Wood Floor Nailer
of
Choice
Looking to rent or buy a wood floor nailer? The Director recommends PowerNail. It fires a singular, L-shaped, heavy guaged wire with serrated edges called a PowerCleat.
The size and shape seems the most versatile from species to species.
It's stout enough to penetrate exotics from South America and Australia, and yet, without splitting the tongue.
PowerCleats allow the floor to breathe seasonally from side to side while still holding down the floor boards. This seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it?
Wouldn't you want a fastener that won't give? Unfortunately, the wood always wins this tug of war and will break free of a fastener that won't move.
It's sort of why our seat belts have some give to them. What good is to be held statically still and break every bone in your torso?
When I started back in the 1900's, PowerCleats were the only flooring fasteners. Then again, there was pretty much only one kind of nail down flooring and it was 3/4" thick. Unfinished.
Moreover, there was no such thing as a pneumatic wood floor nailer. I own three pneumatic PowerNailers, now. But my favorite is still the manual PowerNailer I started with.
For some reason, my back feels better when I am not tied to an air hose. I don't know why...
Every flooring fastener company now has to have their answer to whatever product is being installed. Solid or engineered. 3/4" thicknesses down to 3/8".
And PowerNail is no exception. I own Models 445 and 445 S/N for nailing 3/4" thicknesses, and Model 50P for nailing 5/8" and 9/16" thicknesses.
They also make a nailer for even thinner products, but I don't install throw away flooring.
Return to Install Wood Floor from Wood Floor Nailer
