Im taking on a project for my mom, installing new Maple hardwood in a bedroom and hallway. Right now the wood is aclimating with the boxes open(correct way from what i've read, let me know if another way is better). Mainly what type of plywood subfloor should I use for 3/4" thick 4" wide Hardwood maple, and any tips in general would be apprecieated. Thanks

 

Use the air nailer. When we laid the cherry in the bedroom we tried the manual one for about 30 min then traded for the air one.

 

Finished or unfinished? Just make sure you watch the boards for any bad ones, make sure your joints are tight. Pull a chalk line for the first board down the wall to make sure you stay straight. You might have to face nail the first board and the last couple in a room, we always like to to put glue on the tongue and groove on the ones that are face nailed. I know the hand nailer is harder but if your only doing a little bit then I would get it. The air is for the contractors who are putting hard wood down all the time like me and my uncle. We are 2300 square feet down in a new house we have been working on.

 

First I would check with the flooring manufactor as to what they recomend for the subfloor. Last spring I put a hardwood floor in my living/dinning room and really like it. Take your time and plan ahead. You will want to rent a pneumatic nailer trust me. Not a manual nailer! A good chop saw and a table saw will make the job easier. Good luck!

 

The place where we bought our floor from rents the gun out for free you just have to pay for the nails.

 

Incorrect. Wood should acclimatize in UNOPENED packages until the moisture content of the wood is within 5% of the house, but not exceeding 12% difference. (Wood is usually shipped at 6-7%)
PLywood substrate to be standard sheeting or better.

1st row can be glued and nailed (chemrex urethane 1 bead on centerboard) then face nailed along your straight line to floor. Your last 2 rows should be face nailed only (no glue) to allow the floor to move with changes in RH and temp.
Wax paper or kraft paper to be used between wood flooring and hardwood.

Make sure to run wood at 90 deg or 45 deg to floor joists. Do not run parallel to them, or your floor will 'roll'

Room Relative humidity must be maintained at 35%-50% RH at all times during the year to prevent shrinkage or cupping issues.

min 3/16" air gap to be left from fixed objects including drywall, cabinets etc.

Nailing should be 6" COC on the wood, overlap on butt joints to be 3" or better to prevent stair stepping.

Anything else you need to know, call me on my cell
two 5 zero 4 two 1 one 0 one four
J

 

Got juice is spot on but forgot one thing, considering it is maple, you will want to predrill your nails because maple tends to split. I am assuming this is prefinished so watch your mallet, it will leave marks, and try to get the boards sucked all the way up before nailing. The stapler does a good job, but it wont suck up boards well. If you decide you want to hire somone, let me know, my best friend owns a hardwood floor company in Rainer/Longview and I can put you in contact with him.

 

Use a pneumatic stapler. Staples will hold without marking the wood.

Find a gun called 'Primatech' floor stapler.
http://www.primatech.ca/nailers.htm

These guns do not suffer from 'blowback' after you hit them and will not damage your floor. Your gun should nail Hard Eastern maple at no more than 97-103 PSIG line pressure. Staples should be either slightly recessed into the tongue, or just flush.
Too much line pressure will mark the surface of the maple, and may blow the tongues right off.

Floorcoverings is my business. Hardwoods, Ceramics, Natural Stone, Carpeting, for the past 22 years.
National Wood Flooring Member, Peerless Institute of Textiles Science Alum, and a few other BS looking plaques on my wall

 

I prefer the Bostitch nailer's because I like to remove the handle and work sideways and drag the nailer towards me as I work down the row, but I also tend to rack out and precut. I did hardwood floors for 10 years in the Pacific Northwest before getting out of it due to knee problems.

 

We use the Bostitch as well. On Maple, Bamboo, Sapele, and Cabrueva we tend to use the Primeatech.
All others the Bostich will work just fine.

 

Just go to Bellinhgam Millworks and talk to Mike Terrell. He laid hardwood for 20 years before he hung it up. He was probably one of the best around here. You can tell him I sent you. He drives a 01.5 3500 sport. You'll get along just fine. Kurt

 

Hello,

"what type of plywood subfloor"? Is this over a basement, crawl or slab system?

Only use APA rated subflooring. 3/4" thick is preferred. Label on the subfloor should read "Floor Rated" or similar. Screw subfloor down every 12" in the field and 6" at perimeter. Place asphalt saturated felt paper down over subfloor prior to hardwood. Follow this link http://www.nofma.org/Publications/tabid/82/Default.aspx

Damon

 

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I have some books to go by, but its good getting some input from people who are hands on with this work. And Kurtaing, i was planning on getting the plywood from Millworks, the owner is the dad of one of my friends, so i'll see if I can talk with Mike Terrell also. Thanks again everyone.

 

Glad to see you are using real wood.

I plan on doing an oil finish product with eukula oil eventually in my living room, dining room, hallway and bedroom.

 

Yea this stuff looks great, I installed some of that snap together wood laminate type of wood flooring in another place...and theres just no comparison between that and the real stuff.