Need some guidance on installing 3/4” engineered white oak planks

[andarilu]

Hi,
I’m new here and doing as much research as I can before embarking on a floor install.

I’m remodeling my kitchen and planning to install some wide, 3/4” engineered hardwood planks. My plan is to do a glue assist installation. The problem I’m having is finding the right staple gun for these planks. The installation instructions specify 3/16 width crown staples 15-18ga 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 length. The closest staplers I found to these specs are 1/4 width 18ga however they state that they are for up to 5/8 thickness.

Would a stapler for a 5/8 thickness work on 3/4 tongue and groove engineered?

Any guidance on this would be appreciated.

 

[havasu]

It the staples fail to go deep enough, they will pop up and create a bump in the floor. You need to do as the instructions suggest.

 

[andarilu]

I would like to do what the instructions say if I could find a stapler that meets the instructions specs. That's my whole issue and the reason I posted on this forum. Does anyone know where I can source a stapler for 3/4" engineered that takes 3/16 crown staples? If not, is there a reasonable alternative stapler I can try using?

 

[C.J.]

I would use 1/4” staples and be done with it.

 

[andarilu]

I would use 1/4” staples and be done with it.

Thanks. That was my plan since the 1/16 difference is small but the only staplers I’ve been able to find that take 1/4” only support up to 5/8” boards. So my question is about being able to use the 5/8 adjustment on the stapler to sit properly on the tongue side of the board so that the staples penetrate at the correct angle. Or if you know of a stapler that takes 1/4” staples and supports 3/4” thick boards that would be great. I have not been able to source one.

Thanks again.

 

[C.J.]

I think I would call the manufacturer for verification. Most guns that are narrow crown only support up to 5/8” flooring. You can shim the foot to make the staple fire in the right location for a thicker floor but I would think a different gun designed for 3/4” flooring would be more appropriate. The 15 to 18 gauge spec is right there with a stand up nailer/ stapler. It’s the 3/16” crown that doesn’t make sense to me in those gauges cus anything that fits doesn’t have the leg length to work for 3/4”. Maybe I'm outta the loop. Foreign country spec?

 

[andarilu]

I think I would call the manufacturer for verification. Most guns that are narrow crown only support up to 5/8” flooring. You can shim the foot to make the staple fire in the right location for a thicker floor but I would think a different gun designed for 3/4” flooring would be more appropriate. The 15 to 18 gauge spec is right there with a stand up nailer/ stapler. It’s the 3/16” crown that doesn’t make sense to me in those gauges cus anything that fits doesn’t have the leg length to work for 3/4”. Maybe I'm outta the loop. Foreign country spec?

 

[andarilu]

Yeah. I’ve got a question out to the manufacturer. Hopefully they’ll get back to me. The one thing I was thinking is that maybe it’s engineered in a way that the tongue position is compatible with 5/8s even though the overall board thickness is 3/4.