Good morning all,

I'm a DIY getting ready to lay 800 s.f. of ASH. I'm pretty handy, but have never done Hardwood. I have a plywood subfloor, still removing some of the old carpet.

The floor currently squeaks, so I'm planning on screwing the subfloor to the joists. Does this make sense?

Under some of the carpet is some old 12"x12" linoleum like tiles. Should I remove those before I lay the hardwood? Or can I put the hardwood right over top? Hope I can put it right over top, so there is one less step in the process.

What is the purpose to the rosin paper? Is this a necessity?

I'm looking at nailers on EBay to purchase. I can get a Bostitch MIIIFS for about $400 including shipping/taxes (I'm in Canada, so will have to pay taxes to get it into the country.) Or I can get a RAMSOND RMM3 for $200 including shipping (available in Canada). Is it worth the extra $200 to get the Bostitch?

Any other suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!