Q: Is there an easy way to correct a misfired cleat when installing 3/4 inch oak flooring? I had allowed the pressure to drop and fired almost an entire row of nails that didn’t set deep enough.
Trying to manually hammer them in doesn’t seem to be working.
A: Try a hammer and nail punch with a larger head. These cleats are meant to be driven in with one blow. If they don’t and if you don’t have enough control and force with a hammer and punch then you need to keep moving the cleat back and forth until it breaks off.
Related Q: Our new home has hardwood floors and we have lived in it almost one year. We have been noticing lumps in the floors along the seams, rippling to the touch. You can pick the area and it is coming up. Is this caused by weather, workmanship, settling or upkeep? Or is this normal?
I am coming up on my warranty time and need to know if this is something that I need to get fixed.
A: This may possibly be caused by floor nailer cleats that were not properly seated on top of the tongue or were a result of a misfire. Pressure on the adjoining plank causes the upper edge of the groove to elevate at that point.
If you have swings of high to low humidity this could become a problem.
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