1-1/4 inch 18 gauge barbed flooring cleats like Powernail's Powercleats 18 gauge flooring nails that HD sells should to the job just fine. Set the nailer to drive it 1/16" below the surface. There are actually staples for such thin solids, too. Haven't tried staples on a straight edge strips though. It may also depend on what you are driving it with. But as far as nails go, Powercleats should do.
what size nails for face nailing 5/16 oak square edge flooring.
Apr 10, 2012
6 Replies
I need to face nail a small amount of 5/16" thick oak flooring. It is not T&G, but rather square edge. Sub floor is 3/4 inch 1x 8. I assume a 1 or 1 1/4 inch long is good, but unsure of gauge and is there a special nail that holds well?
Thanks, but those nails are made for a power nailer that look like it is made to drive at an angle into T&G.  I don't believe it will work.Â
 You'd need a thicker gauge for manual application. It would still be a specialized tool though - a manual nailer. Were you planning to use a hammer? This might make the aligning job a nightmare. I think you should consider renting a power nailer if it's a real small job and you don't have the tool. Then staples will become an option, too. Â
Powernail makes 16 gauge cleats for the manual nailer and so does Porta-Nails (
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)Â . It does not have to be tongue and groove, can be straight edge. But I'm not aware of anything that can be driven with enough precision by a hammer though.
Other people can respond here, too. Let's see if someone wants to share their experiences in flooring with a hammer.
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