Hardwood Flooring Staplers - Nailers

What to choose in a hardwood flooring stapler or nailer? The choices are numerous today, and it will depend on what type of hardwood you're installing. The basic rentals at Home Depot will not cut it for some products. Two areas are included in this section. The first for actual fasteners used to attach flooring to wood subfloors and secondly, trim and surface nailers for moldings and areas a flooring machine cannot reach.

We've done some research for you by scanning all the major manufacturer installation guides and what type of fastener they recommend. Listed below in order of popularity of manufacturers. All items shown alongside manufacturers are pneumatic, or requiring air pressure and a compressor to operate.

NEW ADDITIONS: With the growing number of denser and harder products available today we've added the 18 gauge cleat nailer. These new tools cut down problems (namely tongue splitting; known to cause squeaking) associated with installing harder solid exotic hardwoods and the newer solid stand bamboo.

Solid Hardwood Floors - Widely used tools

	Name: Stanley Bostitch Stapler MIIIFS Thickness Flooring Used: 1/2" - 3/4" thickness (base plates, included) Fastener Type: Crown staples Gauge: 15.5 Length: 1 1/2" - 2 inch Compressor Setting: 70-90 PSI
	Name: Stanley Bostitch Cleat Nailer MIIIFN Thickness Flooring Used: 1/2" - 3/4" thickness (base plates, included) Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 16 Length: 1 1/2" - 2 inch Compressor Setting: 70-90 PSI
	Name: Powernail 445 Cleat Nailer Thickness Flooring Used: 5/8" - 33/32"" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 16 Length: 1 1/2" - 2 inch Compressor Setting: 70-110 PSI
	Name: Primatech P250F Nailer Stapler Thickness Flooring Used: 5/8" - 3/4" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail or Crown Staple Gauge: 15 1/2 Staple. Cleat Nail Length: 1 1/2" - 2 inch Compressor Setting: 80-100 PSI
	Name: Senco SHF50 Cleat Nailer Thickness Flooring Used: 1/2" - 33/32" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: N/A Length: 1 1/2" - 2 inch Compressor Setting: 70-120 PSI
	Name: Powernail 50P Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 3/8" - 3/4" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 18 Length: 3/4" - 1 3/4 inch. Also used for thinner solid hardwood Compressor Setting: 70-110 PSI
	Name: Primatech Q550 Cleat Nailer Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 3/8" - 3/4" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 18 Length: 1 1/4" - 1 1/2 inch Compressor Setting: 85-100 PSI

Engineered Hardwood Floors - Widely used tools

	Name: Stanley Bostich LHF97125-2 - 20 Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 1/4" - 1/2" thickness Fastener Type: Crown staples Gauge: 20 Length: 1 inch Compressor Setting: 70-100 PSI
	Name: Stanley Bostich SX150-BHF-2 - 18 Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 1/4" - 7/16" thickness Fastener Type: Crown staples Gauge: 18 Length: 1/2" - 1 1/2 inch Compressor Setting: 70-100 PSI
	Name: Primatech Q550 Flooring Nailer Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 3/8" - 3/4" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 18 Length: 1 1/4" - 1 3/4 inch Compressor Setting: 85-100 PSI
	Name: Powernail Flex 18 Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 3/8" - 3/4" thickness Fastener Type: Cleat Nail Gauge: 18 Length: 3/4" - 1 3/4 inch Compressor Setting: 70-110 PSI
	Name: Senco SLS20HF Thickness Flooring Used: Adjustable 1/4" - 1/2" thickness Fastener Type: Crown staples Gauge: 19 Length: 1 inch Compressor Setting: 70-120 PSI
	Name: SpotNails WS4840W2 Thickness Flooring Used: 3/8" - 9/16" thickness (needs adaptor, included) Fastener Type: Crown staples Gauge: 18 Length: 1 3/8 inch Compressor Setting: 80-110 PSI

Armstrong Hardwood Floors - Includes Bruce, Hartco & Robbins

• Solid 5/16" - Stanley-Bostitch S32SXBHF, Stanley-Bostitch SX150, Senco SLS20HF, or other machine designed or adapted specifically to 5/16″ solid flooring.
• Solid 3/4" - Stanley Bostitch (multiple models) with M-4 foot, Powernail (multiple models) with NailerShoe, Primatech (multiple models) with Trak-Edge.
• Engineered - Stanley-Bostitch “FloorRunner”, Senco SLS20HF or equivalent

Anderson Family - Includes Anderson, Appalachian, Anderson Pacific

• Solid 3/4"- No set recommendations. "Pneumatic Nailer/Stapler"
• Engineered- No set recommendations. "Pneumatic Nailer/Stapler"

BR111 Hardwood

• Solid 3/4" -Powernail manual 45 T&G Powernailer, pneumatic 445 Powernailer or other machines designed or adapted specifically to 3/4” solid wood flooring
• Solid 7/16" - Powernail 200/250, HighPRO AS-4090, other machines designed or adapted specifically to 7/16” solid wood flooring.
• Solid 5/16" - Powernail 200/250, Senco SLS20HF, Stanley-Bostitch S32SXBHF, HighPRO AS-4090 or others designed or adapted specifically for 5/16" solid flooring.
• 3/8" Engineered - Stanley-Bostitch, HighPro AS-4090, Bosch, Portanail, Spotnail,
etc.) with adjustable head (must be adjustable to 3/8" minimum 1 1/4" notched staple)

Columbia Hardwood

• Solid 3/4"- No specific recommendations.
• Engineered - Stanley-Bostitch Floor Runner (S3297-LHF orS97125-LHF). Power Nailer #200 and #250

Kahrs Hardwood

• Engineered - Bostitch Air Stapler Model III, Primatech Q 500, Powernailer Model 200

Mirage Hardwood

• Solid 3/4"- Stanley-Bostitch MIIIFN, Stanley-Bostitch MIIIFS, Powernail 445, Senco SHF50
• Engineered - Stanley-Bostitch SX150-BHF-2, Senco SLS20HF

Mannington Wood Floors

• Engineered - Mannington Spotnails Floor Monster

Scandian

• Solid 3/4"- No specific recommendations. "Mechanical Fastener and appropriate fasteners"
• Engineered - No specific recommendations. "Recommended staples/cleats"

Huh? This Is Way Too Confusing

Perhaps you’re wondering. Different manufacturers shown above recommending different systems. Why? After all, what can be different from their ¾” hardwood for example, and the next company? It comes from a tree, shaped and milled nearly identical, but different fastening tools?

If you look at those guys that install unfinished floors day in and day out, they don’t follow any specifications. They simply use what has worked best for them over the years. In fact the NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) has no recommendations or specifics. Their technical manual simply lists the general types; manual, and pneumatic. They do go on to elaborate cleat nails are proven to work better with harder hardwoods as their design cuts down on tongue splitting; common when using crown staples with ¾ inch material.

So What Do I Choose?

Some manufacturers react unusually when it comes to warranty issues if a floor fails for one reason or another. Most of the time it’s the installers fault. If that doesn’t work, blame it on something else. Although there is only one proprietary tool shown above (Mannington) be careful with what you use if they recommend a particular system.

• Floor Nailers On Wheels
• Pneumatic Nail Guns - For top nailing and trim work
• Rosin Paper or Felt? Goes under solid hardwood
• Aquabar Underlayment - the new alternative