I have just had Mahogony floors installed by installers working for Lumber Liquidators and they have surface nailed 3 boards from each wall every 8 inches or so. Seems odd to me to have to see all those filled holes in my floor. Is this common, I cannot recall ever seeing this on another floor. I thought they would have nailed into the tongue and then maybe surface nailed the board closest to the wall so the baseboard and show would cover it up.

It is more common on unfinished floors because they don't show up as much after filling and finishing. As for prefinished floors it is common with hacks who work for places like LL and other big box stores who don't have the skill or caring to make the money of of a craftsman who either work for themselves or a more reputable flooring store.

well said!

Face nailing is quicker and a lazy way, it is the way of most of the trades. They have a motto: "Quicker is better", what a shame as it is unsightly.

Hello,

This is not uncommon to see an installer nail 3 rows away from a wall, but it is not the cleanest way to "close-out" a room. The flooring stapler used to nail the hardwood in the middle of the room is too large to get within one row of the wall, so about 3 rows away you must switch to a finish nailer and secure the boards hidden along the tongue. You can do this for 2 rows. The only row that should be top-nailed is the last row, and I prefer to use a 2" Brad Nail for this to leave a smaller nail-hole that can then be filled with colored putty. Liquid nails work wonders to help boards stay tight closer to the wall. This being a mahogany floor from Lumber Liquidators, it is likely not the straightest of milled wood available, so many extra top nails may have been needed to keep the floor straight and secure. Exotic woods like Brazilian mahogany are some of the hardest woods to work.

Dustin Deslauriers
EverWood Flooring

PL Premium last three rows, works great and top nail the last row like you said so the base hides them. You want an adhesive that has flex to it, not a hard setting construction adhesive.