I have started installing 3/4" hardwood for my customers on a daily
basis.

Since the first and last boards cannot be stapled with the big angular
machines like the Bostitch MIIIFS how do you do this? Manuals I read
say nail to the face of the hardwood strip and countersinking the
nails/screws. While I saw a seasoned installer affix 18 gauge brad
nails because I guess that is much faster. Are there better methods
and what are they?

One method I tried is to put brad nails to the tongue. But when I try
to put 18 ga brads to the tongue the brads only go in properly half
the time, rest of the brads don't go in all the way.

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?

While I saw a seasoned installer affix 18 gauge brad nails because I
guess that is much faster. Are there better methods
and what are they?

Face nail anything you can't blind nail, and fill with a matching color.
Since they are on the perimeter of the floor, it's hardly noticed (if at
all).

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap at
the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?

Use a flush cutting saw (google it). Lay a piece of floor stock on the floor
next to the jamb to use as a guide when using the saw. IOW, you put the
flush saw on top of the floor stock as a gauge to cut the jamb at the
correct height.

--Mike



"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I have started installing 3/4" hardwood for my customers on a daily
basis.

Since the first and last boards cannot be stapled with the big angular
machines like the Bostitch MIIIFS how do you do this? Manuals I read
say nail to the face of the hardwood strip and countersinking the
nails/screws. While I saw a seasoned installer affix 18 gauge brad
nails because I guess that is much faster. Are there better methods
and what are they?

One method I tried is to put brad nails to the tongue. But when I try
to put 18 ga brads to the tongue the brads only go in properly half
the time, rest of the brads don't go in all the way.

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?

ississauga wrote:
I have started installing 3/4" hardwood for my customers on a daily
basis.

Since the first and last boards cannot be stapled with the big
angular machines like the Bostitch MIIIFS how do you do this?
Manuals I read say nail to the face of the hardwood strip and
countersinking the nails/screws.

Believe the manual. Nicest way IMO is screws, fill the hole with a face
grain plug made from the same stock as the floor. Be sure to fasten the
first board FIRMLY so it doesn't deflect when you fasten the next (I screw
down the first three boards). Also make sure that they are dead
straight...they determine how all the rest go.

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical
gap at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in
under the trim?

Any thin bladed saw without set teeth like the small Japanese saws meant for
cutting off plugs and the like. Less than $10 at Harbor Freight.

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________

ississauga wrote:

I have started installing 3/4" hardwood for my customers on a daily
basis.

Since the first and last boards cannot be stapled with the big angular
machines like the Bostitch MIIIFS how do you do this? Manuals I read
say nail to the face of the hardwood strip and countersinking the
nails/screws. While I saw a seasoned installer affix 18 gauge brad
nails because I guess that is much faster. Are there better methods
and what are they?

If there is going to be a baseboard and shoe installed, which would
cover 1" to 1-1/2" of the flooring up to the wall, face nail the first
and last board within that allowance, so that the baseboard and shoe
will hide the face nail heads. Don't forget to leave the flooring
recommended expansion gap at the wall.


One method I tried is to put brad nails to the tongue. But when I try
to put 18 ga brads to the tongue the brads only go in properly half
the time, rest of the brads don't go in all the way.

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?

They make a special saw to cut off the bottom of trim. The blade lays
flat on the floor material and the handle is doglegged so that your hand
is off the material. Just lay a scrap piece of the floor material up to
the trim so that you get the proper height of the cut, and saw off the
trim flush with the floor piece.
__________
|_handle__|
\_________________ blade flat on floor material piece.

Pick one up at HD, Lowes, or a hardware store. They're fairly cheap. I
forget what it cost for mine.

"ississauga" wrote in message
om...
I have started installing 3/4" hardwood for my customers on a daily
basis.

Since the first and last boards cannot be stapled with the big angular
machines like the Bostitch MIIIFS how do you do this? Manuals I read
say nail to the face of the hardwood strip and countersinking the
nails/screws. While I saw a seasoned installer affix 18 gauge brad
nails because I guess that is much faster. Are there better methods
and what are they?

One method I tried is to put brad nails to the tongue. But when I try
to put 18 ga brads to the tongue the brads only go in properly half
the time, rest of the brads don't go in all the way.

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?


The first board gets facenailed and tongue toe-nail with an angled-magazine
16 gauge finish nailer (or Tee-nails aligned with the grain) with 6d nails.
Succeeding courses get toenailed only with the finish nailer until the
Bostich gun shoe has room to play.
On the other side of the room, the finish nailer can reach a few more
courses after the gun is done. The last few get face only - you can pry
them nice and tight with a bar and a few scraps of flooring without damage.
The 18 ga fasteners are too weak for angled nailing in hardwoods IMO. Try
borrowing or renting a gun before you buy. Pop the rubber nose protector
off - turn the gun to get the closest angle of attack when toenailing (this
will eliminate most unsunk nails). FWIW, I've used the Bostich gun:
http://www.bostitch.com/default.asp?...ish+Nailer+Kit
many times for this.

For the occasional job, a Japanese pullsaw and a scrap of flooring will work
on those casings. The pros prefer to cut casings, jambs and sometimes
baseboards. You need a jambsaw for clipping casings in a production
installation environment. Here's one option: http://www.jambsaw.com/ check
out the toekick saw on this page.

Good luck,
Eric

ississauga wrote:

snip

Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?

If you're installing hardwood flooring on a daily basis you might want to
consider purchasing a jamb/undercut saw. An example can be found at the
following URL:

http://www.craintools.com/fs-specialtysaws.html

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
(Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

Nova wrote:

ississauga wrote:

snip



Another question is, what tool to use to cut off the 3/4" vertical gap
at the bottom of door trim so the hardwood strip can squeeze in under
the trim?



If you're installing hardwood flooring on a daily basis you might want to
consider purchasing a jamb/undercut saw. An example can be found at the
following URL:

http://www.craintools.com/fs-specialtysaws.html

And the hand held one is on the bottom of that page. Thanks. I couldn't
find a link earlier.

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004 09:12:36 -0400, willshak
wrote:

They make a special saw to cut off the bottom of trim. The blade lays
flat on the floor material and the handle is doglegged so that your hand
is off the material. Just lay a scrap piece of the floor material up to
the trim so that you get the proper height of the cut, and saw off the
trim flush with the floor piece.

You don't need a special saw if you use a scrap. It dosen't matter if
the scrap gets gouged. G

Any dovetail, Ryoba, gent's, or small back saw that will fit will
undercut trim.

Barry

They make a special saw to cut off the bottom of trim. The blade lays
flat on the floor material and the handle is doglegged so that your hand
is off the material. Just lay a scrap piece of the floor material up to
the trim so that you get the proper height of the cut, and saw off the
trim flush with the floor piece.

You don't need a special saw if you use a scrap. It dosen't matter if
the scrap gets gouged. G

Any dovetail, Ryoba, gent's, or small back saw that will fit will
undercut trim.

Barry

If you do a lot of it, Bosch makes an electric version.