Tongue-and-groove flooring boards didn't become popular in America until the end of the 19th century. Before that, floors were made from straight planks, which installers had to nail through their tops. Modern installers hardly ever use this method of nailing, primarily because it results in visible nails and gapping. You may decide to top-nail, however, to give a room a colonial look or to provide extra reinforcement for wide-plank flooring. If so, you'll probably still be working with tongue and groove boards, and they will look and wear better if you also blind-nail them for reinforcement.
The First Row
Snap a chalk line across the subfloor in the planned direction of the flooring boards to mark the first row. Arrange the flooring boards along the line, cutting the last one to the correct length with a chop saw. If the boards have tongues, they should be facing in the direction in which you're going to install the floor.
Draw light lines perpendicularly across the boards with a combination square and pencil, spacing the lines uniformly 7 to 10 inches apart. The spacing should be closer if you're installing wide boards. Draw lines within an inch of the ends of the boards.
Drill two 1/8-inch holes on each line, placing them 3/4 inches from the edges of the boards. If the boards are wider than 6 inches, add an extra hole between them.
Drive a 1 1/2-inch finish nail into each hole and sink the head with a nail set.
Tongue and Groove Boards
Install the next course of flooring, staggering the ends of the boards at least 6 inches from those in the first course. Tap the boards together and blind-nail them through their tongues with a flooring nailer. Install all the boards in the same way until you reach the opposite wall.
Rip the bottoms of the grooves off the boards in the last course and then rip them to the proper width with a table saw. Drop them into place, but don't nail them yet.
Snap chalk lines across the faces of the boards, including those in the last row, using the lines you made on the first row of flooring as a starting point. Omit the lines you drew at the ends of boards.
Drill two or three 1/8-inch holes -- depending on the board width -- in each board on each line. Drive a nail into each hole and sink the head.
Place the second row of flooring as close to the first row as possible, staggering the ends of the boards by 6 inches.
Extend the lines you made on the boards in the first row to those in the second with a straightedge and drill holes on the line. Drive a nail into each hole and sink the head.
Install the third row in the same way you installed the second. Continue in this way, nailing off each row as you go, until you reach the wall.
Things You Will Need
- Chalk line
- Chop saw
- Combination square
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- 1 1/2-inch finish nails
- Nail set
- Flooring nailer
- Table saw
- If drilling holes and driving and setting top nails by hand sounds like too much work, use a nail gun. You won't need to predrill holes. The drawback with this method is that, if you don't place the tip accurately, the nails won't form straight lines.
- The chalk line will come off when you sand. If you're installing prefinished flooring, rub it off with a damp rag.
- If you're going to top-nail, it's better to use unfinished flooring so that you can fill the nail holes, sand the floor and blend the holes with stain and finish so they aren't as visible.
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