Top-nailed floors need puttying

[jennifereden.price]

Hi,

I'm choosing b/w several floor sanding companies. The most reputable one in the area actually provided the lowest quote. When I pressed for the differences, I learned that others insist that top-nailed floor nails need to be individually puttied and that takes all day. The lowest-quote guy insists that with modern machinery the puttying step is unnecessary.

They all supposedly use this super-duper German machines branded Hummel.

Who's telling me the truth?

Thank you very much!

Jennifer Price

[jennifereden.price]

I'm not sure I understand why thare are holes. The nail gets sanded along with the floor and ends up flush with the floor. So my imagination tells me that there's nothing to be filled and I understood the difference to be that in one case you can see the nails and in another you can't. Please remedy my naivete.

JP

[Duane Bozarth]

Both...sorta'. The one guy is right that if he doesn't fill nail holes he won't spend as much time and so won't need to charge as much. The other(s) are right that to fill a nail hole requires...well, filling it.

The best you'll get w/o individually filling the holes is some sanding dust in the hole covered by finish....

[Sacramento Dave]

They use to use something called Copon (sp) for the nail holes. If I recall they just trowel it on, they didn't just fill each whole one at a time. I don't see how your going to get away without filling holes. Maybe the finish is going to fill the holes is that there idea, but that sounds half ass. Common senses nail wholes needs to be filled. I bet that lowest quote comes some frustration, and some extras.

[dadiOH]

1. What does sanding have to do with nails? Surely they won't be sanding down to the countersunk nail heads...
2. Hummel is a sander, don't see that it has squat to do with nail holes. Unless he intends to sand off the heads which would look terrible plus markedly reduce holding power of the nails.
3. It doesn't take all day to putty nail holes. But why should they have to be? They are already countersunk and puttied, no?

The only top nailed boards should be a handful at both sides where they couldn't reach with an angle nailer. Frankly, I think puttied nail holes look crummy...much better to have used screws and/or counter sink and fill with face grain plugs.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Sacramento Dave]

leave a whole. If they sand the nails flush to the wood then you will have a shinny nail head showing., That would look to good. The last floor I did was

2" wide by 5/16" thick top nailed, Two nails every 6" that's allot of shinny spots. What you should go to a flooring store ( not home depot) talk to them ask about the nails, filling and maybe get some contractor names. It doesn't sound like your real comtorforble with the flooring contractor, you should make some more calls. Your going to have to live with the finished product,.so don't rush. I'll say it again I just don't see how you would not have to fill the wholes. Why do the other Contactors want to fill the wholes? sound like there going to do it right.

[jennifereden.price]

This is a refinishing job. The nails are already there and are countersunk. I can see the nails. They are not shiny. They just form a nice regular pattern and they are like little black dots. There's plenty of wood left.

Is puttying designed to conceal the nails, i.e. a veneer? Or is it functional? Finally, do nails get sanded down along with the wood so they stay flush?

Thanks for all responses.

[Sacramento Dave]

Your right if were talking about a refinish the nail should be set and puttied. But the question should be dose the price include setting and filling the nail heads you do sand and expose? How many times has the floor been refinished , how much wood is left? Why do the other contractors want to fill the wholes? When they were talking nails being puttied I thought of a new floor. Is it new floor they put down or just a refinish?

[dadiOH]

Yes. So you don't have little black dots. ___________________

No. One uses some variety of filler. __________________

Or is it functional?

Primarily esthetic but functional in as much as the holes won't get filled up with crud. ____________________

If they are countersunk they aren't flush now. If the sanding takes off so much wood that they *become* flush they should be set below the surface and the holes filled.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[jennifereden.price]

Thanks for your responses!

Is everything you are saying pretty much universal accross all types of floors? Could something you are saying be different about floors laid down in 1925?

[Norminn]

clipped

Exposed or concealed nails seems to be purely a matter of style. Protruding nails would be an issue during sanding because they probably would tear up the sandpaper. If all the nailheads show but are recessed, and you like it that way, it would not seem to be an issue. Some flooring has wood dowels - little wood circles - to cover or imitate recessed fasteners. If there are protruding nailheads, it is pretty simple to countersink them. Loose or squeeky flooring should be addressed before you begin.

[dadiOH]

Sure, it could be different. Plus - then or now - it could depend on who was doing them. My father in law put down a softwood floor in his house a few years ago, all the nail heads show. They don't bother him but neither do the gouges (DEEP) he left from belt sanding it. All a matter of esthetic sense...

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at