Hardwood Floors December 2025/January 2026

By Jon Namba HARDWOOD HINTS

Checking a Fastening Schedule

When an inspector goes to a jobsite to check a fastening schedule, one of the things that are used are neodymium or rare earth magnets. Part of the challenge is that if you set a metal tape measure down, all the magnets get attracted to the metal. Are there ways we can minimize having this happen? One option is you can use a cloth tape measure. Another way is to come in with just a couple of rare earth magnets and use some plastic beads to mark your fastening schedule. I can put a bead at each point where I have a fastener and still measure my fastening schedule. It allows me to use that metal tape measure, lay it directly on the floor, and not have to worry about all the magnets getting attracted to each other. Use some plastic beads to mark your floor out, and be sure to get some bright colored beads so you can see them when you photograph it. It’s a quick and easy remedy to having all your rare earth magnets attracted to your tape measure. The NWFA manufacturers have their fastening schedule guidelines and they are set for a reason. If you look at a strip floor (less than 3” in width), you’re looking at a fastening schedule

WATCH IT! See Jon Namba complete this process in a video on NWFA’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

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installing, what width of floor you are installing, and the type of floor you are installing because fasteners hold down a floor. If you don’t have enough fasteners down, you compromise the integrity of that floor. Read your instructions, maintain the fastening schedule, and there is a way to prove where the fasteners are so you can’t just state that you did the correct fastening schedule. There are ways to prove with rare earth magnets and beads of what your actual fastening schedule is, so be aware of that.

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of 8” to 10 ” in the field and 1” to 3” from the ends. When we bump up to a plank floor (between 3” to 5” in width), it requires more fasteners because of the wider width, so at that point you are looking at 6” to 8” in the field, still 1” to 3” from the ends. If you look at the fastening schedule on an engineered wood floor, a lot of times those fastener schedules are much tighter, 4” to 6”, so make sure you read the manufacturer or industry guidelines as to what you’re

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NWFA

EDITOR'S NOTE: NWFA Installation Guidelines and many manufacturers require glue-assist on any wide plank floor (greater than 5" in width). Even when the glue-assist method has been employed, the nailing schedule should not differ from what was stated above.

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