Fixin' to lay about a 3x4 foot landing with red oak hardwood i have created myself with a pen knife, bic lighter and a #55 stanley plane. (and if you believe that.....) Actually, my question is, do I need anything between the oak and the OSB subfloor? I plan to tongue nail it with my 16 ga finish nailer.
thanks
Can lay a layer of builders paper if desire but not mandatory.
A finish nailer isn't up to the task; even for the small area go rent a floor nailer; you'll be glad you did.
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OSB moves in two directions with environment change, flooring in one, and red rosin paper seems the material of choice to deal with that.. Rental flooring nailers come with the right sort of nails for keeping things pinned together. Use your finish nailer on the trim where it works best.
Joe
if it's nailed down, how does the paper resolve a movement problem?
Actually, OSB expansion is about 50% greater across the width as compared to the length (with the orientation of the strands) although that's still more than with solid lumber with/across grain, of course.
The purpose of the paper is to eliminate any possible movement noise (squeak), not the movement itself...if it stays relatively dry and the materials are acclimated prior to installation there shouldn't be excessive movement in the final floor.
thanks for the reply. i only have 13 boards, 43 inches long, to lay and am afraid i'd only be able to deal with the bulk of a nailer on 9 or 10 of them before i'd be too close to the wall. I may just pre drill them and use finish nails by hand.
Power nailers use coated nail; hand nailing traditionally used a cut nail similar to a masonry nail. I'm not positive what would be recommended these days for hand-nailing but I'd feel a little uncomfortable w/ just an ordinary finish nail unless were heading directly into the joists holding for the long term.
Problem w/ the finish nailer I see is it won't be able to set fully in the tongue and you'll play a pretty tune try to set one of them by hand if/when they're proud of the surface by any fraction at all...
I'd look on the Hardwood Flooring Association page and see if can find a recommendation there for hand-nailing fastener or check on installation sheets from a flooring manufacturer. It's been 30 yr since I last laid a hardwood floor but did a bunch back in those days (when a pneumatic flooring nailer was a rare beast, you had to swing the heavy mallet :( ).
OK, I just read the Bruce sheet for their Sterling Strip red oak flooring--they've changed a little over the years; now do say to just use a 6d or 8d finish nail if hand nailing and can get by w/ a finish pneumatic nailer to face-nail the starter row(s).
Go to the following link and you can download the pdf doc as well--well worth reading.
As said, I chose the Bruce Sterling Strip as close match to yours...if I misunderstood and it's wider than strip flooring pick a plank product instead.
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