Hardwood Flooring Tools

Hardwood Installer.Com has made it easier for the weekend warriors out there determined to tackle their flooring project. Below are a list of power and hand tools, along with page links for more information and uses on each one. We know the guys want to see the cool tools first, but let's not forget the other ones (further down the page) that could spell the success or failure in any job.

As mentioned numerous times on our site, floor preparation, acclimation, and being aware of moisture conditions before, during and after the work has been completed are three critical elements that should be followed at all times.

Power Tools

Item	General Purpose
10" Miter Saw	Basic cut off saw for narrow strip or plank. Trim cutting saw
Compound Miter Saw	Used for wider plank or diagonal installations.
Jig Saw	Cuts irregular shapes
Circular Saw	Used chiefly for plywood installations or repairs
Table Saw	For ripping down board lengths
Jamb Saw	Specialty. Cuts under door casings
Toe Kick Saw	Specialty. Cuts underlayment away from walls or under cabinets
Routers	Specialty item for inlays, insets. Also used for re-grooving planks
Fein MultiMeister	Ideal for small cutting and sanding. It's one of those "cool tools"
Festool	Specialty. High quality precision specialized power tools.

Preparation

Item	General Purpose
Hardwood Adhesives	Not all are created equal
Common Sense	Yessir, it's a valuable and overlooked tool
Flooring Edgers	Flattens high spots on wood subfloors
Concrete Demo Hammer	Removes ceramic tile, thin set, and severe high spots on concrete
Concrete Grinders	Removes paint overspray concrete, mild high spots on concrete
Hygrometers	Tests relative humidity
Knee Pads	Not all are created equal
Floor Buffers	Removes larger amounts of drywall mud and paint on concrete
Floor Leveling Compounds	Used to fill low spots on concrete
Floor Leveling Tools	Trowels, paddle mixers
Flooring Scrapers	Manual types, used mostly for concrete subfloors before the installation
Flooring Sealers	Keeps moisture at bay. Common sealers may not work.
Moisture Meters	Tests moisture. Concrete & wood
Underlayment	Floating or nailed floors.

Installation Tools

Item	General Purpose
Air Compressors	For pneumatic fastening. Staples or nails
Flooring Nailers & Staplers	For fastening to wood subfloors
Nailers On Wheels	New adapters making installations quicker and accurate.
Nail Guns	Used for trim and where flooring nailer/staplers cannot reach
Power Jack	Used to install crooked boards near walls. Naildown floors
Pull Bars	Invaluable with floating floors
Strap Clamps	Used for pulling boards tight with floating floors
Trowels	For glue down installations

Repair Items Miscellaneous

Item	General Purpose
Adhesive Removers	Removing adhesive from hardwood floor surfaces
Dust Control	Tips to avoid a sneezing house.

Refinishing Tools

Item	General Purpose
Drum Vs Belt Sanders	Large machines. Differences
Square Buff Sander	Easiest DIY machine

Rollers & Brushes
Hardwood Floor Scrapers	Hand held scraping for out of the way areas