- Messages
- 11,635
- Location
- Constantine, MI
OK - Here's one for all you contractors/home improvement gurus.
The LOML and I have put the fence replacement and kitchen upgrades out a year or two on the schedule so we can replace the very worn out carpet in out LR, DR, and hall this year.
We've picked out a laminate - we have a dog - that we like and we are thinking of putting it down at 45 degrees to give the floor more interest.
Our floor is a post and beam, T&G 2x6 with a 1/2" particle board sub-floor. The builder felt it was only necessary to use about 10 or 12 nails for each 4 x 8 sheet of sub floor . As I have redone the floors in other rooms I have snapped chalk lines in a 12 x 12 grid and screwed down the sub-floor 12" OC in the field, 6" OC on the perimeter. This has all but eliminated the many many squeaks we had. However, those were smaller areas and I don't think my knees would survive the three rooms and 500 sf we are planning on now.
Here's the question - I see two options.
I'm leaning towards the stapler, but I'm a little concerned about holding power. My guess is the staples will do just fine but I'd like some input from those of you who have done this before. Am I over-thinking this? Should I just go with the time-saving staples?
The LOML and I have put the fence replacement and kitchen upgrades out a year or two on the schedule so we can replace the very worn out carpet in out LR, DR, and hall this year.
We've picked out a laminate - we have a dog - that we like and we are thinking of putting it down at 45 degrees to give the floor more interest.
Our floor is a post and beam, T&G 2x6 with a 1/2" particle board sub-floor. The builder felt it was only necessary to use about 10 or 12 nails for each 4 x 8 sheet of sub floor . As I have redone the floors in other rooms I have snapped chalk lines in a 12 x 12 grid and screwed down the sub-floor 12" OC in the field, 6" OC on the perimeter. This has all but eliminated the many many squeaks we had. However, those were smaller areas and I don't think my knees would survive the three rooms and 500 sf we are planning on now.
Here's the question - I see two options.
- I can rent a deck screw driver that allows you to stand up while driving the screws and loads from a magazine, or,
- I can rent a 1" crown stapler and get down on my knees to do the work.
I'm leaning towards the stapler, but I'm a little concerned about holding power. My guess is the staples will do just fine but I'd like some input from those of you who have done this before. Am I over-thinking this? Should I just go with the time-saving staples?