All
I read a few threads today on putting 15-30 felt paper under hardwood flooring, but don’t really understand what the purpose is. Too late anyway as I have half completed face nailing air dried (covered outside for 10 years) oak, ash and hickory random width 5″ to 13″ planed to 5/8 thick boards to my floor. My floor is 5/8 thick OSB on 16″ center 2×10 joists. Planks are nailed (stagered) perpendicular to joists.
Does this sound like potential problems for me?
S
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Replies
That sounds strong enough, but I think you will get shrinkage as the boards are exposed to a winter's worth of heat. The purpose of the felt paper is to make the spaces between the boards less obvious, to minimize drafts in your living space, and to keep your workbench clearer of dust from upstairs.
The old-timers just put down the boards, nailed them, and that was that, but they had more pressing projects at hand, and standards of comfort and cleanliness were less exacting...
Good luck with your project!
Kate
Also, especially with 30# felt, it can serve as a bit of a sound dampener and tends to cut down on inevitable squeaks
Thanks Kate,
I should mention that the floor is for my newly constructed workshop that will only be heated with a space heater as needed during the winter months. There is a crawlspace (which I ground covered with plastic) with the floor being about 15" off the ground. I was planning to Waterlox the completed floor...Also..I have not installed siding yet..the shop looks like a shelter house with a floor. I plan to side within a week of laying down the floor...I cover it with plastic every night and it seems to be staying dry..
Thanks again for any advice
In that case, no worries!
Also, old-timers weren't installing theirs over osb - more like over air, or dirt cellar. I think you will be fine, & I envy you a nice shop!
K
I did a ton of research last year before installing my wide plank pine floor, and got a variety of ideas on installation techniques.
Felt paper or rosin paper? We went with rosin, but some may disagree.
Face nail, toe nail, or glue? Once again everybody had their own preference. As best we could tell, any combination of two of the above would work. We toe nailed with a flooring nailer and then went back and face nailed with roseheads.
Expansion/contraction issues? We stickered our flooring for two weeks, back primed with shellac, and our advantech floor had already been painted. Also, the underside of the floor had been sprayed with foam insulation, which should help to minimize any moisture movement.
That was last spring, but it looks great so far. A little shrinking this winter?- I can deal with it. A little buckling would be a different story. Ultimately, only time will tell if it all worked.
curious as to why you used 5/8" subfloor?
I was worried about the 5/8 thick boards not being strong enough to support my wood working tools...I have a couple of buddies who built shops and their floors spring like a trampoline..wanted this solid..but I guess I should have used plywood instead of OSB..not sure why...many confusing threads on this subject.
I believe CAG is questioning your use of 5/8" OSB as opposed to more standard 3/4".
Oh..I was trying to save a little money and assumed 5/8 would be strong enough.
In installing our hardwood flooring we use a tarpaper felt under. In after thought I wish we would have used the rosin. Only reason is that I have herd of outgassing, (smell), with a staple up radient floor heat with the tarpaper. Not all tarpaper but some, didn't want the house to smell like a blacktop drive. So that shot the idea of that type of heat in the kitchen.
I did almost my whole house in wide plank pine over a year ago on 3/4" T&G Advantech. I used no paper at all. I "glued" the whole thing down w/ PL.
I've had zero problems and it looks fantastic other than the scratches but whatcha gonna do....its pine.
The paper is "mainly" to keep the floors from squeeking between sub and finish.
Theres no air infiltration within the house as in 1st to 2nd floor.
Thje only concern I'd have if I were you would be the fact that you used 5/8" sub and 5/8" finish. You really should play safewr than sorrier in the future. After all you ain't saving all that much money. most of the money is in your labor so...
Be floored
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
Thank you all for your replies....I feel somewhat better about the floor and will use 3/4 sub floor if there is a next time. Now all that is left to do is put a floor on the porch! The 8' x full length porch gives the shop an old "General Store" look. I plan on using 5/4 red oak planks for the porch floor nailed directly to the joists..no sub floor....Just like the old timers Kate !....unless someone has a better suggestion...I have not purchased the planks yet...
SJ
Put 6 mil plastic under the porch? Those old floors did tent to rot, after a few hundred years...
Kate
Kate,
I'm glad you asked that question...yes.. I did put the 6 mil down under the porch and am wondering if that was a good idea or not. My reasoning being that the porch planks/boards will be exposed to rain and snow (even tho it is a covered porch) and I can see the water that drips through just laying on the plastic and not evaporating or soaking into the ground. Would I better off to remove the plastic since I haven't floored the porch yet and can still get to it?...or should I leave the plastic there?
Also..I nailed through the OSB into the joists...
SJ
Somebody who really knows something will respond to this post - I'm just an old-house-owning DIY with a l;ittle computer time on my hands-
My guess is that you are still better off with the plastic down - rain will evaporate relatively quickly, unless under the porch is really tight, and ground moisture is forever - but that is just a logical guess...
Its always been stressed upon me that nailing wood flooring to OSB is a no no.
OSB wont hold the nails.. or staples. Maybe others might think im wrong, but Ive always errored on the side of caution.
So ive glued the floor and nailed it when I have no choice but install over OSB.
oh yeah... rosin paper.
How do you glue a floor down and use rosin paper? Would you not have to omit the paper.