Question:
This installation is on a main floor room over a fully finished basement, so moisture shouldn’t be a problem. I am curious about your recommendation to use nails, and not staples? I have used a Stanley Bostitch MIII on many strip floors without a problem.
Thank you again for the advice,
Dennis
Answer:
Dear Dennis
I presume you are a professional hardwood floor installer. And by many strips floors, you mean installing over 5-6000 square feet per year at least. You will eventually run into a case when a floor is exposed to humidity extremes and the staples will have stressed the tongues to the point of breaking them off. When it happens, and it will someday, you’ll find yourself liable for the damage. Very costly.
The good news is that you can go to http://www.primatech.ca, and check out the floor stapler adapter, and use flooring nails in your same machine. The nails cost about the same as staples.
I base my information on the Virginia Tech University study, in a simulated environment. The Primatech nail company repeated this experiment. And the Maple Flooring Assoc. has put out bulletins (to member only, not the public- the truth is out there) warning of tilting boards, and cracked tongues in their sports floors, using staples.
The staples and the staple gun were developed for roofing originally. But roofers are going back to the coil pneumatic nailer, so the stapler was simply set on an angle to nail floors instead. The staple fastener was never designed for hardwood floors, but the serrated edged flooring nails were meant for only wood floors, and have been around for more than 50 proven years. The choice should be obvious, but don’t take my word for it, do your own research.