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Rufus:
I’ve used the 1/2″ material glued to concrete slabs but have never nailed it. Considering it’s quartersawn it will expand and contract vertically. If this is $1.00 sf cheaper I’d be a leary of it as quartersawn is more expensive. Have you tried this site? Hosking Hardwood Join us in the hardwood forum.
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Replies
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Rufus:
I've used the 1/2" material glued to concrete slabs but have never nailed it. Considering it's quartersawn it will expand and contract vertically. If this is $1.00 sf cheaper I'd be a leary of it as quartersawn is more expensive. Have you tried this site? Hosking Hardwood Join us in the hardwood forum.
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Rufus, unlike Mr. Fisher... I won't steer you to my website or any other I'm affiliated with.
Lumber Liquidators has good material, and some that's compromised as well. Have your installer go there with you, and sort through the material.
I've seen both 3/4 and 1/2 inch in T&G... I still go with the thicker. Your installer would have to get a shimplate for his nailer if you use the thinner.
Narrow widths will cup less than a wider width, giving a smoother appearance to the floor, other than that, widths of 3 or more inches seem in vogue currently, with random width being the high-end rage. (a row of 2 1/4, a row of 4, a row of 5, a row of 3, a row of 2 1/4, etc...)
Quartersawn if available is, more expensive than the same width/thickness in plainsawn. Choose the quartersawn for stability if you expect a wide variation in temperature and humidity in that location, or choose quartersawn for it's appearance alone. Most floors are constructed of plainsawn material, and in either case, it's the quality of installation that matters most.
-gwc
*In California where any hard wood is exotic, 1/2" flooring is quite common (no pun intended). I have never had any problems with it.
*I mean it's $1 SF cheaper than 3/4" quartersawn oak. It's slightly more expensive than red oak. I'm sold on the need for quartersawn, thinner width.George, why do you stick to the 3/4"? Other than the adjustments to the nailer, can you forsee any problems with the thinner dimension? I notice that the T&G part of the boards is not centered along the board edge like it is with 3/4". It's sort of like the bottom 1/4" of the board was planed off , so the T&G is the same distance below the top of the board as it is with a 3/4" board. So it looks to me like it has the same nailing area availability, but it's closer to the subfloor. Why do you think they're offering the thinner stuff now? Is quartersawn oak less likely to cup than plain sawn? I understand that quartersawn movement is primarily vertical, while plain sawn movement is horizontal. But I don't what which category cupping falls into.
*Rufus, most of my clients are looking for 3/4" flooring to begin with. Also, as Ken pointed out, the application of 1/2" is usually over a rigid subfloor... the extra 1/4" of hardwood adds some stiffness. You can go with the 1/2" quartersawn, but be certain that your subfloor is solid. I'd consider going double-layer with the subfloor... say 3/4" T&G plywood with a second 1/2" inch layer lain diagonally. From your reply: what "oak" is this quartersawn? Red, White, or Russian? Cupping has a lot to do with grain orientation, storage, and fastening. All things being equal, quartersawn should be more stable.
*George -- It will be white quartersawn. Never heard of Russian---just out of curiosity, what's its claim to fame? I like the idea of the extra layer of subfloor. But since I'm having the radiant heat (stapled under the subfloor...not in gypcrete), might that extra 1/2" cut down on the conductivity of the heat? Or is it not significant? Mike -- Is your experience in N. CA or S. CA? What climate? I've got pretty wet weather here for a good chunk of the year, but it's pretty dry and toasty (briefly) this time of year. Was your experience over radiant floors? Was the floor nailed/stapled or glued? Subfloor or slab? Most of all, how long has this 1/2" stuff been being used so we have an idea of its track record?
*1/2" x 2" is all I have seen, but I have been using it in So. Cal. for 30 years. I have torn out or refinished some much older than that, probably from the '30s. I have never installed it over radiant heating. It is always nailed, since it must be sucked up tight with a porta-nailer. The nails are just slightly smaller than for 3/4. I used to blind staple it which worked fine, but was dificult to get it sucked up. I have installed it over 3/8" plywood on a slab. Directly over 5/8" plywood subflooring and over multiple layers of subflooring. I have used both common and select grades. I tend toward the better grades now, not because I am more particular, but because overall quality has declined and a better grade is necessary to get satisfactory wood. It will take more refinishings than you want to give it in your lifetime.
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Rufus:
Try Firebird Industries or Kentucky Wood floors for more info on the quartersawn 1/2" material. If memory serves me correctly Firebird has a long spec page on quartersawn itself. You can find them listed at floorfacts.com under hardwood flooring manufacturers.
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I'm planning to have 2 1/4" wide solid oak flooring installed in new construction, and I've been checking out Lumber Liquidators, as someone recommended on this forum. Nice wood; good prices. But, they have 1/2" thick stuff as well as the conventional 3/4". I'm installing this over hydronic radiant heat, and several installers and the National Wood Flooring Assoc. recommend using quartersawn to minimize shrinkage/movement. The NWFA also recommends thinner widths, like 2 1/4" as opposed to wider planks. However, they say the thickness should make no difference, as far as shrinkage/movement goes. The installer thinks the thinner stuff will tend to cup more and might be harder to get a good nailing surface/edge. I'm not too concerned about having to refinish/resand the floor down the line as there are no animals or kids. Or high heels.
What are your opinions on using the 1/2" stuff? I had never heard of it before I went to Lumber Liquidators, and the installer has never heard of it at all. Is there a trend towards thinner solid flooring because 3/4" was overkill? It is $1 SF cheaper and would save me $2800.
By the way, what are your opinions on using 5/4 X 4 or 6" exterior decking (cedar) rather than 2 X 6. This is in Oregon. I have used only 2-by in the past, but I see more use of the 5/4-by these days. Is this because the 2-by is overkill if the joists are 16 o.c.? Conserving resources?
Thanks for your input. In case anyone is interested, National Wood Flooring Assoc. is at 800-422-4556.