Do you nail the tongue or groove? For tongue-and-groove flooring, drive a nail at a 45-degree angle through the tongue, then conceal it by engaging the groove of the next board. Be sure to countersink the nail — drive it slightly below the surface of the wood — to prevent interference in the joint.
Do you nail the tongue or groove on hardwood flooring?
Choose Your Install Method For example, solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down.
Do you start with the tongue or groove?
Which side is the tongue, which the groove, and which goes first during installation? The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.
Do you have to nail tongue and groove flooring?
Although tongue and groove solid hardwood flooring does fit together, it must still be nailed to a subfloor (note that tongue and groove subflooring is one of the many types of subflooring out there).
Where do you nail tongue and groove?
Lay the first course of tongue-and-groove board in the desired location. ... Nail the fasteners directly through the face of the first course of tongue-and-groove board, near the groove. ... Secure the opposite end of the board by angling nail fasteners at a 45-degree angle and hammering them where the lip meets the board.More items...
Do you leave a gap in tongue and groove?
For tongue & groove boards, a gap should be provided around the perimeter of the floor to any upstands or abutting construction to allow for possible expansion of the decking. An expansion gap of 10 mm (or 2 mm per metre run of the floor, whichever is greater) should be left against all walls.
Can you nail into the groove?
To nail the groove, you must nail by hand, but you have a very small space in which to work. In addition, you must countersink every nail to avoid interfering with the tongue of the next plank. For most applications, this isn't feasible or desirable.
How do you nail the last few rows of hardwood flooring?
The last rows are blind-nailed by hand. Use a nail set to protect the flooring from being hit by the hammer head. When you can no longer blind-nail by hand, face-nail the. remaining boards.
Do you nail the ends of hardwood flooring?
While installing 3/4” solid hardwood flooring, 2" long nails or staples should be used. Shorter 1-3/4" or 1-1/2" nails might be used for thinner wood flooring like engineered wood floors. Each plank or strip has to be nailed every 8" and 3" from both ends of the plank.
How do you fasten tongue and groove flooring?
7:5910:07How To Install Tongue and Groove Flooring | Ask This Old HouseYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight staples like that yeah so you prefer that to a flooring nail i like a staple that gets a thinMoreRight staples like that yeah so you prefer that to a flooring nail i like a staple that gets a thin wire less chance of splitting the wood.
How do you nail down tongue and groove?
Use a finish nailer to nail through the face of the board along the groove side of the board. Place shims or spacers in the gap between the flooring and the walls to hold it firmly in place. Holding the finish nailer at an angle, shoot nails through the tongue every 8 to 10 inches.
How do you nail with tongue and groove paneling?
0:502:19Tongue and Groove Paneling Intall Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHold down and place and make sure that the tongue and groove are fit together tightly and then nailMoreHold down and place and make sure that the tongue and groove are fit together tightly and then nail in place on an angle down through the tongue.
Should tongue and groove be glued?
The recommended glue for floating installation is Tongue and Groove engineered flooring glue. Glue placement is very important. The glue must be placed along the topside of the groove the full length of the grooved side and end.
Where do you start when laying tongue and groove flooring?
Start at the corner of the room and place the first board with the tongue facing toward the wall. Be sure to leave a gap of about a ½-inch so the floor has room to expand and contract. 5. Place the second board next to the first so the shorter ends touch, and pull the second piece as close as possible.
Do you have to cut the tongue of the first row of laminate?
We recommend cutting off the tongue on this first row to avoid any problem with the expansion gap. Insert the second plank into the first at an angle pressing the short ends together; then press it down. Repeat the same procedure down the row.
Should you paint tongue and groove before or after installation?
Finish tongue and groove boards before installation As the wood dries and shrinks, unfinished stripes will appear where the tongues withdraw from the grooves. But if you apply finish before installation, the tongues will be completely finished—no unfinished stripes to appear later!
What is the difference between tongue and groove?
Tongue and groove paneling can also be made from a variety of materials and joins together like a puzzle. On either side of the paneling, there is a protrusion (the tongue) and an indentation (the groove). The tongue and groove interlock to join the planks.
What is Tongue and Groove?
Many centuries ago in colonial America, dirt floors were the only type of floor that most houses had. Though it was a common type of flooring, it was not ideal for many reasons. For one, the free-flowing dust throughout the air caused all kinds of air quality issues. In addition, the wetness of the soil could also cause mold and mildew issues within the home. Both the bad air quality and the moisture issues presented health problems.
How to drive a pine nail?
Then it is a good idea to finish driving the nail using a scrap piece of wood or a nail set. This is because pine is a very soft hardwood, and if you miss the nail and accidentally hit it with a hammer, this can damage the wood by leaving a hammer imprint. The best way to minimize inadvertently hitting the wood with a hammer is to use a scrap piece of wood that surrounds the nail as you are pounding. This will allow you to hit the scrap wood instead of the tongue and groove pine. Another method is to use a nail set. It will enable you to drive the nail in by hitting this tool instead of the nail itself, giving you more room for error.
How to secure tongue and groove pine?
To ensure that your tongue and groove pine are correctly installed and secure, you will have to make sure that you choose the job’s proper nails and nail technique. Although tongue and groove installation is very secure, you still want to nail them in place to minimize any movement, especially as the board expands and shrinks over time.
What type of nail is used for tongue and groove paneling?
The two most common types of nails used for tongue and groove paneling projects are the brad nail or the finish nail. Brad nails are made of 18-gauge steel wire and because they are very thin nails, it makes them perfect for use with delicate material such as pine wood. In addition, they are great for tongue and groove paneling because it is easy to mask them in the wood.
How do tongue and groove pine boards fit together?
Tongue and groove pine wood fit together using an interlocking technique in which one edge of a pine board resembles a tongue , and the other edge is an opening for the tongue to be held in place, known as a groove. This is a very secure way of fitting wood together to install floors, ceilings, or walls. However, despite how secure this type of wood is, it will still need nails to keep it into place for a much more firm fit.
What angle do you nail tongue and groove?
Blind nailing is another method used for tongue and groove paneling. The nail is typically driven into the board at a 45-degree angle at the tongue. This method hides the nails, so there is no need to cover them to hide the nail head.
How to drive nails through wood?
Face nailing is the most common way to drive a nail through the wood. This technique involves driving the nail perpendicular to the board. It is one of the more traditional methods of inserting nails into boards. When employing this method, the nail head is visible and may be covered up with caulk or putty to keep it from showing.
How much does a hardwood nailer cost?
Hardwood flooring nailers rent for around $40 to $60 per day and are well worth the cost.
How to stop wood from squeaking?
Prevent wood squeaks by using a sound-absorbing underlayment between the subfloor and the hardwood flooring. The most common underlayment is 15-lb. felt paper, which effectively muffles sounds that occur when wood rubs against wood.
What is engineered flooring?
Engineered flooring features planks made from layers of compressed wood fibers, resins, and polymers, which is then topped with a thin layer of surface veneer. Consumers can choose from dozens of textures, patterns, and colors, including veneers made from real hardwood and bamboo, in addition to styles made from other laminate products designed to mimic the look of wood, cobblestone, or tile. Unlike hardwood flooring, engineered flooring can be installed over concrete or existing flooring, such as tile or linoleum.
Why is tongue and groove flooring used?
Nearly all hardwood flooring today is tongue and groove because it solves the pesky problems—such as shrinking, warping, and working loose—commonly experienced by face-nailing planks to floor joists. Because the boards interlock, they’re less likely to heave or show gaps between the planks if the flooring swells or shrinks, ...
How does tongue and groove work?
Here’s how it works: One side of a tongue and groove board has a protruding ridge (the tongue) that runs the entire length of the board, while the other side of the board has a groove from end to end. During installation, the ridge side of one board is fitted into the groove side of an adjacent board, creating a snug seam.
Do planks snap together?
Snap, don’t force the planks together. The tongue ridges and groove channels are narrower and deeper in engineered flooring than they are in solid hardwood flooring. The sides of the planks fit together by positioning the tongue of one plank against the groove of the previously installed plank at an angle and then pushing downward and inward at the same time, which causes the planks to snap together.
Can engineered flooring be installed over concrete?
Like solid hardwood, engineered flooring requires sound-absorbing underlayment, but because engineered flooring can be installed over concrete or existing flooring, the manufacturer may recommend a cushioned polyethylene-type barrier that also resists moisture.
How to choose a hammer?
When choosing your hammer, make sure that it matches the weight and shape of the hammerhead to the job you are doing. Small nails are a great deal easier to nail with lighter hammers, and large nails difficult to drive with small hammers. A well-balanced, 20-ounce, bell-faced hammer will perform the widest range of tasks.
What is a dovetail nail?
DOVETAIL NAILING. This technique is akin to toe-nailing, as it involves driving nails on a bias. Nailing pairs or sets of nails at alternate angles strengthens the nailed joint. In this case, however, it is the face of the board that is nailed (rather than the opposite sides of the board). 4.
How thick should a nail be to attach a piece of wood to another?
To attach one piece of wood to another, you should use a nail that is three times the thickness of the piece being nailed . Right? While that’s a good starting point, it isn’t the whole story.
What is a clinched nail?
A clinched (or clenched) nail is driven through the pieces being joined, and the protruding tip is bent and nailed flush for extra holding power. Batten doors were traditionally made using this technique, leading to the cliché “dead as a doornail.”
When to use face nailed joints?
It can be used in the widest variety of situations, when the nail is driven straight into the face of the workpiece, through to the second piece. Face-nailed joints aren’t particularly strong (especially when the workpieces being fastened are perpendicular to one another), but the technique is fast and easy. 2.
How do tongue and groove boards work?
Tongue-and-groove boards are blind nailed. The nail is driven at about a 45-degree angle into the tongue of the board. Then the groove of the next piece is slid over the tongue, obscuring the nail.
Is there more than one way to hammer a nail?
There's more than one way to hammer a nail. Several techniques are commonly used, with each suited to different applications. Nailing a nail isn’t just a matter of ready, aim, and swing. Other elements enter in , like the size of the nail, the angle at which it is driven, and the nature of the pieces being joined.
