How to Nail Down Flooring as You Approach the Wall

When installing a hardwood floor, you will use a pneumatic floor nailer to attach most of the boards to the floor joists. The nailer is too big to use when you get within 1 to 2 feet of each wall, so you need to hand nail the boards. This involves drilling pilot holes so you do not split the wood as you hammer the flooring to the subfloor. You may also need to cut the length of the final piece so it will fit.

Electric drill
1/16-inch drill bit
Measuring tape
Table saw
Scrap piece of floorboard
Pry bar
Finishing nails
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Drill pilot holes in the groove side of the final rows of hardwood planks. Place the holes 1 inch from the groove side, and space the holes 8 inches apart. Use an electric drill with a 1/16-inch drill bit.
- 2
  Lay the planks as you finish the pilot holes, but do not nail them in place until all the planks are down. When you get close enough to the wall that a full sized board will not fit, measure the space between the last board and the wall. Subtract 3/4 inch from the width and cut the last plank with a table saw to fit the measurement.
- 3
  Drill the pilot holes in the last cut board. Lower it into place next to the wall, leaving 3/4 inch of space for expansion. If the board will not lower snugly into place, put a scrap piece of flooring against the wall and place a pry bar against it. Use the pry bar to push the plank into place.
- 4
  Hammer finishing nails through the pilot holes on each plank. Do not scratch the surface of the boards.

How to Fix Shaky Floors

What if a Subfloor Gets Wet From Rain?

Floor Repairs