A FAQ for the Hardwood flooring newbe?

I think that I am going to give it a shot to lay 3/4" rustic or country grade red oak on a beach house that is 18 feet up in the air. I have pulled out all carpet, padding and linoleum, pulled up most of the tacks and trace amounts of glue from the ¾” tongue and groove subflooring. There are a few places where I thought that I would use some leveling compound for small irregularities in the plywood subfooring but thought that I would ask for guidance or for a link that would describe the process overall.

Do I lay down felt then the hardwood. Is there some sort of vapor barrier that is required or an underlayment that is needed? Is there an installation FAQ that someone can point me to that describes the overall process. I assumed that renting a flooring nailer would be my best option but I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Thanks in advance,

 

The National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association's technical manual for hardwood flooring installation can be purchased or downloaded for free at www.nofma.org Subfloor should be flat and clean. Hardwood flooring should set in rooms where it will be installed for several days to adjust to temperature and humidity. An 15# minimum roofing felt vapor retarder is installed over the subfloor (overlapped 4" and stapled down). Wood is installed perpendicular to the joists with an expansion gap of 3/4" around perimeter of room.