Mistakes:
Using a manual nailer
Nailing into the groove instead of the tongue
Using staples instead of nails

Other suggestions.
Put down a long, dead straight board that will serve as your first course.
IME, this is better than starting off with the actual flooring material
since you can nail this sacrificial course straight down into the subfloor
instead of using the angled nailer, thereby (mostly) assuring it won't move
during the nailing process. Don't remove this board until you have butted
at least 4 full courses against it, at which point the courses shouldn't
move, no matter how much banging (manual or pneumatic) you're doing.

Make very accurate measurements wall to wall in various parts of the room to
determine where to put this backer board. Be sure you're not going to end
up with a 1/4" last course up against a wall. Opinions may differ, but I
put my backer board in the middle of the room, then used a tight
groove-to-groove spline so I'd always be nailing into the tongues (sp?) as I
changed direction and started working toward the opposite wall.

Just one amatuer's opinion based on a job that turned out *very* well.

Joe C.



"ississauga" wrote in message
m...
If you have installed hardwood what mistakes have you made? The
hardwood I am installing is the 3/4 inch thick type, about 2-3 inches
wide, oak and maple mostly, finished type.

I am installing hardwood flooring for my customers. There is a big
demand for it here, as many people want me to replace their carpets
with hardwood. I have being reading books and now work with a
professional installer but there is nothing like learning from
mistakes.