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Securing
Wood Floors: Three Solutions
Wood floors can be installed using concealed nails, plugged screws, or
face nails. Whatever the method, it's important to secure the floor properly
and close all the gaps for a wood floor that's as beautiful as it is long
lasting.
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There
are three basic options when it comes to fastening hardwood floors. The
most common is blind nailing, often used with 2-1/2-inch, tongue-and-groove
strip flooring. A second common option for strip flooring is screws and
plugs. When completed, both blind nailing and screws and plugs hide the
fasteners from view. Face nailing, which leaves the fasteners visible
on the finished floor, is seen in older, rustic homes and can be used
to accent a period floor.
Blind Nailing
Most common by today's standards, blind nailing is often used on strip
flooring milled from various species of hardwood. This method works best
with hardwoods as only half of the thickness is being used for structural
integrity. With this method of fastening the nails are concealed in the
tongue and groove joint. The tongue part of the pairing is used to fasten
the material to the subfloor. The work is most quickly accomplished with
a pneumatic flooring nailer, although air-powered tools are not necessary
for a quality installation. Flooring nailers, which both force boards
tightly together and drive a fastener, called a cleat, are often used
in blind nailing applications.
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lengths of wood flooring are loosely fit into place before they are secured
to the subfloor. |
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When using
a flooring nailer, the nose of the tool is set down on the top inside
corner of the board's tongue while the nail is driven at an angle through
the flooring material and into the subfloor. The tool establishes the
angle at which the nail is driven, so there no guesswork when the tool
is operated properly. A heavy blow hammer strikes the pad on top of the
nailer. This drives the material down and back into the neighboring piece,
creating a tight joint between the two. Since the tool moves the wood
as it sets the nails, it is important to face nail the first two courses
completely so that the subsequent boards do not go off line.
Typical installations use 2-inch barbed
flooring nails spaced no more than 12-inches along the length of each
board. It's best to check the length of the flooring nail against the
subfloor conditions. If, for example, there is radiant tubing beneath
the subfloor, the nail must be short enough to not puncture any of the
water lines. The length of the nail and the depth of penetration determine
how securely and safely the floor is fastened. Even if the location of
the radiant tubing is known, it is best never to risk a puncture. At the
same time, there must be enough depth to hold the floor securely to the
substrate. It is always best to drive a few nails into a test piece of
flooring to check the finish depth of the nail and the angle of the tool.
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Screwed
and Plugged
Screws and plugs work best with wide-plank flooring that is milled square
at the edges. Screwing down the floor can be time consuming, so it's best
to have a system for drilling countersink holes, setting the boards with
screws, and then plugging. A good method is where one person measures
and cuts the material, while two others set the boards, counter sink,
and screw them down. For best results, make a jig that will line up the
nails in each new board with those in the last and give an even space
between them. A common jig is simply a piece of scrap plywood cut to a
length equal to the width of two boards. A small strip of wood nailed
along one edge, like a lip, lets it rest against the tongue of the board
being installed. The location of the screws is then marked on the jig.
The jig covers the board to be set and the previous board, so it helps
align the screws from one board to another.
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Readily
available at tool rental stores, a flooring nailer drives fasteners in
blind nailing applications. A hammer strikes the pad on the nailer to
force a board tight against the previous course, while also driving a
fastener through the flooring and into the subfloor. |
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The subfloor is often used
as an anchor when screwing down the floor and closing the gaps. You can
work against it to hold the boards tight while you work. For example,
hand-driven nails can be set at an angle to hold the new board tight against
the previous board until the screws are secured.
For boards with a stubborn curve to them,
two wedges can be cut out of flooring scraps to hold a board tight while
securing it in place. Screw one wedge to the subfloor and drive the other
wedge between the secured piece and the tongue edge of the new flooring
piece. Since one wedge is temporarily fastened to the subfloor and the
other wedge is driven between the new piece and the fixed wedge, this
closes the gap between flooring boards while the screws or nails are set.
Once the board is secure, the wedges can be removed and used again.
For the best results, use Phillips head,
or square drive, screws. They are much easier to drive tight and resist
stripping. Plugs should be milled from the same material as the flooring,
so that shrinking and swelling occur at the same rate. A 3/8-inch plug-cutting
bit can be purchased at most hardware stores, and is best used in a drill
press. Damaged or split flooring pieces are good material source for cutting
plugs.
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Blind
nailing tongue-and-groove flooring hides fasteners from view. |
Wedges made from scrap wood can be used to hold a board tight while securing
it in place. |
A
simple jig made from scrap wood can be used to align fasteners on the face
of floor boards. |
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