Hi guys

Newbie to the site here.
I plan on installing 3/4" Cumaru and have a few questions. Should I nail it or staple it? For eliminating noise should I also use construction adhesive or felt paper or neither? Has anyone ever used a regular air finish nailer in this type of wood or any other. I was thinking I could make a jig for my finish nailer or stapler at a 45 degree angle and that would work. I know Cumaru is a very hard wood. How well will the nails or staples penetrate?

Lot's of questions looking for a bunch of anwsers/opinions.

Thanks guys!

Cumaru will be like B. Cherry. Expect some fasteners to not set all the way, break, bend over, etc. Don't think I'd try just finish nailing a whole floor. Maybe if it was a very small one perhaps, like a short hallway or small entry. If nailing, you'll need the 15 lb. asphalt felt paper under the floor. If you're gonna glue and nail, skip the asphalt but make sure your subfloor and what's underneath it are very dry and will remain that way, with good ventilation as well. Some say cleats work better and others say staples. I really don't know. I suppose it may depend on which nailer you're using. I know some of the tongues will split and break as well. In this case, it may be wise to glue and nail since you can expect some tongue breakage. Unless you want to predrill and handnail.

Hi Gary

Thanks for replying to my question on the message board. I wanted to ask you a few more questions if I could. What type/brand of glue would be best for Cumaru? Would good old construction adhesive work? Also I bought a box of Cumaru to evaluate and it has been sitting (still in the box) in my living room for a few weeks now. The store tells me that they are factory seconds but they don't know why. Everything looks good to me and if the finish wears quick I can always refinish it. One thing I did noticed though is after a few weeks of sitting in the house some boards have started to warp in the vertical direction meaning they don't sit flat on a flat surface. Will this be a problem when installing and over the life of the floor or after nailing will the boards remain flat? I'm not to familiar with Cumaru and would like your expert opinion.

Thanks a lot Gary!

Liquid Nails Subflooring. Or PL-400. For any boards you need to glue to the subfloor.