Great forum. Lots of help so far. I'm installing a hardwood floor in a house, and have what I think are basic questions. The floor is a little complex in that there is a foyer that runs into another hallway, beside that is a stairscase going down to the basement, beside that is a larger room that will also flow into a dining room. The center line of the whole project looks like it is the line (nosing) that starts the downward staircase.

1. I'm thinking the best place to start would be to install the staircase nosing (not that I need nosing on a staircase that goes to the basement, but it would look better), and I also think I install the nosing with a spline in it to I can install the flooring out from the nosing. I don't know why the nosing has a groove and not a tongue.

2. Someone advised me that no matter what way the joists run in a hallway, run the hardwood the long way down the hallway, which in my case will be with the joists. The hallway is about 4 feet wide and 15 feet long, hence the direction issue.

3. Generally my three places to start the first strip are dead center of the largest room, which is about 20 feet wide, or the staircase as noted above, or the oposing wall, which is a broken archway leading into the dining room. That wall is unfortunately not straight. Not a problem to end up there but it causes more work to start there.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. JKLS

I am in the same situation: nail-down install of 3" plank hardwood flooring on a second floor, starting with split level staircases, then hallway, then bedroooms.

I see your point about the stair nosing. I have decided to add a spline (slip-tongue) to the nosing and proceed the back of each tread. There a couple of reasons...

First, glue a spline into the nose and pre-drill holes for nails. This allows blind-nailing about every four inches along the nose for a secure fit. Add beads of glue under the nose and a couple of face nails at each end and the nose will not move!

Secondly, blind nailing into the remaining treads to the one closest to the riser, which will be face nailed under the riser board that will cover it. Coupled with adhesive under each plank and wood glue along each tongue--I don't think this installation can be much more secure.

I am blessed to have a drill press. I made a simple jig that holds the flooring at a 45-degree angle for drilling pilot holes for the nails. This will reduce the chances of ruining the flooring and/or splitting the tongues.

As I thought I would I started with the stair nosing and went out from there. It's turning out to be the best choice. We spent half a day getting the first strip (mid room except for the part at the stair nosing) straight and suported for stapling. It was dead straight. The time spent there has paid off in spades. I'm half way through the main room (20x20), and all is straight and tight. Staples were the right choice, and taking out time is also proving to be the right choice. The floor prep took a long time also, and we check the sections of subfloor section by section as well as our initial leveling before we began. All that prep time and checking realy is worth the investment of time.

The slip tongues aren't as perfect as the natural tongue on the hardwood strips, but again, time taken here to level and test and dryfit is all worth the effort. There are no shortcuts from what I've seen. This forum has been invaluable.

Changing direction in the hallway and going with the joists will be the next question, but I think the floor is solid enough to accomodate the direction.

JKLS

Sounds like you are making progress.

Just make sure you follow the directions specifically; namely, that you both glue and nail the spline. I work with someone who skipped the nailing for fear of splitting the spline. He now has a squeak running the length of his kitchen--right down the middle! He fixed most of the squeak by running screws from the undersid of the floor; fortunately his basement is unfinished and he had unfettered access to the underside of the kitchen floor.

Okay, experience is a teacher worth listening to.

I decided, after dry-fitting the treads together in my application, to stick to the procedure outlined in http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwoodinstaller/stairs-prep6.htm, except that I nail as well as glue.

With three-inch planks, I have room for two full planks behind the stairnose, and then a 1 1/2" strip under the riser. The space between the last full pank and the riser is too tight to allow blind nailing from the rear.

Being an amateur, I don't trust gluing alone, so I am using PL 400 under each plank, then Elmer's Wood Glue between the tongues, and blind nails (two-inch finish) every four inches, with face nails in riser-side strip and stair nose. I am limiting the stair nose nails to one every foot or so.

I figure if this doesn't hold, I might well give up!