24 Hardwood Flooring Tools for Installation

Every craftsman knows the importance of having the right tools for the job. In hardwood flooring, the tools you choose can mean the difference between a flawless floor and a botched job, so flooring professionals need the right equipment for a precise, safe, and efficient installation.

This guide covers 24 essential hardwood flooring tools for every stage of the installation process, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out in the trade.

• 1. Safety Goggles
• 2. Dust Mask and Vapor Respirators
• 3. Ear Plugs or Ear Muffs
• 4. Knee Pads
• 5. Work Safety Boots
• 6. Heavy Gloves
• 7. Feather Boards
• 8. Electrical Testers
• 9. Wood Moisture Meter
• 10. Concrete RH Testing System
• 11. Tape Measure
• 12. Level
• 13. Solutions for Straight Lines and Angles
• 14. Spacers
• 15. Saws
• 16. Nail Set & Nailing Machines
• 17. Fasteners
• 18. Hammer/Rubber Mallet
• 19. Trowel
• 20. Tapping Block and Pull Bar
• 21. Wood Filler and Putty
• 22. Sander
• 23. Air Compressor
• 24. Shop Vacuum/Broom

As with any trade, hardwood flooring professionals need an assortment of tools to install a floor properly, safely, and on time. Choosing which tools to keep on hand can be daunting, so here’s where to start.

1. Safety Goggles

Safety glasses should meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for eye protection. They come in a wide variety of styles and colors. Regular glasses and contact lenses don’t count as eye protection.

Goggles are a better choice in some conditions. Because they fit tightly against the face, they protect the eye area more completely than safety glasses or face shields. If you wear prescription glasses and not contacts, buy prescription goggles or goggles designed to fit over glasses. Not being able to see isn’t safe either.

2. Dust Mask and Vapor Respirators

A dust respirator protects your lungs and upper respiratory tract from wood dust. Some people are highly sensitive or even allergic to wood dust, especially from certain species. Look for a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator, which has “N95” printed on it.

A vapor respirator is needed when applying some finishes. Check the finish manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the right respirator.

3. Ear Plugs or Ear Muffs

Earplugs are easy to use and inexpensive. They come as foam inserts or pre-molded plugs. If you tend to lose earplugs, look for banded or corded styles that connect the two plugs. Earmuffs are another good option, especially if you take your hearing protection on and off throughout the day.

4. Knee Pads

As a wood flooring installer, you’ll spend much of your time on your knees, and knee pads help prevent strain and pain. Choose adjustable, contractor-grade pads that fit well, with a soft, non-marring outer surface that won’t damage floors the way hard plastic or metal caps can. Gel-filled knee pads offer extra comfort.

5. Work Safety Boots

The dangers to your feet are obvious. When you choose boots (athletic shoes aren’t appropriate), here are some features to consider:

Slip resistance: Keep the treads clean, or they’ll become less slip-resistant.

Safety toe: You have choices here. Steel toes can be heavy and cold, so consider alternatives such as aluminum or composite safety toes.

6. Heavy Gloves

Heavy work gloves with reinforced fingertips should last a long time. When you’re spreading adhesive, disposable gloves may be enough. Check the adhesive’s SDS for the recommended glove type.

7. Feather Boards

A feather board holds the stock firmly against the fence or table as you feed it past a table saw blade. It helps produce a smoother cut and keeps your hands farther from the blade while reducing the risk of kickback. You can buy one or make your own; just make sure it fits your saw and your project.

8. Electrical Testers

Electrical testers check whether an outlet is live and correctly wired, and some measure voltage. They help you confirm that an outlet can safely run your equipment. Use extension cords with the proper rating to prevent overheating and fires, since an undersized cord can starve a motor of power and damage it.

9. Wood Moisture Meter

Checking the moisture content of wood flooring is crucial to a quality job. If the wood’s moisture content isn’t right for the space, a floor that fit perfectly at installation may later gap, crack, cup, or buckle, which can mean costly callbacks for the installer.

Moisture-related flooring failures are expensive: North American commercial property owners spend an estimated $2.4 billion a year remediating them. That’s why flooring should be checked with an accurate wood moisture meter before, during, and after installation.

There are two types of wood moisture meters: pinless and pin-style meters.

10. Concrete RH Testing System

When installing flooring over a concrete slab, you need to know the slab’s moisture condition. Excess moisture in a slab can cause adhesive failure and wood flooring that warps or cups. Relative humidity (RH) testing with in-situ probes is the most reliable way to measure moisture conditions within the slab.

Other methods, such as calcium chloride testing or the plastic sheet test, measure only conditions at or near the surface and are less reliable.

Surface concrete moisture meters can help you find the areas most likely to need RH testing, but they don’t give an in-depth picture of moisture within the slab the way RH testing does.

11. Tape Measure

A tape measure is an inexpensive tool every installer needs. Choose one that’s easy to read, retractable, and has a hook at the end that stays in place. Without that anchor, your measurements can be off by as much as 1/8 inch.

12. Level

A level tells you whether the subfloor is flat and ready for wood flooring. Installing wood over an uneven subfloor is another way to set the stage for flooring failure. You’ll want a long level, typically 4 or 6 feet, to check the subfloor accurately.

A good level has vials for checking both horizontal and vertical, and durable edges, such as metal or brass-edged wood.

13. Solutions for Straight Lines and Angles

A carpenter’s square helps you mark precise 90-degree angles and perpendicular cuts on your stock. Squares come in metal or plastic. A protractor helps you set the right angles on your saw so you cut corners and moldings correctly. You can choose a manual or digital protractor.

14. Spacers

Spacers help you leave the right “expansion gap.” Because wood absorbs moisture as relative humidity rises and releases it as humidity falls, hardwood flooring expands and contracts. Spacers let you leave a small gap around the room’s perimeter so the flooring has room to move.

15. Saws

For small sawing jobs, a hand saw will do just fine, and hand saws keep noise and dust down. Some hand saws to consider:

• Standard hand, crosscut, and rip saws for basic straight cuts
• Backsaw, a shorter, fine-toothed saw used with miter boxes
• Coping saws for fine, intricate cuts and curved or circular cuts
• Hacksaws and mini-hacksaws, with fine-toothed blades for cutting metal and plastic
• Jamb saws, with an offset handle for undercutting door jambs

16. Nail Set & Nailing Machines

Nail sets look like awls. You use them to drive nail heads below the surface of the wood. When hand-nailing tongue-and-groove flooring, use the nail set on its side to avoid damaging the edge of the flooring strip.

Nailing machines keep nailing time to a minimum and eliminate reaching for nails. They work as fast as you can position them. There are several styles of nailing machines.

Manual nailers, including ratchet-style and spring-loaded models, drive fasteners when you strike them with a mallet. Ratchet-style nailers are easier for beginners because they can drive a fastener over several strikes, while spring-loaded nailers drive one fastener per strike.

Pneumatic nailers, also called air nailers, run on compressed air and call for extra attention to safety. Some are fired by striking them with a mallet, while others only require you to pull a trigger.

17. Fasteners

Installers use fasteners to attach wood flooring to the subfloor.

Cleats are barbed nails with a T- or L-shaped head. Many are designed for use with a specific type of nailer, and their thin profile helps reduce splitting.

Some nailing machines use staples rather than cleats, and those can be effective too. Installers may also use casing nails, cut nails, finish nails, or screws, depending on the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations.

Hand nailing is best for the first and last few rows in a room, where there isn’t enough space to operate a nailing machine. Screws can be used to fasten plank flooring.

18. Hammer/Rubber Mallet

Since most wood flooring joins together with tongue-and-groove edges, a rubber mallet helps you tap boards tightly together. If boards aren’t seated tightly, gaps can remain and the floor may squeak.

Use a good-quality rubber mallet designed for flooring work.

19. Trowel

You’ll need a trowel to spread adhesive on the subfloor. As with the mallet, use one designed for wood flooring adhesive.

Trowels come with V-shaped or square notches in different sizes. The right notch shape and size depend on the adhesive and the flooring, so always use the trowel the adhesive manufacturer specifies.

20. Tapping Block and Pull Bar

These tools help you move wood planks tightly into place. It might be tempting to use a scrap of flooring as a tapping block, but that’s not a good idea. A scrap can easily chip the plank you’re tapping, especially the tongue or groove the next plank needs to fit into. It can also cause splits because it doesn’t spread the force of the tap evenly.

There’s no need to take that risk, since a purpose-made tapping block is inexpensive. Most are high-density plastic that won’t chip or damage the plank.

Some tapping blocks also have a groove along one long edge that fits over the tongue of the plank you’re tapping, protecting it.

21. Wood Filler and Putty

These terms are often used interchangeably, since both fill gaps and holes in wood. But they’re used differently.

Wood filler is typically applied to raw wood before sanding and finishing, and many fillers are water-based and dry quickly. Wood putty usually stays somewhat soft and is typically used after finishing, to fill small holes in finished or prefinished flooring.

Whichever you use, make sure it’s compatible with the finish you’re using, and follow the product’s instructions.

22. Sander

Floors cover a lot of area, so you’ll want a walk-behind floor sander. The two main types are drum sanders and orbital floor sanders, and both come in a range of sizes.

A drum sander removes material fastest, which makes it a good choice for taking off an old finish, but it’s aggressive. In inexperienced hands, it can leave gouges and chatter marks, especially when used across the grain.

An orbital floor sander’s pad moves in small, random orbits rather than in a fixed pattern, which makes it much less likely to leave scratches and gouges. It removes material more slowly, but it’s more forgiving.

23. Air Compressor

Several air compressors are available for running pneumatic staplers and nailers on the job site. Choose one that delivers enough air volume (cubic feet per minute) and pressure (pounds per square inch) for your pneumatic floor stapler or nailer.

24. Shop Vacuum/Broom

A powerful portable shop vacuum is useful for picking up fine sawdust. Choose one with enough motor power for good suction, and consider one with wide wheels that won’t mar the flooring.

Also consider dust collection systems that connect directly to dust-producing tools and collect debris at the source.

A Tool for Every Task

Each tool on this list has a role in making a hardwood floor look good and last. From safety equipment that protects the installer to specialized tools that ensure precision, the right equipment makes all the difference, whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to hardwood installation.

The right tools also help protect the floor’s long-term beauty and performance. A well-installed hardwood floor is a testament to craftsmanship and quality.

If you’re interested in learning more about woodworking tools, check out our list of the top 40 woodworking tools.

Shop Orion Moisture Meters

Last updated on October 8th, 2026