Updated: April 02, 2025

Installation of hardwood floors is a major investment, and how you attach those boards can impact the floor’s longevity, performance, and even your installation experience. Homeowners often ask: “Is it better to nail down hardwood flooring or glue it?” The truth is, both nailing and gluing are proven methods – the best choice depends on your specific situation.

Nailing Down Hardwood Floors (Cleat/Staple Installation)

Nailing (or stapling) down hardwood is the traditional installation method for solid wood flooring. It involves using flooring nails or staples driven at an angle through the tongue of each plank, fastening the wood to a wooden subfloor (usually plywood or OSB). The fasteners are typically inserted with a flooring nailer, so they’re hidden (“blind-nailed”) in the tongue and not visible on the finished surface.

    • Fast and Cost-Effective: Nailing is generally quicker than a full glue-down and tends to be less expensive in terms of installation labor. It’s one of the most common methods used by installers, which can translate to lower costs due to familiarity and speed.
    • Secure and Long-Lasting: When done correctly, a nailed hardwood floor is very secure. It provides a solid, stable feel underfoot – many people describe it as a classic “sturdy” hardwood feel.
    • Easier Board Replacement: Down the line, if a plank gets damaged or needs to be replaced, a nailed floor is easier to work with. You can remove the nails of the affected board and pry it out without disturbing adjacent planks too much.
    • Works with Many Wood Types: Nail-down is suitable for most solid hardwood flooring and many engineered hardwoods (engineered wood can usually either be nailed or glued).
    • Requires Wooden Subfloor: You cannot nail hardwood directly onto concrete or tile. This method is only viable when you have a wood subfloor (plywood, OSB) or you install wood sheathing over concrete.
    • Risk of Squeaks over Time: Wood naturally expands and contracts with seasonal humidity changes. As this happens, nails can slightly loosen or the wood can move around the nails. This may lead to those annoying creaks or squeaky floorboards in certain areas over time.
    💡 An underlayment paper (like rosin or 15 lb felt) placed between the subfloor and the hardwood can help dampen wood-on-wood friction and minimize noise, but it’s not a guarantee against all squeaks.
    • Not as Monolithic/Stable as Glue: While nail-down floors are securely fastened at intervals (usually a nail every 8-10 inches along each board), the areas of the wood between nails are not bonded to the subfloor. This can allow a bit of flex or give in the planks.
    • Specialized Tools and Skills Needed: Installing by nailing requires the right tools (a floor nailer or stapler, compressor, mallet, etc.) and some skill to get the technique right. Face-nailing the first and last rows (where the nailer can’t fit close to the wall) and then filling those holes is an added step.

Gluing Down Hardwood Floors (Adhesive Installation)

Glue-down installation involves using a flooring adhesive to bond the hardwood planks to the subfloor. The installer trowels on the adhesive over the subfloor in sections and lays the wood planks into it, rather like setting tiles in mortar. As the glue cures, it firmly secures the wood. This method is used often for engineered hardwood, parquet, and in situations where nailing isn’t possible (like over concrete). It can be used for solid hardwood as well, especially on concrete slabs or to prevent movement in wider boards, but requires the right subfloor prep and adhesive type.

    • Very Stable, Solid Feel: A properly glued hardwood floor is fully adhered across its entire area, which creates a very stable floor with almost no movement between the wood and subfloor. There are no nail holes and no small voids under the boards – the adhesive forms a continuous layer. This can eliminate the slight spring or bounce you might feel in a nailed floor.
    • Allows Expansion with Fewer Issues: Hardwood expands and contracts with humidity, and quality flooring adhesives are formulated to remain a bit elastic after curing. This elasticity means the glue will move with the wood to some extent. Boards can expand/contract without stressing fasteners or popping loose, which helps avoid gaps between boards.
    • Works on Any Subfloor (Including Concrete): One big advantage is versatility: you can glue hardwood over concrete slabs, wooden subfloors, or even over some existing floors (like well-bonded tile) if the adhesive is compatible. The glue acts as a direct binder, so you’re not reliant on being able to drive a nail into the subfloor.
    • Can Provide Sound and Moisture Insulation: Many modern flooring adhesives have added properties – some are billed as “sound reducing” (helping dampen sound transmission, useful in apartments/condos), and some serve as a moisture barrier as well. For example, there are “all-in-one” urethane adhesives that not only glue the floor but also protect against moisture seeping up from a concrete slab.
    • Preferred for Certain Cases (Thin or Parquet Flooring, Radiant Heat): Glue-down is often recommended for thinner engineered wood that might be prone to flex or for parquet tiles that need full support. Also, if you have in-floor radiant heating, glue-down is typically better than nailing. Radiant heat systems often sit in or under a slab – you wouldn’t nail into a heated slab, and even with wood subfloors, nails could puncture heating elements.
    • Higher Installation Cost and Effort: Glue-down is usually more labor-intensive and time-consuming than nail-down. Spreading adhesive evenly in sections, carefully laying each plank, and then cleaning up any excess glue takes time. Professional installers often charge more per square foot for glue-down installs compared to nail installs. Additionally, the adhesive itself adds material cost – high-quality flooring glue can be quite expensive, especially the kinds that also serve as moisture barriers.
    • Subfloor Prep is Critical: For glue to bond properly, the subfloor must be absolutely flat, clean, dry, and sound. Any dips, humps, or residual old adhesives on the subfloor can prevent the new flooring from adhering well. This often means extra work: sanding down high spots, filling low spots with leveling compound, and thoroughly cleaning the surface.
    • Messier and Harder to DIY: Working with flooring adhesive can be challenging for non-professionals. The glue is sticky and can be messy – if it gets on the top of your boards, you have to wipe it off quickly with remover or you risk ruining the finish. It also has a limited open time: you can only spread enough that you can cover with flooring before it starts to set. This means you have to work in small sections (often 10–20 square feet at a time), which can feel slow.
    • Difficult to Remove or Repair: A glued hardwood floor is meant to stay put. If one day you decide to take up or replace your flooring, removal is a tough job – you have to pry up each plank which is likely stuck down firmly, often chipping the wood in the process, and then scrape or grind off the old adhesive from the subfloor.
    • Not Suitable for Inexperienced Installers (Without Guidance): Because of the precision and care required (and the irreversible nature of glue once it sets), this method is less forgiving of mistakes. If boards are misaligned or if the glue isn’t spread correctly (wrong trowel notch leading to insufficient coverage), you could have serious issues like loose boards or uneven spots.
    💡 There’s also a curing time – you usually shouldn’t walk on a freshly glued floor for at least 8-24 hours (depending on glue), which means you can’t use the room immediately.

When to Choose Nails vs. Glue: Key Factors to Consider

When to Choose Nails vs. Glue: Key Factors to Consider

Both methods have their merits, so the optimal choice often comes down to your specific project circumstances. Here are the major factors that influence the decision:

1. Subfloor Type

  • #SubfloorType
  • #GlueDown
  • #NailDown

This is the number one deciding factor. If you have a concrete subfloor (slab foundation or basement floor), glue-down is usually the better (or only) option. Concrete doesn’t hold nails, so unless you build a plywood subfloor on top of it, nailing is off the table. Glue is designed to adhere wood to concrete in this case. Conversely, if you have a wood subfloor (plywood/OSB over joists), you can do either nailing or gluing. Both will work on wood, so you have flexibility.

Many installers will default to nail-down on wood subfloors for solid hardwood, because it’s quick and effective. However, you might still choose glue in special cases on wood subfloors, such as to reduce noise or for very thin boards that nails might split.

2. Hardwood Type and Thickness

  • #SolidVsEngineered
  • #Parquet
  • #Thickness

Solid hardwood planks (especially thicker 3/4″ traditional hardwood) are commonly nailed in place when possible. These floors have enough thickness to take a nail securely and have been installed that way for a century.

Engineered hardwood, which is a thinner layered product, can be either nailed or glued depending on its base layer and manufacturer recommendations. Engineered wood often works well with glue, particularly if it’s thinner than 3/4″ or if it’s being laid over concrete.

Also, certain parquet or wood tile floors must be glued (you can’t really nail parquet patterns piece by piece). One rule of thumb: if the hardwood is less than ~5/8″ thick, it might be safer to glue it to avoid splitting or because nails may not hold as well – always check manufacturer guidelines.

On the flip side, very thick or dense hardwood (like some bamboo or exotic hardwoods) can sometimes be difficult to nail (nails can bend or not penetrate well). In such cases, glue might be recommended by the manufacturer, or a specific nail type (like harder cleats) must be used.

Find out which thickness of engineered hardwood flooring is right for you in our article!

3. Plank Width

  • #WidePlanks
  • #GlueAssist
  • #NarrowBoards

The width of your boards can influence method. Wider planks (usually >5 inches) tend to expand and contract more across each board, and they can sometimes benefit from being glued or at least glue-assisted.

Many professionals, when installing extra-wide solid planks, will use both nails and a bead of glue (this is the “glue-assist” method) to ensure the boards don’t cup or develop gaps/squeaks over time. If you’re installing 2¼″ strip oak, nails alone are typically fine.

If you’re installing a 7″ wide farmhouse plank, ask about glue assistance or full spread glue – it can improve stability. Some engineered wide planks actually require glue-down per manufacturer instructions to prevent movement.

In summary, for narrow boards, nail-down is usually excellent; for very wide boards, consider full glue or a combination to avoid problems in the future.

4. Room Location (Grade Level)

  • #Basement
  • #AboveGrade
  • #Humidity

Installations below grade (in basements) or in rooms prone to moisture almost always favor glue or floating methods. Nailing into a subfloor above a humid basement or crawlspace can invite moisture up through the nail holes (since tar paper isn’t a true vapor barrier). A full-spread glue with a moisture-barrier adhesive can seal the floor from any vapor coming through a concrete slab, making it a safer choice for below-grade. For ground-level slabs, as mentioned, glue is preferred. For upper floors (above grade) with plywood subfloors, nailing is very common. So, consider the level of your home: basement = likely glue (or engineered floating), second-story = either, often nail if subfloor is wood.

5. Environmental Conditions

  • #HumidityControl
  • #RadiantHeating
  • #NWFA

If your home experiences significant humidity swings throughout the year (for instance, very humid summers and very dry winters) and you’re installing a wood floor that could be affected by that, a glue-down might help stabilize the floor slightly better (thanks to the elastic hold of the adhesive). That said, both types of installations will still require acclimating the wood and maintaining humidity levels to industry-recommended ranges (about 35-55% relative humidity based on NWFA guidelines) to minimize movement.

In extremely dry areas or if you don’t have proper humidity control, a glued floor might gap a little less (because it’s held down) whereas a nailed floor might have boards shrink away from each other more visibly – although the difference may be minor if the wood is properly acclimated.

For radiant heated floors, as discussed, glue is often the safer bet to avoid putting nails near the heating elements and to better conduct the heat. Always check the flooring product’s recommended installation methods in these special scenarios.

6. Time and Urgency

  • #QuickInstall
  • #GlueCureTime
  • #NailAndGo

Are you trying to get the floor installed and usable quickly? Nail-down has the advantage here. Once it’s nailed, you can essentially walk on it right away. There’s no curing time. Glue-down installations need time to set; you might have to wait 24 hours or more before moving furniture in or heavy traffic, to ensure the adhesive has hardened. If you’re on a tight timeline to use the space, nail installation can save you that waiting period. (For example, if you’re doing a renovation and want to move in furniture the next day, glue would complicate that.)

7. Future Plans and Flexibility

  • #Remodeling
  • #Reuse
  • #PermanentVsTemporary

Consider how permanent you want the floor and whether you anticipate ever removing or replacing it. If this is your “forever floor” in your own home, removal might not be a concern – you want it as solid as possible, so glue-down could be attractive. But if this is a shorter-term home or you’re a remodeler who might change styles in 10 years, know that glued floors are a pain to tear out. Also, if you like the option of possibly reusing the hardwood elsewhere later, nailed floors come out with less damage (you can often salvage a good amount of the wood). Glued boards usually split during removal, making salvage hard.

So for resale value and flexibility: it’s not that a glued floor hurts resale (buyers will love a well-installed hardwood floor in either case), but it might make things harder for the next person who wants to change it.

A prospective buyer generally won’t know or ask how it was installed; they’ll just care that it looks and feels good. Both nailed and glued floors, if done properly, will look identical on the surface and add the same value in terms of having “real hardwood floors.” It’s more about the behind-the-scenes future convenience. If you’re flip-flopping on floor style often, you might lean nail so you (or the next owner) have an easier time replacing. If you’re building long-term stability, glue is great.

Installation Cost and Difficulty

Cost differences between nail vs glue installation come from two things: material costs and labor effort.

Material Costs

Nailing requires nails (or staples) and usually a roll of underlayment paper – these costs are quite minimal. Glue-down requires buckets of adhesive, which can be several dollars per square foot by itself, depending on type. If you need a moisture-barrier adhesive (for concrete), the cost is on the higher end. So purely on materials, a glue-down install can cost significantly more per square foot than a nail-down.

💡 For example, a 5-gallon bucket of quality wood flooring glue might cover around 200 sqft and cost as much as $150-$200. The equivalent area of floor with nails might use maybe $20 worth of nails. Over a whole house, that adds up. More about hardwood floor installation cost.

Labor

From a professional installer’s perspective, glue-down is slower and more painstaking work, so they often charge more for it. Nailing with a power nailer is fast – a pro can nail down 400+ sqft in a day in ideal conditions. Gluing might cut that productivity in half (they have to continually spread glue, clean as they go, etc.). This is why many contractors might quote, say, $X for nail installation vs $X+1 or +2 dollars per sqft for glue-down. If you’re hiring out, expect glue method to bump up your installation bill.

DIY Considerations

If you are thinking of installing the floor yourself, nail-down and glue-down present different challenges.

Nail-Down DIY

You’ll need to rent or buy a flooring nailer (and compressor) and possibly a jamb saw to undercut door frames. The learning curve is moderate – you have to get a feel for using the nailer and be comfortable whacking it with a mallet to drive nails. You also have to be okay with some manual nailing for edges and a bit of finish carpentry to hide or fill those holes. Many weekend warriors have successfully installed their own nail-down hardwood, especially in straightforward rooms. It is physically demanding on knees and back, but it’s a relatively clean process (no glue all over).

Glue-Down DIY

This is typically considered more difficult for the average DIYer. Managing the adhesive is the tricky part – spreading evenly, not getting it on the wood surface, and working before it skins over. It can get messy; you need proper trowels, lots of rags and solvent on hand, knee protection, etc. Mistakes with alignment can be hard to fix once the glue grabs. If you do attempt it, it’s wise to start in a small room or have someone to assist. Some people do their own glue-down successfully, but it requires patience and meticulousness.

In short, nailing is usually more DIY-friendly than full glue. If you’re not very experienced, you might opt to nail the floor yourself, or use a floating floor if your product allows, rather than gluing. Glue-down is often best left to professionals unless you’re confident in your skills.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to whether nailing or gluing is “better” – both methods have strengths that shine in different scenarios. To recap:

  • Go with nail-down if you have a wood subfloor and want a time-tested, efficient installation. It’s especially suitable for traditional solid hardwood, standard-width boards, and when you value the ability to repair or replace boards in the future. Nail installation will likely save you money and time, and it’s the method of choice for many wood subfloor installations. Just be prepared to address the occasional squeak down the road and ensure a skilled installation for best results.
  • Opt for glue-down if you’re installing over concrete or another subfloor where nails aren’t an option, or if maximum stability and quietness are top priorities. Glue is great for wide plank floors that you want to keep rock-solid, or in multi-story buildings where sound transmission through the floor is a concern. It’s also the go-to for parquet patterns and recommended for floors with radiant heat. Keep in mind the higher cost and that it’s usually a job for professionals. You’ll be rewarded with a very solid floor, but any changes in the future will be laborious.

Some high-end installations even combine both methods – for example, nailing and gluing (full spread or just a assist glue line) on very wide planks to get the advantages of each. A professional installer can also advise a combo approach if appropriate.

In terms of the finished floor performance, a well-installed hardwood floor will look and function beautifully regardless of method. Visitors or buyers won’t be able to tell how it was installed just by walking on it. What matters is that the installation is done correctly according to the home’s needs. If you’re hiring a hardwood flooring contractor, choose one with experience in your preferred method (not all installers are equally skilled at glue-down, for instance) and discuss your subfloor and goals with them.