How do I fit quad?

[iamGiles]

Hi all,

I'm bit of an amatuer when it comes to DIY, particularly flooring. Was hoping you could help..

I need to lay some quad on my floorboards and, instead of paying $500 I was quoted, I'm gonna give it a crack myself. What I'd like to know is...

1. do you fix the quad to the floorboards or the wall?
2. what nail gun do I need to hire?
3. any clever ways to cut 45 degree angle other than using a protractor?

Any other tips / shortcuts would be great

Cheers!

[munruben]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I think it is usual to nail the quad to the floor. You may find this thread (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=14398) helpful. Good luck with your project.

[Ashore]

Hi all,

I'm bit of an amatuer when it comes to DIY, particularly flooring. Was hoping you could help..

I need to lay some quad on my floorboards and, instead of paying $500 I was quoted, I'm gonna give it a crack myself. What I'd like to know is...

1. do you fix the quad to the floorboards or the wall?
2. what nail gun do I need to hire?
3. any clever ways to cut 45 degree angle other than using a protractor?

Any other tips / shortcuts would be great

Cheers!
1 Fix it to the wall the floor may move with expansion etc due to weather.
2 You can get a cheep compressor and brad gun from supercheep for under $200 last time I looked , depending on the size of the quad but something that shoots 60mm brads ( these guns can also use shorter brads ), a brad gun will do the job is more manouverable than a nail gun and uses brads so there is less chance of splitting the quad
3 Get a cheep mitre drop saw GMC or similar, cutting by hand for a novice even using a mitre box is difficult and with a mitre saw you can make very small adjustments 1mm or less at a time I usually cut 1 or 2 mm too long check the length against the wall where it is to go then make a final adjustment , takes a bit longer but gives me a better job.
If you are going to cut by hand use a mitre box
Make sure you cut all the longest pieces first because when you cut the wrong angle ,( and you will ) you can cut a shorter length from it
Ensure you press the quad down onto the floor as you go to keep the gap between the quad and the floor at the barest minimun, its sometimes easier if you have someone else pushing the quad down as to fix it to the wall ( someone else to blame if theres any gaps when you finish)
Paint or stain the quad before fitting then you just have to touch up the spots you put the brads in
:2tsup:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

:whs::2tsup:

[iamGiles]

Thanks Ashore, all sounds like good advice. I'm tackling it this week so fingers crossed!