T Nails Vs L Nails Flooring

Nails and staples differ in their holding properties.

T nails vs l nails flooring.

A staple will give a stronger less forgiving hold because of its two pronged construction. They strongly recommended installing hardwood and engineered hardwood flooring with l cleats or t cleats. Pros and cons of using cleats for hardwood floor installation. The reason for the smooth area at the top of the shank is to allow for the hardwood floor to expand and contract with seasonal temperature and humidity changes.

These nails are made of high strength carbon steel. Both types have ribs on two thirds of the nail shank. Be sure to nail every 6 8 into the hardwood. The porta nails 16 gauge l head flooring the porta nails 16 gauge l head flooring cleat and nail is designed for flooring decorative paneling ceiling and sub flooring applications.

Hardwood flooring installers have used cleats for generations nailing 3 4 solid hardwood planks to a wooden subfloor with 2 nails formed with an l shaped head. Manual floor fasteners always use cleat nails but pneumatic models come with two options. Most cleat nails are 16 ga. That will automatically give you nails every 8.

You can get either a stapler or a nailer. Nails are available for installing engineered flooring. However according to the certified flooring inspectors we spoke to there are flooring manufacturers that no longer warrant engineered flooring installations when the flooring is fastened with staples instead of l cleats or t cleats. Nails allow for a more natural expansion and contraction of the hardwood floorboards with fewer problems.

Diy enthusiasts want to know which choice is best in the cleats vs staples argument. Cleat nails come in 16 or 18 gauge and ate l or t shaped. Cleat nails are typically installed with an automatic. You have to choose between models that use either l cleats or t cleats.

The recommended gauges don t refer to standard construction nails but to cleat nails designed specifically for use on hardwood flooring. Or 18 ga but thinner 20 ga. The 16 gauge nail is perfect for 1 2 in. Solid wood flooring installations.

So if you want a pneumatic nailer you have one more decision to make. The big drawback with cleat nails is their cost which at 65 to 85 per 5000 is about twice the price of staples.