At this point you’ve probably seen our finished and furnished bonus room above the garage, but here’s a clear, practical account of how we installed oak hardwood flooring in that space. We mentioned this briefly in our first post about the room and promised more how-to detail since this was our first traditional nail-in hardwood installation (we’d previously done a floating hardwood install). It wasn’t overly difficult, but it had its challenges. If you’re taking on a similar project, here’s what we did and how we handled it.
Choosing Our Floors
Originally we planned wall-to-wall carpet for the bonus room because it seemed cozy and we hadn’t bought enough extra hardwood when we installed floors elsewhere on the second floor a few years earlier. In the end we couldn’t shake the idea of wood flooring continuing down the hall into the bonus room, so we decided to match the existing hardwood instead of carpet.
The first challenge was finding matching planks. Our upstairs floors were Lono Oak from Lumber Liquidators, which had been discontinued shortly after our earlier purchase. Fortunately, a few stores still had small quantities left in various warehouses. We ordered boxes from four different locations around the country. It wasn’t the fastest or cheapest solution, but the material was on final closeout at a deep discount, which offset shipping costs.
Preparation
When the boxes arrived we moved them into the bonus room to acclimate for several days. Allowing hardwood to acclimate to the room’s humidity and temperature before installation helps reduce later movement. After five days (three is a common minimum) we unboxed and began work.
We rolled out an underlayment as a vapor barrier and to reduce squeaks between the hardwood and the plywood subfloor. Many people use roofing felt, but we used a white silicone underlayment that was cleaner to handle. We overlapped strips slightly and cut them to fit at the walls with a utility knife.
Laying the First Rows
The first rows require the most planning. Solid wood needs an expansion gap around the room perimeter to allow for seasonal movement. We used a 3/4″ gap (matching the plank thickness) and marked the outside edge of the first row. We snapped a chalk line between marks at both ends of the wall to ensure the first row was straight and parallel—chalk lines are usually more reliable than spacers when walls aren’t perfectly straight.
To hold the first row in place while getting set up for nailing, we added small finish nails along the top inside edge that later get covered by quarter round. The first few rows must be hand-nailed because the power nailer is too large to reach close to the wall. We drilled pilot holes every 10–12 inches, hammered in finish nails, and used a nail punch to make them flush. It’s tedious, but important for a clean result.
After three full rows we had enough space to bring in a power floor nailer, which sped things up significantly, though the whole room still took two days to complete.
Using the Floor Nailer
We rented an air-powered floor nailer for about $39/day from a local tool rental. Renting made sense for a one-off job. The nailer drives cleats into the tongue of each plank, pulling boards tight and securing them to the subfloor. Cleats come in strips that load into the nailer.
To use the tool you position it over the board edge, press the trigger with one hand and strike the back plunger with a mallet. It doesn’t require a huge hit, but it does need a firm strike. We went through over 1,000 cleats during the project, and though the nailer makes the job faster, repeated mallet strikes and bending over can be tiring—take breaks, rotate tasks, and protect your ears.
One person fed and laid out boards while the other operated the nailer. Stagger board lengths to create a natural pattern and mix boards from different boxes as you go so any color variation blends across the floor rather than clustering.
Cutting Boards
Most rows require an end cut. We saved boards with defects—knots, cracks, or blemishes—for end pieces where we could remove imperfect portions and still use the rest. To cut an end board, rotate the board 180 degrees, press it against the end wall and mark the cut about 1/2″ from the wall so that the tongue plus that gap preserves the 3/4″ expansion space. We cut boards on a miter saw, batching cuts when possible to minimize trips up and down the stairs.
The Last Rows
The final few rows, like the first, must be hand-nailed because the power nailer won’t reach that close to the wall. We drilled pilot holes, hammered finish nails, and used a nail punch to set them flush. It’s slower than the nailer and feels tedious after the speed of the machine, but it’s necessary for a clean finish next to the wall and baseboard.
After all planks were installed we cleaned the room and installed baseboards, quarter round, and window trim. Then we added built-ins and shelves around the window niche and furnished the space, creating the bonus room we use every day.
If you’re about to tackle a hardwood installation, expect heavy lifting, some tedious hand-nailing at the start and finish, and plenty of mallet work in between. Planning, patience, and the right tools will make the process go much more smoothly.
More Flooring Projects
If you want to read about other flooring projects we’ve completed, consider exploring posts on refinishing hardwood floors, selecting hardwood, installing floating hardwood, and other floor-related topics.
- Refinishing Hardwood Floors 101
- How To Select Hardwood Flooring
- How To Install Hardwood Floors Without Nails
- How To Install Click-And-Lock Cork Flooring
- How To Paint A Floor
- How To Stain A Concrete Floor
- How To Remove Carpet
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