Do I Need To Nail Hardwood Floor To The Joists

Solid hardwood flooring only can be installed on or above ground level with a plywood subfloor.

Do i need to nail hardwood floor to the joists. Mark the walls to show the location of the floor joists. To avoid nail pops pullouts and shiners nails that barely hit the joist all of which can cause squeaks use the correct nail size and spacing and ensure the nails penetrate the floor joists and sink fully. If the subfloor is stiff enough there is no reason why solid nail down strip flooring can t be run parallel to the joists. You ll need to figure out how to lay hardwood floors for your room size shape.

To fix a floor covered with deep pile carpet drive a wallboard screw through the carpet and pad into the floor joist. Although you can secure inch plywood sheets to the joists in a subfloor with long nails you don t generally need extra long nails for the floor to stay in place. You should also lay red rosin paper on the subfloor before you apply the wood to eliminate squeaks caused by the subfloor and hardwood rubbing together. First renail the existing plywood subfloor so that the old nails are tight and add new nails to achieve a maximum nail spacing of 6 inches.

Drive 6d or 8d flooring nails through the pilot holes and then drill additional pilot holes through the tongue at a 45 degree angle spaced as directed by the manufacturer. No matter what you do you should eliminate squeaks on the subfloor first by screwing the floor down through the sub floor to the joists anywhere you can hear squeaking. Countersink all the nails. Separate wooden bridging members to eliminate noise problems.

With hardwood floors drive ring shank or cement coated flooring nails into the seams between boards. Generally nails 6d ring or screw shank or 8d common should be spaced 6 inches on center along supported panel edges and 12 inches. Always check with the manufacturer s instructions to determine if your hardwood floor can be installed over an in floor radiant heat system. A flooring contractor howard brickman responds.

Engineered flooring can be installed above grade at grade and below grade level do not install hardwood flooring in bathrooms.