• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored Insights
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

Wood or Wood Knot: Impact of Fasteners -- Your Silent Partner

By Randy Prewitt
February 3, 2005

Wayne Morrison, installer for The Hardwood Floor Store of Bollingbrook, Ill., installing 3/4” tongue and groove strip flooring.



Probably the most under appreciated "hero" of any hardwood flooring installation is the fastener. Buried beneath the floor surface, never to be seen or (hopefully) heard from again, the fastener plays a subordinate position in the hardwood flooring industry. And yet, from the contractor's viewpoint, fasteners have always been an intricate element of all wood flooring products that are suitable for a nail down application.

More and more wood flooring products historically installed by adhesive are now using fasteners. The transition to mechanical fasteners, when appropriate, increases the flexibility to engineered hardwood flooring. Considered the fastest growing segment of our industry, engineered hardwood now offers the versatility and the flexibility for installations on any grade. The addition of mechanical fasteners has provided another option for applications that had always been a "sticky situation."

Fasteners also enable you to maintain a clean work area as opposed to adhesives which can require flash off before product contact to the subfloor. Fasteners are available in a cleat or staple version. The two variations of cleat are in the formation of a "T" or an "L."

Staples are still utilized in our industry but their popularity appears to be slipping. Staples are more prone in splitting the tongue of the flooring and perhaps they are also considered to restrictive to movement with wide swings of humidity. Cleats are tapered and serrated which allows minimal movement with the capacity of allowing the flooring strips to their original location when normal seasonal changes occur in the home. The sizes of cleats range from 1 1/4" to 2."

Keep in mind that fasteners are only as strong as the subfloor they are attached to during the installation process. Determining an acceptable substrate at the job site is the sole responsibility of the contractor and requires some research: What is the gauge/thickness of the subfloor? Is the condition of the subfloor suitable for fastener retention? Has the subfloor been sufficiently nailed and glued to the floor joist?

Please note the maximum distance between the floor joists should not exceed 16" on center. Following the manufacturer's installation guidelines is a must and adhering to them will ensure that the contractor will stay on top of the installation.

A box of cleats will usually accommodate 200 sq. ft. of a 2 1/4" linear hardwood flooring product. Solid linear wood floors must be fastened at minimal intervals of 10 to 12." Products exceeding a width of 3 1/4" require fasteners every 8". Each short board requires two fasteners. Avoid nailing directly next to the end joint. Whenever possible, fasteners should be installed into the floor joist. This procedure is definitely obtainable on 5/8" CDX plywood or OSB.

Particleboard subfloors are unacceptable for a nail down installation. They tend to swell with moisture mishaps but do not return to their original dimensional size when dry. This allows for some wiggle room around the fastener and drastically reduces the cleats holding power. Install a layer of 1/2" CDX plywood before proceeding.

Most engineered hardwood flooring products are suited for mechanical fasteners so check the manufacturer's specifications for the right fastener. Wide plank wood floors, 5" or greater, may also be screwed and plugged to further reduce potential movement.

What's new in floor nailing?

Besides the tried and true manual flooring nailing machines, such as Powernail's model 45, Primatech H330, Portanailer 402, several manufacturers offer pneumatic systems as well. For a start up contractor, most manual machines can be purchased for under $300. They're all well made and easy-to-use. Inevitably you will need replacements parts such as drivers, springs etc. They should be purchased in advance for that inevitable day when you need them. Remember your downtime is substantially more costly than the price of parts.

Pneumatic equipment reduces worker fatigue by lessening the physical demands associated with a hammer. The equipment emphasizes the skill of the individual rather than his strength and that, of course, helps keep someone on the job for years to come. Pneumatic hardwood nailers were introduced more than a decade ago and they just keep getting better and less cumbersome to work with. Today's machines have been refined to have greater balance.

Many of these nailing machines are surprisingly quiet. Keep in mind that unlike your silent fastener partner, Wood or Wood Knot is glad to make noise so you and your customer will continue to smile for years to come.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Randy Prewitt is president of St. Louis-based Flortek Consulting, which provides wood floor-related training at any location in North America. He has more than 25 years’ experience as a hardwood installation teacher and trainer, and has been involved in both distribution and retailing/contracting. A former president of The Flooring Industry Council of Greater St. Louis, Randy also has served as director of Technical Services for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Installation How-To
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Residential Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the FLOOR Trends & Installation audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of FLOOR Trends & Installation or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Woodura Herringbone 2.0
    Sponsored byBjelin

    The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Popular Stories

Mimi Mulugeta and Michael Barrows

Military Vet Trades Retirement for New Flooring Venture in Alpharetta

company branding

Branding and Marketing Strategies for Flooring Contractors

how to properly trowel adhesive

Flooring Adhesives Education: The Key to Preventing Costly Installation Failures


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • Wood or Wood Knot

    See More
  • Wood or Wood Knot: A guide to acclimation and moisture -- Wet wood won't work

    See More
  • Wood or Wood Knot

    See More
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP