I am installing 3" 3/4" hardwood PArallell to the joists. The contractor added a 1/2" plywood subfloor on top of the 3/4" Osb. He screwed it off in a 6" grid pattern. There is so many screws!! I'm worried about if I use staples I will constantly be getting staples bent over and coming back through the finished side of the wood. Or would cleats be better to use in this scenario. I'm not sure how the best way to do this is. Please help ha. Thanks.

Ck:

I wouldn't be concerned about it. If anything they're likely to deflect off the screws one direction or another but not back towards the surface. I doubt you'll hit them anyway, considering the screw heads are probably no larger than 3/8 of an inch.

K thanks. I'm gonna have both of them on site just to make sure. I would rather use the staples because of there holding power

You should not mix staples and cleats on your job. One or the other.

K thanks. I'm not sure which one to use now than

Depends on the specie of wood really.

As an inspector I have seen many failures due to not reading the manufacturers instructions. NWFA always states mfg instructions are to be followed as they know their product better than anyone. Every box with few exceptions has them in each and every box. An example LL Eucalyptus 3/4" x 4.5" wide solid mfg wanted cleats installer used staples and fractured nearly every tongue. Recently we had the opportunity to install 3/4" 5.5" thick Brazilian Walnut, having never installed it reading revealed they wanted a nailing schedule of 4" to 6" first time I have seen a nailing schedule this tight. Had we not examined their instructions we could have had 2500 sq ft debacle.

I have looked in a few boxes and not seen any instructions. The wood is acacia. A hard exotic wood and from what I have read it seems that thinner diameter cleats are the way to go?

Hey there. I'm installing some 3/4 hardwood that is 2 3/4" wide I believe. It's acacia wood. From what iv read its best to use a 16 gauge cleat to install the denser exotic hardwoods. Is this true? And if so should I use the t cleat or the L cleat. Please help!

It's 18 gauge. http://www.powernail.com/home/cleats18gage.htm