Overheard a flooring guy say "glue and screw is for amateurs" and it got under my skin

Was at a supply yard over in Springfield last Tuesday picking up some oak treads and this older trim carpenter was telling a younger guy that anyone screwing and gluing their subfloor is wasting time. Said just ring shank nails are plenty if you stagger your fasteners right. I've always done glue and screw on every floor I've laid for the last 10 years. Never had a squeak issue. Am I really overdoing it on a standard residential job? Has anyone here tried just nails and regretted it later?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiekim1mo ago

Nails alone might hold for a while but give it a few years and that floor is gonna start talking to you. I've torn up enough old subfloors to know ring shanks can work themselves loose over time especially if the joists have any movement. Glue and screw is the only way to guarantee dead silence long term. You're not overdoing it at all, the guy saying that probably never has to come back and fix a squeak two years down the road. I'd rather spend an extra 30 minutes per room on screws than get a call at 7pm on a Saturday about a noisy floor. Nails are fine for temporary work but for a permanent job you want that mechanical bond plus adhesive.

the_henry1mo ago

That "glue and screw is for amateurs" line is the kind of thing a guy says right before he's crawling under someone's house with a can of WD-40 and a prayer. I mean sure, ring shanks are great, but so is wearing a seatbelt until you don't need it anymore. I'll keep my extra hour per floor and my boring, silent, non-creaking life, thanks.