"Nails for 3/4" Reclaimed Red Oak?," in the Hardwood and Laminates Q&A forum, begins: "I acquired 400 sq ft of Red Oak flooring (2-1/2" strips by 3/4", various lengths) that was removed from an ..."
I acquired 400 sq ft of Red Oak flooring (2-1/2" strips by 3/4", various lengths) that was removed from an original installation in a neighbors house and I want to use it in a family room addition in my house because it very closely matches the original Red Oak in my living room, etc. It had been face-nailed, as is my original flooring, so I want to match it when I put it down.
Question is, what size nail do I use? Length, gauge, ring-shank, spiral, finishing nail, etc? Your input is appreciated.
If I were you, I'd install the new properly with a stapler or nailer, then cut whatever nails I found that matched the heads of the existing to slightly less than 3/4" and put them in as decoration. Sound like whoever installed you and your neighbor's houses wasn't a floor installer!
Maybe I should have been a bit more clear...the original oak flooring in my house (as well as my neighbor's) was installed in the mid-1940's, so I believe the practice then was to face-nail. While that might not be the norm today, it is what was done then.
I guess I could blind-nail now, and putty the old holes.
The old flooring nails I have run into were about 2" long and were a twist nail. A real bugger to get out. I think they were predrilled. If you are looking for historic that would be the way to go.
So many suggestions, so few answers. 62lemans, I recommend you rent a flooring nailer and use the cleats or staples that come with the gun. For the average 3/4" flooring going over a wood subfloor, the 2" staple or cleat will work fine. In those places you can't get the nailer into, use a face nailing technique with 18 gauge, 1 3/4" finish nails - counter sink and putty to match, or cover with baseboard or base shoe/quarter round molding.
Other pros who specialize in hardwood installation will correct my mistakes.
Okay...i screwed up...the strips are 2" wide x 1/4" thick (not 3/4"). Here is a photo of the end of one of the strips. You can see it's been top-nailed, and a fairly small diameter nail hole. I'm assuming that there is a decent sub-floor to nail into (I know it's NOT concrete).
So, 15gauge nail still? Finishing nail? With the thinness of the oak strip, is blind-nailing practical? Or, just stick with the face nailing?
No, blind nailing would seem to be impossible with that product. There is no tongue or groove. I would glue the floor down and use finish nails for decoration only. That may not be how it was originally installed, but the age of that floor has likely made it somewhat unstable - and reclaiming it prob'ly damaged it some. Glue and nail, but as always, I defer to our hardwood specialists (I've no experience with that product and haven't installed anything for a few years now).
Did the wood warp when you took it up? Can you glue that back down? Seems like a bugger to glue down if it is old wood that is warped. Thats all I unlike most here was not alive in 1940 neither were my parents so Installation practices of that day I would not know. If it were me I would just try to make do with what I had to the best of my ability.
I'd install it just like it originally was, using spiral cut nails, to match the rest of your house.
The floor will need to be filled to cover any open nail holes.
62lemans, I recommend you rent a flooring nailer and use the cleats or staples that come with the gun. For the average 3/4" flooring going over a wood subfloor, the 2" staple or cleat will work fine. In those places you can't get the nailer into, use a face nailing technique with 18 gauge, 1 3/4" finish nails - counter sink and putty to match, or cover with baseboard or base shoe/quarter round molding.
