Q: I’m having problems with cleats sinking flush to the bottom of the groove. I’m installing 3/4 oak prefinished flooring using 2-inch cleats, over 3/4×4 inch plank flooring. I also installed 1/4 inch plywood on top of planks. I turned my air pressure up to 160 and still was not able to get the cleats to sit flush. I also tried staples and the same problem. I tried hiring a few cleats into the subfloor and both times the cleat was flush to the subfloor. Using 15.5 gauge cleats.
Equipment Issues
The rare Q&A about flooring equipment.
Finding it hard to match an existing floor thickness
Q imported from our old site, Face Lift Floors: I am diligently trying to match an existing floor so I can add on to it. Unfortunately, the local flooring company is no longer in business so matching it has been very difficult. The flooring is 1/2″ thick.
Can I use the Bostitch Manual Floor Nailer MFN-200 on my 5/8′ bamboo flooring?
Q: Can I use the Bostitch Manual Floor Nailer MFN-200 on my 5/8′ bamboo flooring? It says it’s for 3/4′ floors. Or should I use one with an adjustable plate like the Powernailer?
Pneumatic hardwood floor nailer leaving marks
Q: My pneumatic hardwood floor nailer sometimes leaves unsightly marks my prefinished hardwood when I am nailing it. Is there something I should put over the plate on the nailer that will prevent it from marking the hardwood?
Buying a used bostitch air nailer
Q: I’m looking at buying a used Bostitch air nailer. Would it be better to buy one that shots staples or nails? Is there any advantage of one over the other?
Plug cutter?
Q: Have you ever heard of a plug cutter that drills a pilot hole for the screw, a countersink for the screwhead, and a plug hole at the same time?
Is a cleat the same as a nail?
Q: We are installing 1400 sq. feet of 3/4″ X 5″ wide maple prefinished flooring. Would you recommend using a stapler or nailer?
Cutting back the nosings
Q: I’ve taken carpet off stairs and am preparing to lay oak on treads and oak veneer on risers. I plan to leave spruce stringers and just repaint them. But I can see that when I cut back the existing nosings of about 1 3/8″ to be flush with riser there will be an ugly gap and rough edge of the existing nosing in the stringer where I cut the nosing back, which will not be fully covered by new solid oak nosing.
Getting boards on the straight and narrow path
Q: I am installing some new 5/8″ hard wood floors, glue down over concrete. My home has a large floor plan and a large island in the kitchen, while meeting up around the island I noticed the 2 pieces had a slight gap. Unfortunately, I noticed this after the panel was down. I would like to rip down the existing piece to continue in a straight path, and sort of hide the mistake. Do you recommend I do this with a skill saw or router with a straight edge in place as a guide?
Removing wood without ripping out kitchen?
Q: My hardwood floors were installed under the kitchen cabinets and have not held up well. I would like to remove them, and install ceramic tiles. How do you remove the old flooring without tearing out the kitchen cabinets?