I am installing 4" red and white oak hardwood flooring and want to do a room in a herringbone pattern. My boards are going to be 24" long. I have seen instructional videos where they are gluing the boards down. I prefer to nail them down over 15 lb felt paper with 2" staples. Is it ok to just nail it down like the rest of the flooring or is there a reason I need to glue it? Thanks for your help.
Herringbone pattern
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Glue AND staple would be the preferred technique
Before you even start installing check the milling accuracy of the flooring. 1st, was the herringbone milled with left and right cuts? 2nd and most important check to make sure the width is an exact multiple of the length. ie: 24'' length- 3'' or 4'' width. The best way is to lay up multiple pieces side by side until it reaches the length of the fillet, it must be exact! or you will fight the installation from start to finish and if it's really off you may not be able to install it at all. The herringbone pattern has to be dead on to be able to maintain the pattern properly. If the milling is fine then proceed with a glue and nail/staple installation. Since you are using a 24'' long fillet try installing it in a double herringbone pattern it looks even better! Lay up 2 pieces side by side and install it as you normally would.
Put a bed up each chevron.nail the rest.
We usually just use glue to start the first course for the pattern.since a wider board doing each course would be better.you can also just glue.just make sure the starter course is true and solid.
Make absolutely sure the milling is dead on. If not, send it back. Don't try to save money buying cheaper product. It WILL bite you in the ass. I like to get my first 2 courses down, nailed and glued with PL, and let sit overnight to set up. I believe this limits the movement that can screw up the layout. Right or wrong, that's just how I've always done it. The rest I staple and trowel glue with Bostick. You have to pay attention to make sure the points don't start drifting. I snap lines to keep my points lined up, check every few rows, and adjust as necessary. HB can be a real ***** if you aren't careful. Take your time.
no reason to put silly scare tactics into it..herring bone is herring bone.
your first 2 measurements and first starter course is what are important..the rest you outlines is for fearful amateurs
never laid a "badly milled herringbone and there's nothing to "make sure of"
you would find out a milling problem very early and the only way would be to lay or dry run.
lefts right are for old school..now you spline or use slip tongue..rarely see mills do left/ rights anymore..it went away with numbers..now everything nested.
lefts right are for old school
Yeah, but they sure were nicer to put together.
I always make a square to start off of. Howard Brickman taught me that trick when I was a youngster. It truly is the best way. Granted, you're always going to be monkeying around with it to stay on your lines, but starting with a perfect square really makes hair and bone go smoother.
Yeah, but they sure were nicer to put together.
I always make a square to start off of. Howard Brickman taught me that trick when I was a youngster. It truly is the best way. Granted, you're always going to be monkeying around with it to stay on your lines, but starting with a perfect square really makes hair and bone go smoother.
Absolutely NOT.
I've installed a LOT of Herringbone. If the milling is off by more than 1/64 you'll be spending time trying to keep it straight (assuming you want it to be correct). And lines aren't for 'amateurs', they're for skilled professionals who take pride in having a straight floor. I've seen some phuked up HB installed by retards who couldn't care less that the points drifted 2-3" and their wall cuts are at 50 degrees. It's not scare tactics, it's warnings from having real world experience.
And I haven't seen L/R HB in many years. Sure was nice stuff!
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it :laughing:
don't know where you're going with that..Never said that.
I said your first 2 measurements are most important.
once you have that for navigation the rest falls into place.
it would actually be 4 measures for a beginner to figure square, center and strait.
experience should do it in 2 to start the pattern
You're right, my apologies. Trying to do 10 things at once makes my brain mis-function sometimes :blink:
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