How do flooring staplers work?
Flooring staplers can be any of cordless (battery-powered), electric (corded) or pneumatic (through a compressor and hose). They are used to drive U-shaped metal fasteners at a 45-degree angle into various types of flooring. This angle keeps the staple hidden but also precisely secured.
Upon firing the gun, the staple penetrates through the flooring. As it makes impact, its divergent legs flare out creating an exceptionally strong grip. This strength is important to contend with future contractions and expansions of the wooden flooring. After each staple is in its place, the floor staple gun will automatically load the next staple. You can then repeat this process as many times as is needed to complete the stapling project.
Are these staplers ideal for all types of flooring work?
No, although they are suitable for engineered wood, hardwood and most tongue and groove flooring. If you know exactly what flooring you have, it is always wise to read the manufacturer’s specification. We are sometimes asked: “When is a flooring nailer better than a flooring stapler?”
Generally, we would say flooring nailers are better for installing solid hardwood flooring where the cleat nails provide a stronger and more durable fixing. Additionally, more delicate boards and some unusual flooring profiles might not suit stapling. The subfloor must also be suitable to take the staple, so it is best to check prior to installation.
Applications for a flooring stapler
There are numerous potential flooring stapler applications, which include:
1) Installing solid hardwood flooring
Any hardwood flooring stapler fires staples at a 45-degree angle. This precision is necessary for the secrecy required to hide the staple from view. Tongue and groove solid hardwood flooring will significantly benefit from the firm grip of a metal staple compared to other methods such as glueing. The heavy-duty nature of staples is a part of why they provide maximum holding power.
- Laying engineered wood floors – the aim here is to fasten the wooden floor without damaging the finished surface and avoiding splitting of the materials. The floor will naturally gradually shift due to wood expansion and seasonal shifts in humidity. Our flooring staplers will stay securely fastened in all these scenarios
- Subfloor construction and repair – a chipboard, OSB, plywood, etc. subfloor is all important and a flooring stapler will help with the carpentry tasks involved. Use a floor staple gun to prevent irritating squeaks and to create a perfectly flat surface, which will support the final floor covering
- Parquet and bamboo installation – specialist flooring types like parquet and bamboo require precision in fastener placement, and a flooring staple is ideal. They will help to prevent gradual shifting or warping. Just as essential, they will protect the delicacy of the grain structures and will not become compromised when they experience foot traffic
- Sports court and gym flooring – this type of flooring often experiences heavy foot traffic and high impact levels. Absorbing the shock levels by securing through a floor staple gun works well on hardwood floors and other specialised athletic floors. This is achieved without compromising the safety of the surface, which is critical in sports halls and gyms
Benefits of using a hardwood flooring stapler
Compared to using fixing clips, flooring adhesive, glue guns and hammer tackers, a flooring stapler delivers many benefits such as:
- Accuracy of placement – compared to manual techniques, the placement is more precise. The consistency is something that would be difficult to achieve manually
- Cover large areas – with a flooring stapler having large magazine capacities, they need reloading infrequently. This is ideal when covering larger areas, as is the rapid installation speed
- Rapid installation – a floor staple gun secures floorboards quickly and with consistency. Saving time is like saving money and is invaluable for most tradespeople
- Reduced flooring damage – the precise staple installation causes minimal flooring surface damage. The actual fastening point is concealed, giving a neater appearance
- Stronger holding power – flooring staples are a reliable fixing for various materials. They keep flooring securely attached to the subfloor
Floor staple gun options available from Betco Fasteners
Choose from the following flooring staplers in stock, all of which have a slightly different purpose. All models have a price exclusive of VAT:
As an alternative, you can also consider our flooring nailers and flooring nails (both cleat and coil types), which are another viable fastening method.
Tips for choosing the correct flooring staples
Here are three tips to choose the perfect staples for your floor staple gun:
1) Corrosion-resistant or coated finish
Flooring staples usually feature a galvanised steel finish, which is important for corrosion-proofing. Such corrosion can lead to rusting and general degradation under floorboards over decades. The cost of buying staples with a high-quality coating is negligible compared to the costs of replacing an entire floor!
2) Divergent or sharp chisel point legs
This unique leg attribute penetrates the floor cleanly and ensures maximum holding power. These divergent legs are integral in creating a perfectly even floor that will endure. They also provide a roll in preventing future movement and any possible irritating future squeaks.
3) Exact crown width and wire gauge specifications
It is important to ensure that the crown width and wire gauge specifications exactly meet the needs of your flooring stapler. This is made easy on our site because we list related products to both our staplers and staples, so you can easily see which products work best. Matching these dimensions accurately reduces maintenance and costly future downtime.
View all our flooring staples, which specifically fit the flooring staplers we listed above. These can be used for stapling carpet grippers, underlay, hardboard and plywood, etc.
Contact us
If you are looking to buy a flooring stapler, our products from Maestri are a great buy. You may also want to consider buying one of our flooring nailers. If you need help and advice about flooring tools, our friendly team are here for support.
Contact methods to choose from are:
- Telephone – 0121 552 8400
- Emails – send these to sales@betcofasteners.com
- Message us – complete our contact form by clicking this link
