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How Many Nails For Hardwood Floor?
The number of fasteners used to install hardwood flooring by the nail or staple method will vary on the width of the product being used. The chart below represents the estimated quantity needed for different widths. The wider the board, fewer fasteners are recommended as the quantity is reduced because of fewer rows.
Quantity calculations are based on a 1,000 square feet installation. Keep in mind shorter 
length hardwood will require more nails or staples which is common with some imported solid hardwoods and lower grade products; specifically cabin grade or what is often termed shorts.
Where To Use The Fasteners? Is There A Pattern?
Let's take an example (illustration 1) that will provide a better idea where to nail or staple your hardwood floor. Shown is an example of the nail spacing for a standard 2 1/4" wide strip floor. White dots indicate areas where fasteners are used.
Room dimension is 6'10" which is kind of rare but the illustration is a template used on other pages that deal with installing solid 3/4" floors. Keep in mind it is not perfect to any scale. Let's look at the first row (furthest right in the illustration). Nine fasteners were used which calculates out to about one every nine inches, or in the range of 8-10 inches recommended in the chart below.
| Product Width | Spacing Requirements | Fasteners |
|---|---|---|
| 2" | 8-10" | 8000 |
| 2 1/4" | 8-10" | 7200 |
| 2 1/2" | 8-10" | 6480 |
| 2 3/4" | 8-10" | 5890 |
| 3" | 6-8" | 6860 |
| 3 1/4" | 6-8" | 6460 |
| 3 1/2" | 6-8" | 6000 |
| 3 3/4" | 6-8" | 5600 |
| 4" | 6" | 6000 |
| 5" | 6" | 4800 |
| 6" | 6" | 4000 |
| 7" | 6" | 3430 |
The second row has two shorter boards being used where the number of fasteners has increased to eleven. While 8-10" is the normal nailing pattern, shorter pieces will be a different story. That's why we mention the need for more fasteners if the material is shorter than standard strip flooring.
Keep Away From Ends Joints At Least 3 Inches
There's a reason why manufacturers recommend nailing a minimum of three inches from each end joint. Anything closer to the ends can cause splitting which over time can also create noisy, squeaky floors.
How Many Fasteners Come In A Box?
It will depend on the length for solid 3/4" floors. For stapled floors a standard 2" size staple manufactured by Bostitch contains 7,728 staples (right top) Can you buy a smaller
quantity? In the staple department we haven't seen any for the 2" length. Standard flooring nails, often termed cleats (right bottom) in the industry, quantities are different. 1,000 can be purchased in smaller boxes while a larger one handles 5,000. A mega box option holds 15,000.
How Much Do They Cost?
Our web surfing shows the Bostitch staples can run anywhere from 60 to eighty dollars for the 7,728 quantity. Cleats manufactured by Powernail run $ 14.00 for the 1,000 box and approximately $ 60.00 for the mid range 5,000 count carton.
Related Pages:
• Solid Hardwood Floors
• Hardwood Floor Nailers - Staplers Too.