# Which Nails ?



## thecoder (30 Nov 2011)

Hi folks

I am in the process of boarding a floor area with hard board ready for cushion floor to be laid. The carpet fitter told me to nail the board down every 8 inches to avoid lifting in future,given the board is very thin and I dont want nail heads pushing through the floor cover,which nails would be best.


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## Racers (30 Nov 2011)

Ringshank, if you have ever tried to pull them out you will know why, or screws.

Pete


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## thecoder (30 Nov 2011)

Racers":sb1g2mh5 said:


> Ringshank, if you have ever tried to pull them out you will know why, or screws.
> 
> Pete



Thanks Pete, the hardboard will only be thin so I thought some type of nail...Never heard of "ringshank" but will look em up , wonder if the big nasty sheds will sell em ?


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## Andrewf (30 Nov 2011)

If you are nailing down hardboard, there are some special pins for the job, usually copper plated and with a pointed head that ensures that the head of the nail is sunk below the surface. Unsure what they are actually called, but thinkits something like hardboard pins.


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## JakeS (30 Nov 2011)

Bear in mind that some large proportion of squeaky floors are apparently caused by the nails holding the floorboards down coming a bit loose and the board working up and down the shaft of the nail and squeaking against it. Screws or ringshank nails help to avoid this, while hardboard pins - if I'm thinking of the same things - won't help in this regard in the least.


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## Racers (30 Nov 2011)

Hi, thecoder

Just don't get to long ones and nail down the pipes as well.

http://www.everyfloordirect.com/tools-a ... gn=froogle

Pete


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## xy mosian (30 Nov 2011)

I've come across two types of 'Hardboard nails'. The coppered square shanked lost head nails, about 20mm long, and a flat headed steely ring-shanked nail of about the same length. Personally I prefer the ring-shanked version. They are easier to hold to clout and the required pull out force is greater, having said that both destroy the hardboard when it has to be lifted. 
xy


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## thecoder (30 Nov 2011)

Racers":p2g9rtxd said:


> Hi, thecoder
> 
> Just don't get to long ones and nail down the pipes as well.
> 
> ...



Thanks Pete/Everyone


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## brianhr (30 Nov 2011)

If you have a Wickes near you, they have them


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## twothumbs (30 Nov 2011)

Use ring shank, definately not h/b nails. Last time I bought them they were sold by the lb. as were all nails so a while ago. Need a good bang so put them in straight! Good luck. PS I would have said at 6" centres in all directions and watch for curl at the corners..


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## AndyT (30 Nov 2011)

Please correct me someone if this is wrong, but I remember reading that when laying hardboard on a floor to make it smoother, you need to brush the back side of the board with water, then nail it down, with the back (non-slip) side uppermost. As it dries out, it shrinks and tightens onto the nails, avoiding the potential problem of bulges under the carpet.


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## Ateallthepies (30 Nov 2011)

I have heard the thing on wetting the boards before laying but can't get my head round how this works?? Surely wetting will cause the boards to swell then if you fit them butt up to each other when they dry they will shrink and make gaps? Will defer to a floor layer but to me wetting doesn't make sense?

I have always laid shiny side down and used 20mm ring shank nails when laying hardboard and never had a problem. Also never wetted.

Steve.


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## ossieosborne (30 Nov 2011)

Using 3mm hardboard. The boards are supposed to be given a moisture content suitable for the room - a process known as conditioning. Otherwise they may become distorted. Brush 3/4 pint (1/2 litre) into the mesh side of 4ft square boards, and leave them stacked mesh to mesh perfectly flat on the floor of the room they will occupy for 48 hours (not much more or less) before laying.

They will adjust gradually to the humidity of the room and dry out further when nailed down, tightening up like a drum skin to form a perfect surface for the floor covering.

Lay the boards mesh side up and use annular ringshank nails. Start in one corner of the room, and to avoid bulges in the sheets of hardboard, nail it down in a pyramid sequence (working sideways and forwards) starting at the centre of one edge about 13mm from edge. Space the nails about 150mm apart along the edges of the board and 230mm apart in the middle of the board. Use a couple of pieces of wood cut to these lengths using them as guides to get the nails correctly spaced out.

Butt the second board firmly against the first and begin nailing along the meeting edge. Continue in this way until at the end of the row you will have to cut a board to fit. Use the offcut to start the next row.

After laying the boards, leave them at least overnight before laying the floor covering.

When i did my bedroom floor in the previous house, i needed access to the floorboards in one or two places. These boards i screwed down to save damaging the hardboard. Ringshanks don't come out easily!

HTH

Oz


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## AndyT (30 Nov 2011)

Now it makes sense, Oz; thanks for the more detailed explanation. You don't get gaps between boards, as the edges are held firm by lots of nails; but the inner parts do tighten up and therefore stay flat.

I've lived in places where this had not been done right, and there were annoying bulges that moved when you walked on them.


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