I am scheduled to have prefinished red oak delivered on Sat. Forecast is for 100% chance of rain. Flooring will be walked about 35′ to the house.
Question 1- Should I cancel and reschedule? Will the flooring acclimate properly if the boxes get a little damp? Soaked?
Question 2 – About how many boxes of cleats for 380 square feet? Assuming preferred nailing intervals? I have three boxes already. Flooring is 2-1/4″ strip.
Question 3 – What gap do you typically leave at wall? Install guidelines say 3/4 inch from finished wall. We have never left 3/4 inch at work. More like 1/2″. Finished walls in this case are 1/2 inch drywall.
Thanks for info.
Webby
Edited 1/8/2009 9:39 pm ET by webby
Replies
If you move it directly from the truck to the house it should not get too wet. How long are you going to let it acclimate before installation? Surely not the same day ...
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
1....Don't reschedule.....but get the flooring out of the boxes and stack to acclimate.
2...Sounds like you've got more than enough nails. I wouldn't run out for more unless it starts looking like you'll be short as installation moves along.
3...Not leaving a 3/4 gap may void your warrenty, but I typically leave a 1/2" or so, so that the 3/4" basemold is sure to cover. If you'll be adding a shoe moulding, go ahead with the 3/4" gap.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
I've never understood why flooring manufacturers provide a single number like 3/4" for the gap and it's for all 4 sides of the room. The gap will vary depending on what time of year the floor is installed and where you live. Plus, 2 sides of the room need almost no gap since wood does not measurably expand or contract lengthwise.
Hey, thanks for the replies.
No I am not planning on installing the same day. I was thinking four to five days for acclimation. I think the bruce gudelines say a minnimum of 72 hours. In our remodels when we have put sown some hardwood, my boss seeems to break all the rules and get by. Leaves the flooring in the garage and just takes in a few boxes at a time. Leaves about a half inch gap for expansion.
I ordered a nailer shoe for my nailer because we have dented a few customers floors. Some call it a prefinished floor adapter for the nailer. http://www.nailershoe.com
As far as gapping I was thinking a half inch for the walls where expansion would take place and I was not worried about the the other two walls.Webby
if the Bruce product you have is the engineered (laminated) 3/4" my exp is that it's pretty stable although HVAC runs 12 months/yr in the places I've installed it and seen it installed. 1/2" gap will be OK.
No, Bruce 3/4 inch red oak hardwood.Webby
This is a remodel the with the same constraints you all are familiar with. Living in the same area, moving furniture, limited space etc. So I don't really have the luxury of a long acclimation period.
I am also trying to reuse the existing base mold. Which is the stock 3-1/4 by 3/8. So it won't cover alot of gap. I don't have anything against using shoe mold except that the base would look better with shoe mold if it were taller.
So I was asking from some with more experience than me, what was a realistic gap to be safe with, I looked over the bruce guidelines they say 3/4 from the finished wall. I was thinking half inch witht the half inch drywall would be plenty gap. That is what we usually do for customers.
THe house is all electric forced air and pretty dry in the winter.Webby
THe house is all electric forced air and pretty dry in the winter.
What about during the summer? That's when the humidity level is going to rise and swell the wood. Is the air conditioned in the warmer months?
Also....is the baseboard moulding currently installed?
If not, you could cut the drywall up and inch or so above the subflooring. Then you could hold your flooring the manufacturers recomended 3/4" off of the wall framing and still be able to cover with the 3/8" moulding. No shoe required.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Yes the house is conditioned in the summer. Heat pump with backup electric heating elements. Currently no humidification system is installed. That will probably be an upcoming project.
I am removing the base. I know what you are saying about the d/wall. I had thought I could do that. much of the d/wall will allow for that without cutting. For some reason the d/wall in the living room is only about a half inch off the subfloor so I had thought about cutting the d/wall on the two expansion walls. That was what I was leaning toward, thanks for the confirmation.
Webby
Edited 1/9/2009 10:15 am ET by webby
"I've never understood why flooring manufacturers provide a single number like 3/4" for the gap and it's for all 4 sides of the room. The gap will vary depending on what time of year the floor is installed and where you live. Plus, 2 sides of the room need almost no gap since wood does not measurably expand or contract lengthwise."One reason: they are covering their a**es. Can't really blame them I guess. I'd do the same.
I have some prefinished red oak stacked in a room, acclimating. It is taking weeks and weeks to gain MC... came in at 5% and I want it at 8%. I wish the boxes had gotten soaked on the way here, that would have helped.
Oops meant this for all.
Can I stack 19 boxes in my dinning room or is that to much weight on the floor?
At work we just bring in what we are going to use that day and the next. I want to let my flooring acclimate better than that. However I don''t have a lot of room to store inside.
Webby
Edited 1/9/2009 6:00 pm ET by webby
Do you have room to disperse it around the room(s)?
Not sure how much 19 boxes weighs....probably not an issue.....but if there's room...better safe than sorry.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Yeah you are probably right, I will tuck some here and there.Webby