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I went through a similar exercise in my kitchen/family-room. Yeah, the new stuff is easier to install than the old stuff, but it's all relative: "push-and-click" felt more like "pound-and-curse". Those joints are NOT going to come apart.Originally Posted by Julie Moriarty
That's for the moisture-rated Pergo ("Outlast+" in Home-Depot-speak), not sure about the other varieties. I do know that the non-Pergo stuff from Lowes I used in the spare bedroom was a lot easier to put together.
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[OP]
Contributor
Steve sold me on nail down; it just seems like more of a sure thing.
Any thoughts on staples vs cleats inn the 18 gauge recommended for this strand bamboo stuff? Models?
Can't give you a direct answer as I used the HF gun which is 16 ga, but staples gave us less problems on bamboo than did the cleats. However my 18 ga Bostich brad gun couldn't consistently face nail in the very hard stranded bamboo, they just crumpled, had to use my 15 ga gun.
NOW you tell me...
Member
I think you'll be happy with that decision Ken. I use several guns, The prefered one is a standard Bostich 15 gauge stapler (that hammer shown is priceless for flooring, you want it even when you aren't using the stapler), but it won't get close to the end wall, so you need a few more, like the little Senco stapler, and a finish nailer for that last one to be face nailed. I use a 15 gauge Senco for that. I've never had trouble with staples, so I don't use cleats. Use the hammer gun to get ridiculously tight seams, it'll even straighten moderately warped stock if needed. Senco flooring stapler if you don't need the extra force.
Moderator
Those fir planks are going to move a lot more than some decent plywood if you're going the nail down route. Someone else mentioned replacing it with plywood--I would strongly second that even thought it is a lot more work, time, effort, and money. Otherwise, the floating would be better over the planks.
Member
I disagree Chris, it's a proven system over 100s of years to nail flooring over planks. Everything in a house moves around, it's OK.
I wouldn't replace the plank subfloor unless it's going to tile, then you need to decouple the wood from the tile, but it doesn't matter for wood flooring. I would put a bit of rosin paper or flooring paper between the subfloor and the new floor, but that's really it.
I've never seen any other pros do it differently either, unless there is some structural issue.
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Only thing I’ll add is with regard to sanding bamboo.
And my experience is not with flooring but with bamboo sheet stock.
I’m just thinking your floor is not level or has some humps and depressions as i thinkk you mentioned?
I imagine the product you have chosen is pre finished?
Regardless if you ever need to refinish it and plan to have the floors sanded the traditional way you are going to sand through the layers of the bamboo at unefer rates resulting in a real mess.
I would also second pulling up the old sub flooring and putting down some advanctech. Pay now or pay later.
Contributor
Curious what is the problem with fixing the subfloor?
Seems like that would be a must of course, depending on how uneven it is.
Maybe you can put down a laminate floor barrier or else you may be some creaks?
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