Plank flooring (above 4" width) is very popular in my area and I suspect in other areas also. The disadvantages of plank post-install are well known - gaps and cupping.

I wanted to get some comments from the pros on the install difficulty of plank. I have only done one plank (4 1/4" maple) install but I found it to be very difficult.

Especially at the beginning or end of the install I found that even slightly warped boards can put up a real fight. There were some long boards which almost no matter how much force I applied I could not close the joint even though there did not appear to be warping along the edge. I later realized that this was because the board was warped vertically which causes an immense amount of friction in the joint. I was finally able to close it by screwing pry blocks to the sub floor or switch to shorter lengths.

If a board is warped along the edge, I found that sometimes even when I was able to pry it snug and blind nail it with a cleat, the force was so great that the board pulled the nail out! Of course face nailing a warped board is hopeless - the poor face nails have no chance of holding a warped board in position. I have pre-drilled and used spiral nails through the tongue in the more visible areas where I could not use the blind nailer but this is real punishment.

This is because the wider boards are much, much stiffer of course. I think I would limit future installs to 3 1/4" and of course 2 1/4" is even better. I have noticed that many commercial installs use a 1 1/4" strip.

First, let me say, I love installing plank. Why? It's faster! Less cutting, less nailing, less work. If the flooring your installing is so bowed, it must have been crap to begin with. Plank flooring is milled straight, unlike strip flooring, which can and does have many bowed boards. Also, prefinished floors milling is generally better than unfinshed as the manufacterer knows he shouldn't expect the installer to have to fight with the floor to get it together and look good. I have done plank floors from Bruce, Colombia, Harris-Tarkett, Carlsile, etc. and all were pretty good. When you do get a bowed board thats really out of whack, don't use it. Or cut it in half. And plank floors shouldn't be cupping unless they're being installed without proper vapor barriers in place. You will get more seasonal gapping but that will be random and not on every job or floor. Overall, I LOVE PLANK! Dang, gimme a 7"er any day. Then I'll really be able to put some floor down.

I just worked in a house last week that had a plank floor. Everything had been done right in a meditereanean climate-except for no screws and plugs. It was warped enough the finish and stain were worn from the board edges.

Recently I ve been reading that some prefinished plank manufacturers were trying to circumvent the need for srews and plugs by forgoing the moisture barrier and applying glue to either one board edge, two board edges, or trowling the entire subfloor.(nobody seems to really have the story straight). If that were true, it would be a stunning reversal of several long-standing industry standards.

At any rate, for a successful installation, the lack of nails per sq/in can't be forgotten. Nor can the nofma recommendation of screwing and plugging the board ends, despite the wishes of the prefinished manufacturers.

Just for fun, let's look at the suggestion of screwing and plugging end butts on wide plank floors. Now, I can see the value of it on the ends as it will hold them down quite well. However, what about the middle of that 8 ft. long plank. How is screwing and plugging the ends going to help the middle keep from cupping? As I see it, it won't. Carlisle has long suggested that one glue down their wide plank floors by either using PL400 every 8" or troweling out a urethane floor adhesive. Some high end installers have taken to gluing and nailing all their wide plank floors. But if one goes this route, one cannot install asphalt felt. Therefore, since the glue is NOT a moisture barrier or retarder, the area under the subfloor needs to remain dry with a moisture barrier in place. This applies to most all flooring anyway. It is not required to glue and nail plank flooring and I have done many successful installs by nailing only. However, reason would tell us the gluing AND nailing would even be better. I fail to see much value in screwing and plugging end butts only.

I was actually referring to 3/4" T&G solid in widths above 4".

When I got my product in bundles, I took the bundles apart and sorted them into 2 different rooms and then they sat for a few months. Perhaps it's better to leave the product bundled while it acclimatizes to minimize warping?

Do most installers use screws on solid above 4"?

Of course the supplier is probably the most important factor and the pro has a big advantage in this regard. I live in a major metro area and very few hardwood only distributors will sell to the public. One full service lumber yard quoted me $8 per sq for 4" maple!

When I did find a supplier, it was sort of a leap of faith plunking down a few thousand $ sight unseen. I don't know if there is much quality variation in solid 3/4" among suppliers but is it better for the DIY'er to buy boxed solid product from a major name?

I actually had an installer tell me about blind hand nailing the next to last 2 rows using hardened spiral nails. These suck up the boards almost as good as the cleat nailers. Then you only have to face nail one strip instead of 3 in my case. Problem is that on the next to last, you have to use the flat side of the hammer with a nail set to avoid hitting the wall which can be very frustrating (or you can ditch the nail set and just use the hammer alone if you have excellent aim). Since typical nail sets are 4" long, if someone could make a 1" nail set with a "T" handle this could prove very useful IMO.

Again, the main reason I did this is because even when the boards were pryed into position and face nailed with a finish nailer, they would immediately gap when released. Perhaps this is "normal" but since I was seeing gaps of a 1/16 or greater I wasn't real happy with the results.

So was I! Was your flooring factory finished or unfinished prior to install?
I would have left it bundled! And haven't seen a screwed down plank floor in a very long time! I think today, most would glue and nail if they felt nailing alone was insufficient. And not all flooring is the same! Quality is all over the place and it doesn't always matter what you pay. Hand nailing the last rows is what we all did before the advent of air nailers. And I still handnail solid wide plank at the walls when I'm not gluing as well. It's easy to blame tools and materials and sometimes that is the problem but also one needs to learn all the tricks and techniques that only experience and time will teach.

Unfinished, 4 1/4" Maple. Made in Canada. About 25% of the boards have ends that are not exactly square - one corner is tight and the other has a noticeable gap. Is this typical? About a dozen boards or so had friction burn marks - hopefully these will sand out as it always seemed like the longest boards had the marks. Some slash grain too but not too deep. Also I ended up having to place a second order because there were way too many shorts (less than 15"). I think in the end I was about 30% over my requirement.



That's sort of what I'm trying to figure out - how much of it is material and how much is me for future reference in case I do this again.

My floor is about ready to be sanded. I'm tempted to screw and plug some of the boards at the walls (I have a border) that are currently face nailed with finish nailer just to make sure they stay good and tight. Good idea?

If so is it possible to angle the screw towards the field? I've seen this recommended on stair nosing when installing it after the flooring to suck it in tight to the field. It is OK to put a small angle on a Fuller counterbore set? Would probably require a right angle drill also.

Thanks for the comments.

I have found that unfinished plank milling is usually sloppier and less exact than prefinished plank. The reason?The mill knows you're gonna sand and fill it so they aren't as critical in the milling. With unfinished square edge planks, you get them as tight as possible then use a maple colored floor filler to fill the voids and cracks. Amazingly enough, if done well, the cracks and flaws usually disappear. At least they do for me. As for screwing down at an angle through the tongue, I've never seen it done nor have I done it but I suppose one could if you used trim head square drive screws and predrilled the holes so as not to split the wood. Personally, I would avoid drilling large holes in the top and screwing the boards down and then plugging the holes as that will really show. Take my word for it, it will be an eyesore on a clear wood like maple. If you needed more holding power, should've glued and nailed but it sounds like it's too late for that now. Personally, if you need to anchor the floor down better in a few spots, I think using trim head screws and puttying the holes with a maple filler from Woodwise will be way less noticable than plugs. Make sure when sanding to sand ALL those milling marks out. Maple isn't like oak when sanding. Pay careful attention to sanding marks as they tend to show more on maple. Seems that everything does. I always charge more for maple because of the difficulty factor in finishing. Good luck.

Thanks Gary - mostly just paranoia on my part.



I suspected this but I kept seeing pictures of freshly installed prefinished solid that looks perfect (except for the beveled edges) and I was starting to get an inferiority complex. Now I feel better.

I know I'm monopolizing you but one more question since you brought up sanding -

I'm having it professionally sanded and the wife doesn't want to let me finish it either so we'll see but I'd like to sand it to at least 150 or so with a buffer/screen especially since I have a border. Having never operated a buffer before is this something a DIY'er can do? Of course it's a moot point if they do the finishing since they won't want me mucking with it but in that case is a final sanding with buffer/screen something a pro will typically offer or is it pointless to ask for it? Of course I'm willing to pay extra for it.

Thanks

I cut the groove end of the unsquare ends to match the tongue board. There is usually enough space to allow it, if not I have a router set up to cut new grooves. If the tongue side is really bad, Ill cut and route it and use a slip tongue. Much cleaner.

Its not advisable to do your own finishing, the sanders won't/can't guaranty their work. They will want to prepare the floor in a way to facilitate the application of products they know best, not ahat you want to apply.
As for buffing, what type finish are you planning? If water-base, its not advisable to get the maple too smooth before applying finish. The finish will not spread well by the third coat and can become a mess. I don't screen maple at all before water base anymore.

don't you have to secure any plank over 4" down with some besides staples...like glueing it and stapling it. or staples and screws with or without plugs to help prevent cupping?