Hi! I am a courageous and confident DIYer but brand-new to wood flooring. I have spent a lot of time learning from this website and forum, thanks for the great resources! Can you pro-guys help me with my product selection?

I am planning to install Brazilian Cherry pre-finished wood flooring, nailed/stapled down, in a 250 sqft area comprised of my front entry, kitchen, and breakfast nook. Due to my upside-down floorplan this is the 2nd floor, so the subfloor is plywood on 16"OC joists running perpendicular to the flooring.

So far so good, now for the less simple stuff. My entry flows into the the living room and also to the top of a downward staircase. I wish to lay wood as far as the top bullnose of the staircase but leave the remaining staircase carpeted. And I wish to keep carpet in the living room, so I will have about 20ft of wood/carpet transition edge.

1. I am trying to understand the advantages of solid vs. engineered for my case. Assuming subfloor moisture emission is not an issue (let's not talk about icemaker leaks or dishwasher explosions), is there any strong reason to use one over the other? Does engineered have the same equalization requirements and times as solid?

2. I see there are some solid products (such as BR-111) in thinner planks such as 5/16" or 7/16". Would a stapled-down 5/16" solid floor perform or appear any different than a 3/4"? There must be SOME reason the vast majority of solid floors are so thick... what's the disadvantage of a thinner plank? In the unlikely event of a refinish, is there still enough meat above the tongue to sand it?

3. After the wood goes in I will be installing new carpet. I would prefer not to have t-molding at the transition. What are my options for an elegant transition? If I have average pile carpet and padding, will a tuck right up against a 3/4" plank leave the wood "high"? I don't want to create a trip hazard, or cause the edge of the wood to get worn under shoes. Conversely, would a 5/16" solid or engineered product be high enough to give the carpet guys an edge to tuck against? Would it look "submerged" next to average carpet/pad height?

4. My last question is about staplers/nailers. What's the difference between cleats, nails, and staples? Do some products or thicknesses only work with one fastener or another? Since I will probably only be doing this one room and don't want to wind up owning a dusty $500 contractor tool, what is my most economically logical path... buy a low-end tool, rent a high-end tool, or buy a new or used high-end tool and resell it? Is the el-cheapo Harbor Freight floor stapler (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=90399) adequate for a small project? Is a trigger-actuated tool easier to work with than a mallet-actuated one, and does it work as well?

I apologize for the length of my post (my wife blames my passion for detail and minutiae on my being an engineer), if you can help me through my initial selection and purchase I can only promise I will further punish you with more questions when I get to prep/install time...

Thanks in advance!
- Garrett in San Diego

To answer your questions, IMO
1) The only advantage engineered has over solid is it's dimensional stability. That is why it is chosen to glue down to concrete. Braz. cherry has been known to be somewhat unstable so expect to see some minor seasonal changes if you go with solid. One does not usually need to acclimate engineered for as long as solid. A few days is usually sufficient for engineered whereas a week or more for solid.
2) 3/4" solid will traverse subfloor seams better and feel more substantial underfoot. A 3/4" floor can be sanded many more times than a 5/16" floor; which may only be sanded once due to the thickness of the portion above the tongue. The thinner floors will have a tendency to make more noise (crackling) unless glued down. As to the appearance, once installed, you can't see the thickness of a floor. Perhaps some of the thinner brands may have longer lengths. I think 3/4" floors are easier to install and feel better.
3) Unless your carpet and pad are pretty thin, they should tuck nicely to a 3/4" floor without the need of a molding. The floor will be slightly higher but not much.
4) All flooring nailers use either cleats or staples except the finish nailers, which use finish nails. I prefer staples and have been told they hold better, which I believe. My favorite for 3/4" flooring is the Stanley-Bostitch M111 FS. 3/4" braz. cherry is a tough wood to staple/nail/cleat and you will get some bent over fasteners. It's up to you whether to rent or buy and resell. For 250 sq.ft., I think you could nail it down in a day so renting makes sense to me. Good luck!

Gschiff,

Solid wood is always better choice if you are planning for a long-term.
You can refinish it many times and get the same new smooth look of the real wood floors. Rich wood grain appearance of solid floors reminds you of real wood under your feet, not a veneered wood look. That is why we call it - beauty that lasts a lifetime.
We advise to hold solid wood floors for 2-3 weeks in order to acclimate to your house conditions.
Thinner wood floors are always cheaper solution, because people sometimes install it over concrete and it doesn't give that much of a lifespan as 3/4" thick.
Also, consider that Brazilian Cherry tends to darken over the years, when it is exposed to light.
As DIYer you want the floors to fit nicely with little waste. Quality milling will ease your installation saving you time and effort. Precision tongue-and-groove fitting is something that makes the job done faster and easier. Use Stanley-Bostitch nailer. It would probably be reasonable to rent it for day-two instead of buying a new or used one.

Take care,

I am just a diy'er, but I decided to write my 2cents since it sounds so similar to me.

Last year I tackled a wood floor for the very first time. I put 3/4" solid brazilian cherry (which isn't cherry by the way, it is Jatoba) in a small room about 120 sq feet.

I rented a Bostitch FS III stapler from Home Depot for 24 hours.

The job went well. 1 year later, it still looks new and professional.

I also already Bought an air compressor and a regular finishing nailer, which I have made susequent use of. You will need the nailer for face nailing along the edges. You can't use a floor nailer for the first and last few rows.

Now I am going to tackle about 400 sq feet. I am going with AMerican Cherry this time since I really like that look better. It is also softer, which is a disadvantage. This job will take me some time, I don't want to rush it, so my plan is to buy a stapler than re-sell it afterward. I figure the final cost should be equal to about 1 days rental, and this way I can do the job over a long time period without having to worry about the rental charges adding up.

gschiff,

I'm new to flooring but I work part-time in carpentry. I've installed some high-end engineered recently, and just this past weekend I installed solid pre-finished in my own dining room. I must admit, I prefer the solid still for the firmer feel under foot, and as some of the pros here have stated, they traverse subtleties in the sub flooring much better because they’re thicker. The ability to telegraph imperfections vertically is much more subdued in the solid than engineered. By the way (and someone correct me if I'm wrong), but there is no real overt reason for this thickness other than arbitrary tradition. Way back when, this is the thickness that was chosen, probably due to the practicality of cutting certain widths? Perhaps someone here knows the history behind it?

With all this said, however, the engineered I've installed is pretty darn nice and fits together beautifully. The key here is go with a HIGH QUALITY/HIGH-END engineered brand. They are typically thicker (5-8ply), can be nailed, stapled, or glued, and the feeling under foot is negligible, although if you're a real “feel sensitive” person like I am, you won't ultimately be happy with it. If you're a “look-sensitive” person, you will love the fit and dimensional stability aspect of the engineered. Also, with the high-end engineered, the sanding capability is kind of a moot point. Many of these high-ends advertise they can be sanded 4-5 times, and you’re realistically talking probably 20 yrs (at the earliest) before the 1st sanding because of the durable aluminum oxide finishes these days. But I haven’t lived long enough to know. I’m sure some of the old timers here may have a better idea on longevity before sanding.

Good luck on whatever you choose. Bottom line: Have fun with it, take your time, and be prepared to use muscles you haven’t used before. My first flooring job I was pretty achy in my back from bending over constantly, and those knees get pretty banged up without pads. Also, if you’re not used to handling wood, some nice gloves would be good to prevent splinters/blisters.

Best,
PB