Finish Nails For Face Nailing Hardwood Flooring

If you want to lay inch plywood as a subfloor or another inch flooring over a subfloor you should use an appropriate size of nail to ensure the flooring stays in place.

Finish nails for face nailing hardwood flooring.

Concrete floors can be laid in basements or at ground level while upper level subfloors generally consist of wood. Face nailing is the common practice used to nail the first few rows of boards in place because it is difficult to maneuver hardwood floor nail guns close to the wall. For what you want to do finish nails are the best option and then use a nail set to recess the nail head. Always check with the manufacturer s instructions to determine if your hardwood floor can be installed over an in floor radiant heat system.

Hardwood floor stock is normally dried and won t expand when nailed like green wood. Solid hardwood flooring only can be installed on or above ground level with a plywood subfloor. Use the specific gauge of nail recommended by the manufacturer. The proper way to face nail is to countersink the nails with a nail punch and fill the remaining hole with coordinating wood putty.

The higher the gauge number the thinner the nail. Finish by using wood putty to cover the nail head so it doesn t show. Nail down close to a wall. Engineered flooring can be installed above grade at grade and below grade level do not install hardwood flooring in bathrooms.

Previous mryoucandoityouself video https youtu be z gg56guzwm th. The two gauges of nails typically used for hardwood floors are 16 and 18 gauge.