Securing Wood Floors: Three Solutions

The subfloor is often used as an anchor when screwing down the floor and closing the gaps. You can work against it to hold the boards tight while you work. For example, hand-driven nails can be set at an angle to hold the new board tight against the previous board until the screws are secured. For boards with a stubborn curve to them, two wedges can be cut out of flooring scraps to hold a board tight while securing it in place. Screw one wedge to the subfloor and drive the other wedge between the secured piece and the tongue edge of the new flooring piece. Since one wedge is temporarily fastened to the subfloor and the other wedge is driven between the new piece and the fixed wedge, this closes the gap between flooring boards while the screws or nails are set. Once the board is secure, the wedges can be removed and used again. For the best results, use Phillips head, or square drive, screws. They are much easier to drive tight and resist stripping. Plugs should be milled from the same material as the flooring, so that shrinking and swelling occur at the same rate. A 3/8-inch plug-cutting bit can be purchased at most hardware stores, and is best used in a drill press. Damaged or split flooring pieces are good material source for cutting plugs. Blind nailing tongue-and-groove flooring hides fasteners from view. Wedges made from scrap wood can be used to hold a board tight while securing it in place. A simple jig made from scrap wood can be used to align fasteners on the face of floor boards. Plugs are set once the entire installation is complete. To set plugs properly, first orient them so that the grain of each plug follows that of the plank. Then, place a drop of glue in the countersink hole and lightly tap the plug in place. Plugs should never be pounded as they may break and are very difficult to remove. A sharp chisel or Japanese-style saw can be used to trim the tops of the plugs just above the surface of the flooring. The rest can be removed when the floor is sanded. This recovered plank flooring has been milled with a tongue-and-groove profile, and face nailed for authenticity. Face Nailing Though not as common as blind nailing or screwing and plugging, face nailing is another method for plank flooring. Ring shank common nails are the best choice for structural integrity. For the best installation, nails should be aligned with the previous nails, and evenly spaced. If the floor is also glued to the subfloor, a wide selection of nails may be used. Copper, square-headed cut nails, and other decorative nail heads add accent and authenticity to wood floors. A smooth-face hammer should be used when face nailing floors. Any stray hit will leave a dent in the surface of the flooring. While some older floors actually look better with a few dents and nicks, unwanted hammer dents should be removed. To do so, place a damp cloth on the spot and apply pressure with a hot iron. This will raise the damaged surface of the wood back to the common surface.

...Continued - Page 2 of 2 ( 1 2 )
< Previous Page