How Many Nails For Hardwood Floor?
The number of fasteners used to install hardwood flooring by the nailing method will vary on the width of the product being used. The chart below represents the estimated quantity needed for different widths. The wider the board, fewer fasteners are recommended as the quantity is reduced because of fewer rows.
Quantity calculations are based on a 1,000 square 
feet installation. Keep in mind shorter length hardwood will require more nails or which is common with some imported solid hardwoods and lower grade products; specifically cabin grade or what is often termed shorts.
Where To Use The Fasteners? Is There A Pattern?
My example provides a better idea where to nail your hardwood floor. Shown is the nail spacing for a standard 2 1/4" wide strip floor. White dots indicate areas where fasteners are used.
The illustration has dimensions from top to bottom at five feet (60 inches). Keep in mind it’s not perfect to any scale. Let's look at the first row (furthest right in the illustration). Seven fasteners were used which calculates out to almost one every nine inches, or in the range of 8-10 inches recommended in the chart below.
| Width | Spacing | Fasteners |
| 2" | 8-10" | 8,000 |
| 2 1/4" | 8-10" | 7,200 |
| 2 1/2" | 8-10" | 6,480 |
| 2 3/4" | 8-10" | 5,890 |
| 3" | 6-8" | 6,860 |
| 3 1/4" | 6-8" | 6,460 |
| 3 1/2" | 6-8" | 6,000 |
| 3 3/4" | 6-8" | 5,600 |
| 4" | 6" | 6,000 |
| 5" | 6" | 4,800 |
| 6" | 6" | 4,000 |
| 7" | 6" | 3,430 |
The second row has shorter boards being used where the number of fasteners has increased to nine. While 8-10" is the normal nailing pattern, shorter pieces will be a different story. That's why we mention the need for more fasteners if the material is shorter than standard strip flooring.
Keep Away From Ends Joints At Least 2 Inches
There's a reason why manufacturers recommend nailing a minimum of two inches from each end joint. Anything closer to the ends can cause splitting which over time can also create noisy, squeaky floors.
How Many Fasteners Come In A Box?
It will depend on the length for solid 3/4" floors. For
nailed floors a standard 2" size cleat nail manufactured by Bostitch contains 5,000 nails (right top) Can you buy a smaller quantity? Standard flooring nails, often termed cleats (right bottom) in the industry, quantities are different. 1,000 can be purchased in smaller boxes while a larger one handles 5,000. A mega box option holds 15,000.
How Much Do They Cost?
My web surfing shows the Bostitch cleat nails can run anywhere from 45 to sixty dollars for the 5,000 quantity. Cleats manufactured by Powernail run $ 14.00 for the 1,000 box and approximately $ 60.00 for the mid range 5,000 count carton.
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