# What nailer to use for Bamboo Flooring



## aaks38

I was curious given the fragile nature of bamboo flooring and given its thinner material, if a brad nailer using 1.5 to 2" nails can be used to nail it down upon the subflooring?

The other snag im running into is the house has vinyl flooring glued down to the subflooring which doesnt seem to come up easily. The manufacturer states the bamboo can be layed upon vinyl flooring but would i still need felt?

Thanks Cal


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## Floordude

Your in way over your head, asking us those two questions.

I take it you have never ever done flooring before?

We will label you a HACK, if you use that squeak producing brad nailer to totally nail a floor down with!!!

Get the proper stapler, like a HighPro 4090-AS and if it is 5/8 used the 1½" staples.

Yes, you can staple through the sheet vinyl, and not need any felt.


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## tommymcollins

wow, all i can say , and good luck ,


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## Burkk

PortaNails offers a manual and air powered nailer designed for bamboo flooring. Flooring tools are set up on an angle for proper fastener placement. Portanails offers shoes designed for bamboo since it's generally measured metrically.


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## Cdat

I wanna' see a picture when it's done!


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## JonM

http://www.bostitch.com/default.asp...T_STAPLER&PARTNUMBER=S3297-LHF-2&TYPE=PRODUCT


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## ALCbuilding

JonM said:


> http://www.bostitch.com/default.asp...T_STAPLER&PARTNUMBER=S3297-LHF-2&TYPE=PRODUCT


Bostich tools suck! it's like buying a Great Neck drill.


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## Cdat

ALCbuilding said:


> Bostich tools suck! it's like buying a Great Neck drill.


I've yet to of run into any problems with one. Mind explaining yourself other then _"they suck"_?


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## MALCO.New.York

Bostitch makes a perfectly fine Coil Nailer!, floor Nailer and the like.


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## ALCbuilding

their framin gun is a POS. A coworker uses it and it sucks. I would rather buy a harbor freight gun.


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## Cdat

ALCbuilding said:


> their framin gun is a POS. A coworker uses it and it sucks. I would rather buy a harbor freight gun.


Okay, now we're getting somewhere. It's a piece of doggy poop. So, _why_? You state a co-worker? Have _you_ ever used one? What is wrong with your co-worker's gun? I just want to know the why's, please.


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## ALCbuilding

I have used it, it seems under-powered to me even with the air pressure cranked. Does not contact fire, only single shot makes it really slow. Just doesn't seem all that well built.


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## Joining_heads

ALCbuilding said:


> I have used it, it seems under-powered to me even with the air pressure cranked. Does not contact fire, only single shot makes it really slow. Just doesn't seem all that well built.


I do not like bostitch framers, but you have a quirk in your argument. To contact fire you need to acquire the special trigger upon purchase. Many guns do not come with the ability to bump fire- you have to replace the trigger with one that allows.


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## ALCbuilding

Hmmm.... Didn't know that about the bostich trigger. One of my favorite framers has been the Rigid gun I have been usin for a year, you can switch it between "contact fire" and "single shot only" by turning a little knob in the trigger. I want to get the gun Max makes that is only like 14 inches long.


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## jamestrd

its recommeneded that you sand or scour the vynil first, to prevent plasticising.. this occurs, the wood becomes infused in the vynil and can not expand/contract properly and may cause panelization in the flooring..

but dont bother..nobody does it and I never saw a floor do this yet.

as for the brad nailer, better get yourself a better toy for the job...Powernailer.. all bamboo products are usually 5/8" thick.. so no special shoes needed, just gotta anlge the nailer a little more.. easy to do when proficient


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## Floordude

jamestrd said:


> its recommeneded that you sand or scour the vynil first, to prevent plasticising.. this occurs, the wood becomes infused in the vynil and can not expand/contract properly and may cause panelization in the flooring..




That's the first time I have ever heard that.

Sheet vinyl was and still is specified under wood as a moisture barrier, by Armstrong, Bruce, Hartco, Capella, and a few others.


Plasticizer migration, can happen, but usually between another petroleum based product.


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## petaria

I am really looking forward to seeing your picture once you are done. :thumbup:


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## tgeliot

I am just finishing installing 1000 sf of bamboo using a normal Bostich MIII flooring stapler. However, as normally set up it will do a very nice job of popping the tongue right off the bamboo -- the staple driver has just a bit too much reach for the thickness of the bamboo. I compensated for this by removing the shoe, and putting about a dozen layers of manilla folder material between the body of the stapler and the shoe before reinstalling the shoe. This raises the active part of the stapler just a tad higher off the floor, so the driver doesn't reach down quite far enough to break the tongue off the bamboo. I also dial the pressure down to 65 PSI. Set up like this, the results have been very consistent and reliable.

Were I starting over, I'd consider that specialized stapler someone else posted a link to here.


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## jeffreyfrog

I recently purchased enough Red Arawana flooring to cover my living room and hallway. I've heard that it tends to split when using a normal flooring nailer. I'm looking at buying a compressor/nailer kit and am wondering if I can do it with the finish nailer or not. If so, how do I install the nails? Do I place them at a 45 degree angle?

americanflooringsystems [.] net


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## LNG24

jeffreyfrog said:


> I recently purchased enough Red Arawana flooring to cover my living room and hallway. I've heard that it tends to split when using a normal flooring nailer. I'm looking at buying a compressor/nailer kit and am wondering if I can do it with the finish nailer or not. If so, how do I install the nails? Do I place them at a 45 degree angle?


WOW, two homeowners in the SAME Thread!  Personally I would suggest you use paneling hails and a small hammer so you don't split the wood. :whistlingMight take longer, but it will be worth it :laughing:

Only bamboo I installed was over a On Grade concrete floor using the glue down method. 2100 sq. f.t 4 rooms, 2 halls! Which by the way is not as easy as it might sound because it moves. I was not able to go as fast as I wanted in order to keep a tight joint. Took 2 people three days.


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## ALCbuilding

LNG24 said:


> Only bamboo I installed was over a On Grade concrete floor using the glue down method. 2100 sq. f.t 4 rooms, 2 halls! Which by the way is not as easy as it might sound because it moves. I was not able to go as fast as I wanted in order to keep a tight joint. Took 2 people three days.


 Agreed... Gluedown is a real pain in the butt!!! When I do it I use blue tape to hold the pieces tight. Every four or five rows gets taped back to the previous four or five. Didn't get much movement after I started doin that.


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## LNG24

ALCbuilding said:


> Agreed... Gluedown is a real pain in the butt!!! When I do it I use blue tape to hold the pieces tight. Every four or five rows gets taped back to the previous four or five. Didn't get much movement after I started doin that.


 
I don't want to plan on doing that again, but just in case, I will keep that suggestion under hat! Thanks!:thumbup:


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## gallerytungsten

*Flooring Nailer*

I have the Porter Cable nailer. It's nice. Few jams, reliable.

However!

It comes with shims for 1/2 and 3/4 flooring. If you have any kind of metric measure flooring, you have to make your own shim to get the cleat exactly in the sweet spot.

I had some 23mm euro beech flooring; I had to make the shim, but then it worked great.

Now, as far as nailing over your existing floor? Is it flat? If not, tear it up and make it flat.


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## geesspots

*a couple of things*

I have a couple of comments on this thread 

first as for not needing a special shoe for the flooring nailer. Most nailers come with a shoe for 1/2 5/8 flooring and a shoe for 3/4 7/8 flooring even the cheap ones come with these no need to use manila envelopes or such 

second as for laying over vynl I did this with my kitchen floor ( alder) I sanded the vynl as well as glued/nailed the flooring down worked well.

and last but not least bostich nail guns are much lower quality than they use to be. they used to be made by Max but no longer are I am unaware of who makes them now but I often use both one that is 2-3 years old one that is 15-20 years and one that is 25+ the new one often miss fire doesn't always set the nail and has been rebuilt twice it is rusty from use in the rain and the cheap plastic attachments have all broken off the other two even thought they are not as pretty they work every time. I also run a hitachi nailer it is lighter less plastic and a selctor switch for the fire mode. I also own a older coil nailer and a newer roofing nailer and other that they fact that the roofing nailer is a little touchy on the firing it will just keep firing untill the coil is empty if you hold the trigger.

these are just my opinions but take what you want from my experience


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## muzzleloader

how come nobody ever remembers to sand the seams before laying down your moisture barrier, which isn't really a moisture barrier considering how many staple holes will be put into it while you nail the flooring. quess thats why bruce says its not required to use it. we just use it to protect the wood from being scratched when you dump out a box of wood as to not have wood on wood. also a moisture reading needs to be done, subfloor moisture content should not exceed 12% with most woods however most of your exotics including bamboo if i'm not mistaken should not exceed 10%. if you are gluing it down make sure use use the correct glue and the right size trowel. as for using a brad nailer through the toung to secure the floor. oh hell no, may work initially but i quarantee you will have problems with it coming apart giving that the wood will expand and contact during the changing of the seasons. also proper acclimation of the wood is always a good idea, at least 3 days prior to the install.


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