE AND TAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE NAILER. Without tape protecting the shoe of our nailer it WOULD mar the floor. A few strips of painters masking tape is cheap insurance. Change it half way the job as well.

I also find getting yourself a deadblow hammer a good idea as well.

have fun,
...art

[K. L. McReynolds]

I just installed over 800 sq. ft of hard maple flooring. I bought a Ramshond stapler---same design as the Bostich and uses the same staples----for $200 online from the company. The Bostich is about $350 or more.

Now, beginning and ending rows means there is no room for the stapler---so I used a PC 16 guage finish nailer(using 2&1/2" finish nails)---placing the nails in the same place as the stapler does. I did remove the rubber nose piece from the nailer---and the placement of the tip took a bit of care. But it would be possible to actually use the nailer for the entire install.

However, you will find some stock will be bowed and not fit well. The force of the air assist and the hammer blow from the stapler cinches those misfits solidly to the previous board. The finish nailer does the same with much less force, resulting in some gaps.