The debate over pre-drilling holes in hardwood flooring

I started a job last week in an old house in Columbus, Ohio. The homeowner wanted red oak flooring installed. I always pre-drill holes when nailing near the ends of boards to avoid splits. But my helper, a younger guy with 5 years experience, said he never bothers and just uses a 16 gauge finish nailer on low pressure. I tried his way on a scrap piece and it worked fine. No splits. Now I'm wondering if I've been wasting time for nothing. Has anyone else dropped pre-drilling and gotten away with it on hardwoods?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.jamie18d ago

Five years isn't long enough to prove anything.

kevin_hernandez8318d ago

Just wait till year 7 or 8, that's when things really start to show.