Nail length for 1 1/2" T&G

[mmhailey]

I am putting down 1 1/2" Alaskan Hemlock T&G as a subfloor and finished floor. I am planning on gluing with PL 400 and angle nailing with my nail gun through the tongue to the Floor Joists.

Could someone  suggest a length nail?

I can buy 2 1/8 Ring shank here, but was thinking I might need a 3" or longer. which I can't get locally.
???

[beenthere]

What is the floor joist?  also hemlock? or ??

[mmhailey]

The joists are 16" on center of rough sawn 2X12 hemlock.  The car decking was rough cut 2X6s and I have had them milled to 1 1/2" T&G with no end matching.

I did find an article in Fine Home building that suggested 16d which would be the 3-3 1/2"... then they hand set each one, which I would reeaalllly !!! not like to do.

[Raphael]

16d cut nails is what I used to face nail my 1.5" flooring...

[Don P]

It's not just depth it's also about diameter. The charts specify 10 diameters into the "main member", to get full strength. More diameter, without splitting, is more strength. You will most likely need to set them unless you can tease the gun to really set deep. Might be worth thinking about 2 people with drills. One piloting and one screwing. A palm nailer and regular hand drive nails would work too.

[walexander]

I used a 1/2" forestner bit and 2" wood screws, then plugged the holes with black walnut plugs. I wanted no squeeking and it does not squeek at all!

[mmhailey]

I'll try and upload a graphic of the nailing process, but I can't quite get the size right on my export feature. The text just below says " Blind Nailing technique- 16D nails are driven at an angle just above the tongue and then hand set."

[Don P]

That's the standard way to blind nail T&G. All depending, sometimes you can lay the nailset on the tongue across the nail and smack it to set the nail, faster than aiming.
One thing I've also found handy is to have a pair of pipe clamps. The kind that can be flipped around to push. I screw a 2x4 across the joists several feet in front of me and use the clamps to push the boards tight before I fasten them. When I get too close to the 2x4, unscrew it and move it forward again.

[mmhailey]

I like that pipe clamp idea a lot... I'll have to see if the local hardware has the reversible ones.

This suggestion is one of the reasons this forum is so valuable....  8)