I have a customer that is requesting floors to be installed in a certain pattern. One is a marie antionette patteren and one is a cheveron pattern. These are to be nailed down, board by board. I have never installed anything like this nor seen anything like this, can anyone give me a little help in out to do it?
Thanks

Please forgive my ignorance, but what is a Marie Antoinette pattern?

Go to this site. It shows some of the parquet patterns, including Marie Antoinette.
http://www.frenchbrown.com/patterns.htm

The chevron thing would go in just like herringbone except you would miter the ends. The Marie Antoinette thing is a parquet pattern. You will need to make table saw jigs for that. That would need to be glued down.

They assured me that is was a nail down installation, even though i questioned it (the supplier of the flooring). It sounds very complicated but im up for the challenge. I dont want to go into this blind. Im still looking for install literature, pictures, or anything for help. Im headed for maryland for the intermediate install class by the nwfa in the beginning of june, mabey they can point me in the right direction. Unless i can find a sub to install these 2 rooms for me. Only time will tell.
Thanks for the help.
tony

The only time parquet is nailed down is if it is a simple 3/4" herringbone pattern OR a simple 5/16" square parquet. They make a 5/16" oak parquet called "nailing block" consisting of six 2" strips 12" long. It is installed in opposing directions and face-nailed. I have installed Marie Antoinette, as well as Haddon Hall, Saxony, fingerblock, herringbone and many othrs. Almost everyone required being glued down, whether it was 3/4" or 5/16". Complex parquets cannot be nailed down as there is nothing to hold the small pieces down. Perhaps the one you are being asked to install is a very large pattern (a 3' x3') or larger with a simple design where one puts the pieces together like a puzzle. I have done a few of those. Very time consumning.