How To Install Tongue and Groove Flooring | Ask This Old House

In this video, Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough teaches Kevin O’Connor how to patch holes in a tough surface.
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Tom Silva shows Kevin O’Connor how to install tongue-and-groove hardwood flooring. Tom shows Kevin a prefinished flooring product that he chose and explains how the tongues and grooves line up for a proper installation. Tom explains that it’s important that the first row be as straight as possible and shows Kevin how to make that happen using a chalk line for reference.
Skill: Moderate
Cost: Around $5 to $6 per square foot
Time: A weekend
Shopping list:
Hardwood tongue-and-groove flooring [thd.co/3G3697V]
Construction adhesive [amzn.to/3G4Xf9X]
Finish nails [thd.co/2Z9X6Rm]
Flooring staples [thd.co/3ptntge]
Shims [thd.co/2Z418eb] or spacers [thd.co/3b0gdQw]
Wood putty [amzn.to/3jk2GZ0]
Tools:
Chalk line [amzn.to/3BZmaJu]
Pencil [amzn.to/3vupDgM]
Tape measure [amzn.to/3neZ6jI]
Caulking gun [amzn.to/3piP4AL]
Miter saw [amzn.to/3jmOJJL]
Finish nailer [amzn.to/3ppdDfs]
Flooring nailer [amzn.to/3G37E63]
Rubber mallet [amzn.to/3vuPghn]
Flooring jack [amzn.to/3phVwYU]
Steps for installing tongue and groove flooring
1. Mark the first row by placing the groove side of a board against the wall near a corner, leaving a gap of approximately 3/16 of an inch between the board and wall. Mark the subfloor on the tongue side and measure the distance between the mark and the wall. Transfer this mark to the other side of the room and snap a chalk line between these points.
2. Run a bead of construction adhesive between the chalk line and the wall. This is only necessary for the first row.
3. Lay a piece of flooring on the floor so the outside of the tongue lines up with the chalk line. Use a finish nailer to nail through the face of the board along the groove side of the board.
4. Place shims or spacers in the gap between the flooring and the walls to hold it firmly in place.
5. Holding the finish nailer at an angle, shoot nails through the tongue every 8 to 10 inches.
6. Install the next piece of flooring against the chalk line, aligning the tongue and groove between the two pieces. Use a rubber mallet to join the two pieces before nailing through the face and tongue of the board. Continue across the wall until you get to a corner.
7. Mark the end piece for cutting by keeping the tongue pointed toward the wall while also flipping it upside down. Maintaining a rough 3/16-inch gap at the wall, use a pencil to make a mark where it meets the previous board. Cut the board to length with a miter saw. Nail through the face and tongue to hold it in place.
8. Continue using this method until you’re far enough from the wall to use the flooring nailer. At that point, simply lay a new board and tap it into place with the rubber mallet before nailing through the tongue with the flooring nailer.
9. Continue laying the boards, tapping them in place, and nailing every 8 to 10 inches. Ensure that the seams where the boards meet between corresponding courses are at least 6 inches from each other.
10. Once you make it across the room, it won’t be possible to use the rubber mallet to jockey the board into position. Use a flooring jack pressed against the wall to position the boards properly.
11. Along the wall on the other side of the room, switch back to the finish nailer and nail through the face of the boards every 8 to 10 inches.
12. Fill the nail holes with wood putty, buff the surface, and install baseboard moldings.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How To Install Tongue and Groove Flooring | Ask This Old House
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[@MrEazyE357]

It's so strange to be watching a show on a wireless, hand-held device that I can remember watching with my Dad on weekends before the world even had internet. Talk about longevity!

[@peterputnam3804]

I have installed many hardwood floors in my day one major issue is expansion in a large room. I measure from the straightest wall to the center of the room snap a line from end to end , glue in a homemade tonque, and nail from both sides back to the walls. This helps to even out any expansion . Also red rosin paper is laid down to help provide a surface that is uncoupled from the sub-floor.

[@uwillnevahno6837]

as a homeowner that had to deal w/the prior owners DIY'ing a poorly installed flooring they glued I cannot stress enough DO NOT GLUE IT.

[@NolanB250]

Why not? No nails+glue? Or no glue only install?

[@NeverBeenArrested]

@@NolanB250 If you end up wanting to replace the floor, like Dee Cee had to do, you'll probably have to rip out the subflooring too because of the glue. Subflooring is also usually glued to the joists below it so you can imagine how hard this job is gonna be. If you just use nails and no glue, you can just rip out the floor and replace, alot less headaches

[@juliof970]

I've had the horror of someone doing that. Screwed and glued and I had to circular saw out the floor.

[@JoniAntonio]

Any flooring larger than 4 1/4 inch wide needs to be glued down.

[@uwillnevahno6837]

@@JoniAntonio the slats I had to deal w/were at most 2 to 3 in wide. Also the click and snap slats we just installed didn't require gluing.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

They didn't show the last board pieces where often you have to cut it length wise.

[@humboldtglitches9349]

Use a scribe board which is basically just one of the other boards because it has a quarter inch tongue on it to make sure that it has a quarter inch Gap and you mark the quarter inch Gap with describe board if that didn't make sense let me know and I'll explain it better

[@alhirst7278]

Thank you, Mr. Silva! So many so-called KZbin "experts" show the tongue going toward the wall to start. I am so glad that this video steered me away from that misinformation. This Old House continues to be a professional and reliable source of information.

[@stevejensen3471]

I've done close to 30 floor jobs over the years and have always used unfinished oak which I sanded and then finished. Only way to go imho. Always good seeing ole Tom! Sure been many decades watching him and we're both alot grayer these days!

[@moemanncann895]

Appreciate it despite critics, Mr Silva,sir, is a tongue and groove specialist, not too many floor areas are a tongue and groove in North America,and if they are, they're covered 👷

[@salvadorsepulveda6415]

Beginning of a playhouse for Christmas !! Nice work 👏

[@saeedsobhani4213]

Nicely done, thanks for educational contents.

[@lembergnative7731]

absolutely perfect set of instructions.

[@Peter_Schiavo]

We moved to Spain and I miss my Saturday's watching new episodes. I don't even know if they're making new eps.

[@LearnEnglishWithMatta]

So helpful for our project; thank you for this! 🇺🇸💪🏽

[@billbaillie3702]

There's a beveled side on the mallet / hammer that's quite effective for driving / tapping the pieces together.

[@peep39]

my old house has the old hard wood with no subfloor. Recently I replaced a floor joist and what "fun" that was. I taught myself a good technique, but there's just no easy way to trim off the dangling nails overhead except with elbow grease. I used a sawzall with a real bendy blade, but I've started shopping for some super flush cutting end nippers

[@jackmazza5742]

I am building new & using Milled 2x8 T&G for my subfloors, one and done. I will be gluing the hell out of it. 3 1/2" finishing nails.

[@flynnfranklin2187]

Wow! need him come to my house.

[@jeffrykwiat6811]

Nicely done, however, I came here to see how to match the different size boards when laying them down on a much longer run, like 20 feet. Is the idea to use most of the longest boards and just use the shorter boards to create the 4-6" staggering boards between rows where needed?

[@LOUDsigh]

Best way to install barn doors in 115ish old house w/o destroying oak floors w/ those guide thingys. I was thinking rubber wheels but havent found any in insert into bottom of doors

[@rosanadancel7225]

Great video, what do you suggest in a cement flooring? Thank you

[@humboldtglitches9349]

Also for face nailing you want to use a 15 gauge nailer on hardwood flooring that is 3/4 in roughly

[@Bigmike55626]

Flooring contractors have a lot of work because videos like this give DIYers confidence and end up screwing the whole floor wether it’s installing or refinishing.

[@sloan1919]

I feel like I owe this guy something. If Tom ends up in New Jersey, beeahs on me!

[@dust09100]

Wish you would have shown the last rip

[@Guardducks]

I like that Jack Tommy used to pull the floor together .

[@PoBox-ix7lc]

Would you glue and staple 1"x12"x16' pine tg on wood subfloor over crawalspace or vapor barrier w staples? Great work!

[@bobkrueger194]

What fastners do you use for Brazilian Walnut?

[@Just_Chuck_It]

I own my own remodeling and repair business. This is the only flooring I will install. This or tile. If the customer wants LVP or similar I sub the work out as I absolutely dislike how the LVP stuff looks and will not stand by it with my company name. When I install tongue and grove flooring, I install ¼" underlayment and use no adhesives. I also do not use a flooring stapler. Reason being it turns into an uptown game. I just rock non-marring knee pads and use my DeWalt 20v 16 gauge stapler with 2" staples. I have a cut man who does all the cutting and another who keeps the sticks moving as I install. Just like in this video I take a measurement, snap a line, shim the starting line to the wall for the desired set back from the wall and it's off to the races. When I get to the finish side I use 16 gauge finish nails along the trim line and if any nails are not covered by the trim I fill with the flooring manufacturers recommend or sometimes even included putty. So many color options for tongue and groove hardwood......... I really like the unfinished boards. Once down, use a floor sander, and and a palm sander for the ends and corners. Run the course to find treatment and then apply stain followed by choice of sealer. These kinds of floors will last for hundreds of years. Just look at the houses made in the late 1800's early 1900's to the 1980's. Many of them still have the original hardwood flooring that you can refinish to this day.

[@zajohoti4947]

Hi there I’m looking to totally replace my hardwood floor, too much creaking all Over the house. When I look underneath the existing the floor I see paper and planks. Do I need to lay down plywood, if so what thickness should I use? Thank you

[@humboldtglitches9349]

Here's a note flooring guy here prefinished is nice for a diyre but if you really want the maximum nice look it is much better to get raw hardwood and then have somebody sand and finish it then to just go this route most places will turn out fine but you will have some spots there really could have used a little bit of leveling and or fill

[@NickFunderburk]

Why would you glue the first row to the subfloor when you're leaving a gap to allow for to expansion and contraction? If the boards are glued down then they can't move...

[@Charlie-tl4dv]

What if the floor is concrete and you put an insulation (foam-ish) layer between the concrete and the wood flooring?

[@jimserhant7741]

Would one be able to use an 18 gauge flooring stapler with 1 1/2” staples to install the floor without issues? Or is the rental nailer & mallet an absolute must? Im considering laying down 3/4” hardwood flooring in my home & already have a Bostitch 18 gauge trigger active flooring stapler.

[@williambirksiii9455]

Floor will be much tighter with the floor nailer. Due to its angle, the hammer strike to the nailer forces the board down to the subfloor and back to the previous board the instant before the fastener is driven in. The fastener then locks everything nice and tight. You can get boards pretty tight otherwise, but nothing compares to the floor nailer. Given these are supposed to be 100 year old floors, might as well do them nice and tight so they look good for decades to come.

[@michaeljorden2457]

Good thing Kevin had his work boots on.

[@matthewbattie1022]

I’m a long time this old house fan, and I love you guys, however having done many hardwood floors I have to say you forgot so many important tips such as underlayment, substrate preparation, room layout_planning, climate acclamation, Sheetrock cutback, and proper cut stratification. I have also seen liquid nails causing expansion and contraction problems such as buckling, and separation.

[@ProfessorOfLogic81]

They also forgot to visit the forest where the wood was harvested from

[@weekendwarrior3420]

Perfect sidekick - after it's almost done he says "Huh, you have staples in it, don't you?"

[@vrea77]

We're can I buy that little wood floor jack

[@MrBritrider]

Does the starter course have to be nailed over floor joists or anywhere on the subfloor?

[@chrisburns5691]

just into subfloor

[@Sean-Aviation]

the adhesive can be great to eliminate the annoying squeaking later on. what's better, underlayer or adhesive?

[@MrJordanFranks]

Adhesive is by far superior

[@stephane184]

My wood manufacturer recommends 3/4 in expansion gap. You’re using 3/16! I have a large gap to cover with baseboard 😟

[@bobwhelk2115]

I thought Tom was dead! Nice to see your still Kicking it bro!

[@armyvet8279]

Really?? Hell no he's not dead, yet 😆

[@Sean-Aviation]

but if measured off the wall on both ends to align the first plank, you may get the same mistake if the wall is not squared...how do you align the first row?

[@jeffbushdesign]

I was thinking the same thing. I saw in another video though that often the outside walls of the structure you can trust are straight and square so if you start from an outside wall you should be good.

[@Bottleworksnet]

They skipped showing the last couple rows, which is the hardest part!

[@TheMVCoho]

They showed a fancy leverage tool by bostich and you just have to face nail when you can no longer hit the tongue.

[@yomamabig3032]

If anybody was wondering the wood species that they are installing it’s white oak

[@codycampbell6805]

I don’t ever put adhesive on my wall course. Good shims only.

[@weedaq]

what about letting the wood acclimate to the environment? Especially since you will be nailing it.

[@robertf6344]

I didn't. I installed about 2000 sq ft of it 14 yrs ago and no problem. It squeaks and cracks a little in winter with the low humidity but that doesn't bother me at all.

[@Cravz69]

@@robertf6344 Same here!

[@kylegrimm8808]

@@robertf6344 it's shouldn't do that. Bad material and or install.

[@robertf6344]

@@kylegrimm8808 If it's a question for anyone reading, then fwiw, I used prefinished natural oak 3-1/4 from lumber liquidators. Price was good, and again, I actually like the little creaks. This was about 12 yrs ago. Not sure if it always creaked with humidity changes, or if it started with the changing widths over time. If someone doesn't want creaks then worth looking into.

[@augustreil]

@@robertf6344, I like the little creaks also, reminds me of being in Grandma's house 40 yrs ago !

[@stevepwn]

is this new or old episode?

[@dtemp132]

What kind of mallet is that Tommy is using?

[@mohammadkhan7903]

It's the mallet that comes with the flooring nailer. Dual purpose for the nailer and to tap the boards in

[@steve_main]

I see that you are transferring those cut marks to the top of the plank from the bottom of the plank. Why cant you cut the piece with the finished side down on the saw? Is this solely to prevent roughing up the finish? Seems like its extra work and possibility to add or subtract a 1/4 of an inch

[@scottmitchell5907]

if by roughing up the finish you mean blowing out the finished side and it looking like crap, then yes. They didn't explain a lot of the finer points but thats likely due to time.

[@steve_main]

@@scottmitchell5907 ohh yeah duh that makes sense the bottom of the cut would blow out. Thanks, knew there had to be a reason.

[@ef2b]

How is it possible to get a flat and level floor with prefinished flooring when unfinished flooring needs to be sanded flat and level before finishing? I don't think you'd ever lay unfinished and then go right to finishing without sanding it all flat, would you? What is the magic that allows the prefinished comes out all at the same level?

[@dmitryvashchishin]

Usually prefinishex floors have beveled edges and every board is ran through a plainer to make the all uniform, unfinished product just gets cut and has straight edging

[@ef2b]

@@dmitryvashchishin Thank you! The bevels are hiding the inconsistencies. Very clever, and I didn't realize there were bevels. The bevels are enough for me to not want to have it in my home, I think. I don't want to deal with the cleaning issues that must occur over time.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

@@ef2b brother in law’s dishwasher leaked and caused their 3/4 sanded sealed floor to warp at the joints. Not like it flooded. I believe the installer (imprted labor) failed to seal around the dishwasher cabinet and the water got under it., plus water fitting booger up.

[@tycox8704]

The trick is to sand your sub-flooring nice and flat instead. I’m kidding.

[@Bigmike55626]

Sub floor prep,

[@rcarioca]

I have seen people use a layer of thin brown kraft like paper on the subfloor before putting the hardwood down. No idea why

[@stevem048]

Pre finished is great unless your contractor scratches the crap out of it installing a refrigerator. Re finishing Pre finished flooring sucks and it’s never the same.

[@irgtk]

What happened to using rosin paper or roofing felt under layment?

[@mr.g937]

Why do you need that?

[@augustreil]

Can't glue if it used, but it helps with noise.

[@jameskozlowski4139]

Its easy when your floor is 3ft off the ground.

[@runs3492]

👍☺☺

[@DeanDecoursey]

Using staples to install flooring makes it a nightmare to remove individual or several boards when home renovations occur. I prefer “L” or “T” nails.

[@robertf6344]

Don't rent the stapler. You could buy 30 new ones for what you'd pay in rent to install 4 or 5 rooms of hardwood.

[@Dirtyharry70585]

My first entry way, (1990) was pre-finished 5/16” oak and used a craftsman electric Brad nailer. Still down and beautiful. Now manufactures make battery back nailers. Back then I just used a spare piece of flooring to wack on.

[@boiboidang7613]

Tom Tom 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🙏🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

[@jennabryant4081]

Why not show how to trim the last board and install the slimmer final board when it's not a perfect fit... That's a key step in this process. And it's obvious that you guys did it, but decided not to show...

[@michaeltang7238]

Would you like to test generator inelt box ?

[@meinkamph5327]

Yeah, but what if the floor isn't perfectly square? It's kinda hard to screw up tongue and groove flooring.

[@Guardducks]

Better yet , what if the floor is buckled ?

[@cherrygarcia5514]

That last board was just too difficult

[@olroy61]

Never ever glue a 3/4 inch wood floor. Any engineered wood floor that get glued down should be installed over a 1/4 inch underlayment. If this isn't done, and you've glued straight to the subfloor, any repairs that are needed are going to severely damage the subfloor when the boards are removed. Speaking with 45 years experience in the wood floor business.

[@williamwright3735]

While I love some of the videos on this channel, as a hardwood installer this made me cringe a bit. Even before I had a cleat palm nailer, I would predrill the boards and use a cleat. You can get within 5 inches of a wall easy that way and now with palm nailers you can get closer than that. I hate face nails on a floor (except starter row where baseboard will cover it), and seeing that stuff makes me think the home owner did it.

[@flfl3969]

Unfortunately this how-to is poorly done. They should have checked the overall layout to see what the final cut piece at the other edge of the wall is. Checking both sides of the layout to make sure your edge cuts are equal is a critically important step when starting a project.

[@fingersmagillicuddy4322]

And in 3, 2,1, ………… you’re doing it wrong Tom! lol

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Nice to see them use a $1500 miter saw, just like 99% of the rest of us…..me it’s a 1989 Delta I bought new still working

[@hali22996]

I mean…..you dont have to have that, any saw works the same

[@Dirtyharry70585]

@@hali22996 yup, your not building spaceships

[@maxwellgriffith]

Almost everything Tom uses is Festool, it’s no different than any other ToH video or episode

[@kevinrowe2332]

Not a professional institution, this is what home owners do that don't want to pay a professional installer like myself.

[@superpolymath]

Not that it matters, but both of these fellas are wearing obvious hair pieces right?

[@lunchlady2023]

Tongue goes into groove. Show over.

[@paulturner3590]

I grew up with This Old House and for the most part love their stuff. Unfortunately this video is so full of inaccuracies and poor practices that I have to give it a big thumbs down. If you're looking to DIY a hardwood floor install, watch something different or better yet read the instructions that came with your product. Every manufacturer will tell you how best to install their product.

[@borys444]

2nd to last row is not straight…

[@jacksplumbingvideos7147]

first