I want to lay a new (3/4″x2 1/4″ white oak strips) hardwod floor. The joists run perpendicular to the longest wall which is 27′ 4″, and the subfloor is made of 1×6 planks (not t&g) laid parallel to the longest wall.
1. Is there a rule of thumb for the orientation of the hardwood strips ie. parallel or perpendicular to the joists, longest wall, subfloor planks?
2. I will lay red rosin paper between the plank subfloor and the hardwood strips. Is it necessary to lay a 3/4 plywood underlayment.
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Greetings Paul,
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
Extra ply should not be necessary so long as the subfloor is in good shape plus it may create trips at your doorways (plus cutting doors, etc.). You should run the finish flooring perp to the joists nailing into them which in your case would be parrallel to the long wall. The issue is the sub-planks, often in older homes they ran the subplanks diagonal to allow the finish flooring to run perp to the joists with fewer problems(same with plank sheathing). The subplanks may hump the finish floor. Another layer of ply "may" take them out but again that introduces new issues. Perhaps a rough sand on the sub to take out any cups and going over with screws? It would be over the top to remove the subfloor and resheet I imagine.
If the subfloor is solid and nailed well, there is not a need to run finish perpendicular to the joists.
Biggest rule of thimb is to run the graain the same direction as the major flow of light into the room, IOW if the largest window space is on the shortest wall, run the flooring perp to that wall. Another less important here but sometimes in smaller rooms is to run it perp to the longest wall to make a narrow room feel less narrow.
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