Gaps due to the head of the nail not bedding all the way

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Q: I am in the middle of a DIY floor using prefinished 3/4″ gunstock and using a blind hammer. This being my first time, I started in the den, but now almost done I look back and find gaps due to the head of the nail not bedding all the way.

I have been correcting this by cutting off the excess or tapping it in, but how do I fix the spots that are already too far back to pull up? I can see the nail in the gap but was not sure if putty or likewise would work.

I don’t want to call in a Pro since it is almost done (350 of the 400 sq ft). I may have a pro do the rest of the house, but now one half looks perfect and the first half is the problem zone.

A: Installing this with hammer and nail? You should have been setting the nail flush with the top of the tongue using a nail punch. It would have been much easier to have rented a power nailer firing cleats.

You can get colour matched putty for the gaps. Color-Rite comes in hundreds of shades and is easy to work with.

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