Recommended Sub-Floor
¾” plywood, ¾” OSB, existing ¾” hardwood flooring (install perpendicular to existing floor). The material must be solid, flat, and structurally sound.
Installation
- All door jambs and doors should be cut to allow for the new elevation of the flooring. A jamb saw or hand saw can be used to cut the jambs.
- Flooring should be installed at right angles to existing joist systems if at all possible, and to the longest dimension of the room. If flooring has to be installed parallel to the joist, an additional layer of ½” sheathing should be applied at a minimum angle of 45 degrees over the existing ¾” sub-floor.
- Snap a chalk line on the sub-floor. Chalk line should represent the width of a piece of flooring, plus the tongue, plus an expansion space the thickness of a piece, next to the wall. It might be necessary to rip pieces of the row closest to the wall, as the wall might not be square and straight.
- Align the first piece with the tongue edge on the chalk line, and face-nail (preferably in an area that will be under the molding) with the groove facing the starting wall. Leave ¾” expansion space on the end wall as shown in the drawing. Continue down the first row, making sure the end joints are tight. Use a nailing block or pull bar to snug up each piece. Do not hit the edge of the board with the hammer.
- Using an approved nail or staple gun, continue this process down the second row, and for each new row. Allow for at least a 6” variance between end joints on adjacent rows to improve the appearance of the finished floor.
- The nailing schedule for engineered flooring should be every 8” for plank flooring. A fastener should be applied at least 1”-3” from each end.
- When using pneumatic nailing devices, check the fastener to ensure the tongue of the flooring is not severed during installation. A psi range of 70 to 80 is desirable, but will vary with species. Be sure to follow manufacturer’s recommendations for fasteners.
- Leave an expansion space around all vertical obstructions including pipes and columns. Measure the position and size of the obstruction on the flooring and cut. Leave a ¾” expansion space to allow the flooring to expand or contract during seasonal changes. Saw through the hole at a 45 degree angle to allow re-gluing or nailing the cut-off piece.
- The width of the final row can be found by turning a piece of flooring (groove side to the wall) as a marking guide. Place the pieces to be installed on top of the second to last row and mark using the piece against the wall. After cutting, apply glue to the groove and install with a pinch bar.
- Moldings should be used to cover the expansion spaces. Nail moldings to the wall, not onto the floor.
- Moldings should be used to cover the expansion spaces. Nail moldings to the wall, not onto the floor.
- Approved nailers for 9/16” floors
- Bostich Air Stapler Mark lll – remove standard plate and add an adapter plate for 9/16” or 15mm floor thickness using 2” staple.
- Primatech Q50 with Primatech 5/8” adapter plate using 1 ½” power cleats.
- Powernailer Model 200 (pneumatic or manual) with Powernailer U-1 pad using 1 ½” powercleats.
- Approved nailers for ¾” floors
- Stanley’s M-3 nailer using Stanley’s ‘M-3 foot kit’ and 2” T or L cleat.
- Powernailer Model 45 and 445 using Powernailer’s ‘big foot’ adapter and 2” T or L cleat.
Note: incorrect pressure settings will result in improper seating of the fastener. Too much pressure will blow the fastener through the tongue and diminish its holding power. Too little pressure will allow the fastener to sit above the tongue and damage the adjoining boards. Begin at 70 to 75 psi and adjust the regulator as needed.