Q: Despite keeping the first several rows straight I am finding that due the slight variances in widths of the hardwood (1/16 – 1/8″) the tongue is causing the next board on the next row to bow slightly as it is stapled down, causing the rows to be out of alignment.
The wood is being laid at 45 degrees, the wood is Camaru select and better, strips range between 1-7 feet in length.
Are there any tips to ensure that the rows remain straight when stapling?
A: So, the milling on this flooring is not good. 1/8″ difference in width is quite a bit and reminds me years ago of when I had to do sub-contract work to pay the bills and the builders choice was B**** pre-finished. Same problem, same result.
There is no way to keep your lines straight and avoid gaps with flooring that is out by that much, especially when installing on an angle which is even more difficult.
Do you have enough to pick out the boards that are too wide? If you have time to burn, you could always check each board width and cut down the wider ones to proper width. You would need a good table saw and router/table with appropriate bits to cut the groove. Of course you could cut the board down on the tongue side, cut a corresponding groove in the edge and then glue in split tongues or splines to serve as the new tongue. Time consuming and tedious work.