Hello Everyone,

I am a newbie and have been lurking this site for a while.

We will be installing Brazillian Cherry (Pre-Finished 3/4" by 4") in our Master Bedroom. It is on the second floor with a heated room below. I have seen that a few installers have experienced some issues with the product but we really like the look.I have read earlier posts in the forum but still have a couple of questions and would appreciate any feedback and or suggestions you may have.

1. I have decided to go with a pnumatic type fastner. Which is better for Brazilian Cherry, Nail, Cleat or Staple and why? What length fastner do you reccomend?

2. The size of my room is 14'x18'. I noticed in an earlier post that someone recomended starting in the middle of the room for larger rooms and working out both directions from there. Is this what I want to do based upon the size of the room?

3. If it is your reccomendation that I start in the middle of the room, I will need to use a spline. Do I need to use a Brazilian Cherry spline or can I use another specie of hardwood more readily available?

Are there any other land mines out there that I should be aware of?
I think I have the other basics covered such as RH, Moisture etc.

Thank you for the great site and your willingness to share your expertise!

1) any of those will work. Your choice. If the subflooring is OSB, I prefer staples as they hold better than cleats ( fact, not opinion ). Cleats supposedly break tongues less, which is a problem with B. Cherry. So, if you have a good plywood subfloor, I'd recommend cleats. The length should be 2", which is the recommended length for all 3/4" solid T&G flooring, except when going over plywood over concrete.
2) 14' wide is not real wide. To save yourself from having to face nail both sides, I'd start at one wall and work across the room. It will be fine. The flooring is not going to jump off the subfloor. I rarely install from the middle of a room unless I need to. In this case, you don't need to.
3) Any species of spline is fine but a hardwood is recommended. However, you may not need it.

I always start in the middle. I don't care if the room is 10 feet across. If you don't have a jack, though, start on the wall.

Poplar splines are just fine by me. I have yet to be convinced that any other species is better.

You won't find this in any manual, but my preferred strategy for installing super-hard species is to lube the fasteners. You can use 3in1 or soap on the legs of your staples. It will get scrubbed off before the staple reaches the subfloor so holding power is not an issue. I have done it for years and it really works well. By lubricating the staple legs you are able to use more fasteners than you would otherwise be able.