# Brazilian Koa (Tigerwood) splitting



## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

Does anyone have experience with 3/4 x 5" solid Brazilian Koa (Tigerwood) installation? We are putting this wood in and we are having problems with the tongue splitting. We've tried everything but 18 gauge cleats because we can't find those anywhere.


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

We are installing 3/4" x 5" Brazilian Koa hardwood flooring and are having problems with the tongue splitting. I've tried everything but using 18 gauge 2" cleats because I can't find anywhere to buy them. Any suggestions?


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## SclafaniBuilder (Feb 18, 2011)

have you tried the bostitch stapler? EHF1838K


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

I have a Bostitch stapler that shoots 15-1/2 gauge x 2" staples. Then I switched to a cleat nailer shooting 2" 16 gauge cleats. Can't get either to work. I was able to lower the air pressure on the Bostitch to about 70 pounds with some improvement but still had a lot of splitting. I finished the install upstairs but after the floor sits overnight with no traffic, the next morning the floor crackles when walked on. I think the crackling is caused by the splitting. Any thoughts on glueing?


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

rdw said:


> I have a Bostitch stapler that shoots 15-1/2 gauge x 2" staples. Then I switched to a cleat nailer shooting 2" 16 gauge cleats. Can't get either to work. I was able to lower the air pressure on the Bostitch to about 70 pounds with some improvement but still had a lot of splitting. I finished the install upstairs but after the floor sits overnight with no traffic, the next morning the floor crackles when walked on. I think the crackling is caused by the splitting. Any thoughts on glueing?


This floor was glued. I did not install, but did some other renovation in the condo. It looked like a troweled on glue and it was popping up in a few spots throughout the place.


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

Thought about combining the glue and the staples. Extra insurance and hopefully might control the crackling.


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## Mud Master (Feb 26, 2007)

What type of underlayment did you install?


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

rdw said:


> We are installing 3/4" x 5" Brazilian Koa hardwood flooring and are having problems with the tongue splitting. I've tried everything but using 18 gauge 2" cleats because I can't find anywhere to buy them. Any suggestions?


What gun and fasteners are you using? Operating pressure?


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

Used felt paper. The area that I have already completed is upstairs. The subfloor is 1 1/8" Advantec glued and screwed to 16" floor trusses on 16" centers. Kinda overkill but it is solid, about as close to rock solid as wood subfloors get. Once you walk around on the floor for a bit the crackling goes away and doesn't seem to happen again until it sits for a day or so with no traffic on it. Sometimes seem worse than others, I have tried make some connections with temp, humidity, etc but haven't really had a consistent result.


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Merged 2 threads.


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

I used a Bostitch stapler with 15 1/2 ga x 2" staples, with a large range of pressures with the best results at about 75psi. I also tried a Freeman cleat nailer with a 2" x 16ga L cleat at anywhere from 85 to 110psi but that seems to split also.


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

SclafaniBuilder said:


> have you tried the bostitch stapler? EHF1838K


I have one of those but it doesn't shoot a long enough staple, so no I didn't try it.


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## jamestrd (Oct 26, 2008)

its the wood..too dense..all those brazilian woods do that..

the floor is also plank..it will be "walked out" and the crackling will go away as it acclimates to the space more, in its installed state..

with that subfloor, i doubt u have any worries on your hands..

if there is no climate control right now, the floor will continue to crack and occasionally until that is resolved.

and of course glue will help...but dont think that is your issue..try leaning forward on the nailer...


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## rdw (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the input. I do have the heat on and it is holding a steady 69 deg. but I have no way to control the humidity, and being winter the rel. humidity in the house hovers around 40% to 45%. I haven't tried leaning forward on the nailer but I will. Thanks for the tip, I will update on how it's going as soon as I get started back on it. I have been told the only other alternative is to pre-drill and hand nail, I don't even want to think about how lond it would take to do 1500 ft of that!


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## astor (Dec 19, 2008)

Try taping a shim (thick part in the back) on the shoe plate of the nailer. You may try adding more until get better results. 2" cleats go 33/32" deep without shims, with shims they will go down a little less but it may reduce the splitting.


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