finishing last 2 rows of wood flooring ?
user-111755
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I am installing 2 1/4″ by 3/4″ oak flooring in a my new house. When I get about 14 or 15 inches from the wall I then have to hand nail until the last 2 rows which then get faced nailed. The salesman from the flooring store that put in my vinyl flooring said his hard
wood installers don’t face nail their last couple of rows but glue them down instead.
I asked him , ” How do you glue over tar paper ”? He said he didn’t know if they removed the tar paper and then used the glue as a vapor barrier as well. Is anyone familiar with this technique?
Replies
I've never seen anyone do that. It's hard enough to get the last couple of rows tight without the help of the floor nailer (well, it isn't really hard, but it's a little more work). How would you clamp it tight and trust it to stay until the glue dried?
No, keep on with your current method. Hand nail through the tongue as long as you can, face nail where you need to.
Might they just be gluing the T & G joint?
Even so, you'd still have to clamp or wedge it. And I can see 2 rows of otherwise unsecured flooring cupping under damp conditions.
Ditto, hopefully he will follow your advice.
This is a bit of work, but once you do one or two, it's pretty fast. Use a 3/8" forstner bit to drill a hole about 3/8" deep in those last boards where you want to nail. Select a round head screw, one with a flat lower side where it will bear on the wood in the hole. Drill a pilot hole for the screw, and drive it tight. You might angle the pilot hole VERY slightly toward the previously-nailed pieces, which will tend to suck the board up tight. Now you need to fill those holes. Use a good quality 3/8" tapered plug cutter (lee valley tools P/N 05J05.02, URL=http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,180,42288,32320&p=32320).Find a waste piece of the flooring and use the plug cutter to make a bunch of plugs. With a drill press you can make 30 or 40 in about 5 min. Break them out of the board by popping the bottoms sideways with a screwdriver. Test fit one in a hole, and if it bottoms out on the screw either deepen the screw hole or use a razor blade to shorten the narrow end of the plug. Once it is short enough, put a bit of glue on the outside of the plug and place it in the hole, orienting the grain. Give it a light tap with a piece of wood, wipe away the glue ring, and let it dry overnight. Use a razor blade to carefully shave off the top (take care if you use a chisel, you'll gouge out a low spot if you get too close with the final cut using a chisel. A low angle block plane is quick and safe. Leave it a hair high and sand it flush. I' will just about disappear. Note: Use a tapered plug cutter or you will have a visible glue ring when it's all finished.It's a woodworking trick that I learned working on sailboat cabinetry, but I used it when replacing oak thresholds on my mother's wooden floors, and it was quick and looks great.
Very good description, that's exactly what I do as well as for other types of floor repairs. Also vouch for the quality results if you focus on the details.
Look for the screws at McFeeley's. Top 1/2" or so of shank should be unthreaded. Kreg type pocket screws with a square head are best.
Thanks,
have all the tools for that detail, just never thought to use it on flooring. Seems like a lot of time, but would look better than face nailing. I usually try to hide the last face nails under base and shoe.