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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Carpentry Questions >> Real wood flooring https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1089480656 Message started by Elias on Jul 10^th, 2004, 6:30pm

Title: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 10^th, 2004, 6:30pm

I have fitted a few real wood floors (pine tongue+groove base with a 5mm top of hardwood...stitch glued with expansion gaps like floating floor) but never the 22mm solid wood T+G.

The principal is the same but does anyone know if you have to nail the 22mm down (hidden in tongue) if it is being fitted on a subfloor of normal floor boards.

If so doesnt this ruin the idea of it being a floating floor, able to move do to expansion and contraction? Do you have to use 2mm underlay or can it be fitted straight on to floor if it being nailed? If nailed do still leave expansion gap? What size brads?

Am a laminate fitter so not that used to solid flooring...any advice welcome.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by woodsmith on Jul 10^th, 2004, 7:19pm

Elias, how big is the room and how wide are the boards? Are you planning to run the floor at 90 degrees to the existing floorboards?

You would normally secret nail or float.

If nailed still leave expansion gap. I think 50mm brads would be ok, bit worried about hitting any services.

I havn't thought about underlay, I havn't used it but now you have got me worried :-/ perhaps someone else knows.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 10^th, 2004, 7:43pm

I'm not sure of the width, I havent got them, I just have possible job to do, already supplied.

Does width make a difference? Their probably roughly same as laminate boards 18-20 cm wide, I know they come in random lengths.

Would 25-30mm brads do, less risk of dreaded water pipes or smelly gas!

Doesnt nailing stop floor from moving, therefore affecting the expansion, could the brads squeek if the floor expands then contracts? What distance between brads? Do I use 'T' head brads or something else?

Will be at right angles yes.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by ROBBO on Jul 10^th, 2004, 8:39pm

I have just finished solid wood flooring 18mm two and half inch width in random lengths, some only a foot long,
I hired a nailer (Porter- nailer its called) and it secret nailed perfectly, have used it on regular red deal floorboards in the past nailed at every joist, have to watch out for the pipes though.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 10^th, 2004, 9:56pm

Did you put the real wood on to floor boards or on the joists? As I know that the real wood T+G can be used as floor boards and placed directly on the joists.

What length brads did you use and at what distance? :-/

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by woodsmith on Jul 11^th, 2004, 8:05am

Elias,

Board width makes a difference as wide boards are very prone to cup and I would avoid them if poss.. Robbo's boards were about 60mm which is ideal. If you nail each board then the joints may open up slightly but this will help to accomodate floor movement.

The brads go in at 45degrees so 50mm brads should only just show through on the far side. If you use a Portanailer then it will use it's own nails.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Robbo on Jul 11^th, 2004, 10:48am

Is there such a thing as 22mm floor board as Elias states .. if so I have never seen it.. is Elias refering to standard 18mm?

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by big_all on Jul 11^th, 2004, 11:07am

the wood timber yards sell plained �comes out
at around 20 to 21mm wood from diy sheds
comes out between 18to19mm

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 11^th, 2004, 1:30pm

The 22mm I mean is some real wood flooring I was shown, like oak, used the same as laminate but is solid wood, didnt mean floor boards. I am sure it was 22mm but could be wrong...there are so many european companies producing the stuff I get confused.

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by jasonB on Jul 11^th, 2004, 5:06pm

Fitted some 22mm finish size solid oak a couple of months ago.

The boards were 8", 10" & 12" wide 3.0 - 4.5m long. I counterbored , screwed and plugged them as there was quite a bit og cupping and twisting which I felt nails would not hold into the chipboard below.

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/v156/jasonballamy/work/PICT0014.jpg

Also make sure that you let the boards sit in the place where they are to be fixed for a couple of weeks to allow them to adjust to the enviroment.

Jason

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 11^th, 2004, 7:26pm

And very nice it looks too!! I'm glad I was right bout the dimensions...theres alot of different products on the market at the moment...hard to keep up with the different manufacturers dimensions.

Was it a hassle to do? Use just normal glue I take it? What about the subfloor was it laid on underlay or straight to chipboard?

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by jasonB on Jul 11^th, 2004, 8:03pm

It was laid onto a floating chipboard floor that was inturn laid on polystyrene.

I didn't glue the joints so that the boards could expand & contract in the grooves only used glue (Titebond)for the 700 odd plugs that I cut from matching oak.

Used a trend snappy 9.5mm counterbore/4.0mm bit combination set to just break through the oak and fixed with 30x4.0mm gold screws giving me about 20mm of screw into the chipboard which was also 22mm thick.

left the first two boards out to enable me to use sash cramps to pull the very tight joints up then once I got to over 8' had to resort to folding wedges, one screwed to the subfloor. It was not helped by the 10" boards having a narrower groove than the others!

Are the boards you have to lay prefinished or will you have to sand & finish them once laid?

Jason

Title: Re: Real wood flooring
Post by Elias on Jul 11^th, 2004, 9:06pm

not sure, havent heard any more about the job...so dont know if the customers went for the real wood or not...I am the third in the chain...customers, retailer then me.