When using splines to reverse directions in 3/4" HW, should the splines be installed full length along the entire length of each board or can shorter pieces of spline be spaced out to cover the majority of the run and end joints?

I install them the entire length, just like a tongue would be. Are we trying to save time or money here?

Hi Gary! Thanks for your reply and I am with you on this!

It's not a question of saving time or money at the expense of not doing it right. I ask because the company that supplied my HW (whom we are extremely pleased with), said to come back in to pick up any spline that I might need. When I did, with the measurements, they said you won't need that much. Just space it in but be sure to span any end joints with spline.

In defense of our supplier, I must say that my original plan was to start along a long partition wall and spline through 5 cased openings (3 @ 3' & 2 @ 6' - totaling 21'). They gave me 5 - 4' pieces of spline at no charge which probably would have been sufficient to reverse direction through the 5 doorways. See my previous post here...

http://www.hardwoodflooringtalk.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6686&highlight=deciding+plan&sid=5b39310d4d494f95d88193f798576c51

Since then, I've decided to start in the middle of the largest room to ensure the boards line up with the boards in a room that we did earlier. I do think the spline should be continuous but the new plan will require some additional spline and another trip to the supplier.

Thanks again for your reply!

Then you should go back and get more ZT .. I put a thin bead of carpenters glue along the edge of the spline , push it in flush to the groove and shoot it with a 1 " brad to hold it ..

Hi Nick, Thanks for your reply!
That's my plan. ZT

My pleasure .. Just make sure the spline is all the way in the groove or you won't be able to get the next row tight ..

Use a scrap with the groove, to seat up against the spline, before you nail it in. This keeps the spline aligned right.

Thanks again Nick! Thanks AustinFG!

AFG - If I understand correctly, I will use the groove side of a scrap piece on each side of where I am nailing to support the spline.

When Nick says to shoot a 1" brad to hold the spline, in what direction should this brad enter the wood? Do you mean horizontally straight into the spline?

Is this in addition to or even necessary if I glue the spline and proceed right away in the new direction with the next row using the pneumatic stapler?

Also. in the case of 3.25" boards, how close to 32.5" can you expect to wind up after laying 10 rows of flooring? Or, wind up at 65" after 20 rows, etc?

Thanks for all the help! I do appreciate it.

I use my floor nailer, which shoots a fastener at the 45º angle, into the spline

I do the same thing with my 1 " brad gun , shoot it in on a 45 .. thats a good idea AustinFloorguy ..
the wood and the spline are not going to be straight ZT , and the glue will tack up faster then you think .. Plus the fact that it is faster to just do the full row ..