I’m about to start putting down the hardwood plank flooring. I understand that it’s normal to put flooring down 90 degrees to the sub flooring. Is there a way to put it down aligning with the subflooring?
Design reasons and maybe add a little strength, since the sub flooring is 2 inch thick (actual 2 inches not 1 1/2) pine 4 foot on center.
Replies
Frenchy, it's going to be fine... the 90 degree install would take a bit of bounce out... and even out the installed hardwood a bit.
Sounds like you've plenty of over-engineering to compensate though.
-gwc
Thank you George,
Actually the span isn't 4 foot on center, rather 42 inches. The differance is the beams the flooring is on are 6 inches wide by 12 inch deep white oak.
Excuse me, I don't really understand how running the flooring 90% to the sub flooring would take some of the bounce out. I'm probably dense as a brick but I assumed that the weak point would be the span between beams and not the span from wall to wall. Am I wrong?
Beam span is some of the issue, as would be the decking.
Your 2x subfloor is far better than 5/8s or 3/4 ply/flake/osb.
As to the bounce, sheathing deflects along the long-axis. It's a grain-thing, even with plywood. The "bendy" plywoods are even marketed with instructions to "bend with the axis of the top-grain veniers."
Laying Cross-grain, either at 90 or 45, tightens the floor, as the layers work to oppose each other's bending moment. Wooden double-hulled boats were made the same way... usually for severe use.
Arctic expeditions, etc....
Either way, as I stated earlier, the house is overbuilt when compared to the typical McMansion. Lay your hardwood so that it looks best,
and don't sweat the small things.
-gwc
Thanks George,
I wish I could "not sweat the small things" but I've got so much effort in this house that I'm going insane with the small things. (it's a fun insane so I'm not complaining..)
Since I'm the owner/ designer/ builder/ carpenter/ clean-up guy on this I get to demand the finest workmanship I'm capable of. (at the lowest wage I'll pay myself) {$0} that means that if I "know' something I really need to be convinced thatmaybe I don't know as much as I think I know, know what I mean? (see what I mean about going insane?)
Frenchy,The reason for the hardwood flooring being laid at 45o or 90o to the run of the boards underneath is to avoid any shrinkage/movement in the sub-floor being transmitted directly to the flooring above.Although it isn't so important with sheet sub-floor, it is still a good principle to follow.As it's your floor, surely you're going to be a bit more adventurous than just straight flooring!!View Imageor how about this oneView ImageIDG.IDG.
Edited 4/9/2002 3:23:53 PM ET by IanG
beautifull!
yes it's way to wierd to explain but I'm using 16 foot long Hard maple planks 10 inches wide or wider. Then I'm gonna picture frame that with a 1 inch strip of Paduck followed by a 22 inch wide plank of burl oak, and another 1 inch strip of Paduck.
The final picture frame will be more hard maple planks. The screws to hold all of this down will be installed from the room below. The second floor will be Black walnut with a simple border of cherry. (that will be face screwed and plugged)
I just hope mine comes out as nice as yours..
It sounds better already -- good luck.
(Penetrative oil finish is nice!)IDG.
Frenchy, I am no expert, but compared to our methods your US floors are massively over killed.
Common method for us is a single layer of tongue and groove flooring 3/4 inch thick on 4x2 joists at 24 inch centres. the one I was working on today was 18 inch centres.
these floors are always solid and so far I havent noticed any bounce at all. I am guessing with 12x6 beams and sub flooring you could land a plane on it? <G>
As for the black walnut flooring, lets just say I am experiencing some serious envy.
Not that I want to hijack your thread, but I have a Q for Ian.
A penetrative oil finish. I assume this involves tung/linseed oil?
I am currently redoing my kitchen and want to rip up the lino and polish the floors. I have never been a fan of urethane, so, will an oil finish stand up to the traffic, spills etc? I was going to do 1/2 the house but then the dog would have a traction problem and apparently this can cause them trouble. ( What we do for our pets )
Wood Hoon
I don't want to hijack Frenchy's thread but he might find this useful as well.
The mix is 1/3rd each of boiled linseed oil, pure tung oil and turpentine.
It is only to be used in an area where you could safely use fitted carpet -- so the kitchen is out.
It is the most maintenance free of all the finishes -- you'll NEVER have to sand back and re-coat.
If you want to know more, let me know.
IDG.IDG.
thanks Ian. so what would be the best one for the kitchen? I dont like the fumes and ongoing offgasing from urethane.
any ideas?
If I have no alternative to urethane then I spose that will be it. I have a friend who saw a lovely floor once that had in its polish recipe sunlight soap. he said it was wonderful and seemed to wear well. would carnauba wax work OK?
Wood Hoon
AJNo wax or oil finishes work well in an area where water could be spilt as the water leaves a white mark which takes a long time to dry out.For your kitchen, look at water-base polyurethane. Also look here for a poster called Bronwyn (?) who runs a floor-sanding business in NZ because she talks about the finishes available there.
IDG
IDG.
Thank you very much
Wood Hoon
frenchy,
Perpendicular to the floor joists is one of those ideal, pie-in-the-sky, rules of thumb. It's nice to do if you can, but quite often, other design considerations overide. In your situation the orientation of the flooring will have no effect on it's feel or performance.
I think that the reason for running the flooring perpendicular to a board subfloor has nothing to do with strength but so that the flooring will go across the differences in thicknesses of adjacent boards. This would be a consideration in an old house with a rough sawn subfloor though sometimes these are run at a 45. If your subfloor is a tight fitting t&g, you should not have a problem.