red oak 3/4 wood floor -tite or loose?
edwardh1
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
so much emphasis on installing the 3/4 red oak floor strips flooring tight against each other- some people even use a wedge and pry bar, and the nailer gun sites also say get it tite.
But whats the downside of too tite? the floor buckles? you can’t fix that – if too loose/ then you have a small crack or two?
And if you install in an off season like October- will the humidity in the summer when it rains a lot be higher and cause more bucking (if no air cond inside?) or in the winter with a cabin in the cold snowy woods, a cabin that is shut up, seems buckling would be a problem- why so much emphasis on tight installation ????
assuming the wood strips is acclimated b4 the install.
Edited 9/19/2008 2:03 pm ET by edwardh1
Replies
edwardh1
I'm extremely glad you brought this subject up..
narrow strip flooring (2 1/4 inch wide) is pretty tolerant of installation technique..
Each piece has a little give to play with so unless you jam everything together during the heating season you're highly unlikely to have any issues when summer humidity comes.. especially with so many houses airconditioned these days.
The reason they are jammed together is because of appearance.. Not for any mechanical need for strength..
Wider boards do however require more expansion space for each board.. to the point where some boards laid require more than 1/2 inch spacing during the heating season in order to dwell with expansion during the summer months..
Bottom line? Wood swells and srinks based on humidity you can safely adjust according to the time of year..
(just remember to shellac instead of putting polyurethane <grin>
I've been in a few debates about this one, and my take is that it depends on where you are, who you get you're stock from, etc. I will tell you what I've learned that applies to my area.(SE Mass.)
I don't put my oak in before the base, with shoe mold. I put it in after, fitting to the base. It is how I was taught, and it looks nicer, in my opinion, than shoe mold. I don't fault anyone for the other way, it's just a matter of preference.
I know there are those who will say that that doesn't leave room for expansion, etc. I always acclimate my material a minimum of two weeks in the house, usually with the heat on, a dehumidifier if summertime. I put the oak as tight as I can possibly get it. I have never, ever seen an oak floor expand. I know it happens, but not here. Maybe Mike Smith can chime in on his experiences, he's not too far from me. I have seen almost all shrink the heating season after it's put in.My supplier keeps his stock in a climate controlled warehouse. If you are putting your flooring under the base, and leaving room for expansion, I would put it tight as can be, to avoid shrinking, "panelling", etc. and I would think with the expansion room you're leaving, It can't possibly grow that much to screw things up if it does swell.
And, all due respect to frenchy, I'd go with a satin oil base poly.
Bing
IMO and I don't care where you live, aclimate the material to the room-rooms and get the material as TIGHT as possible.
if you acclimate in a dry time -- say april, and summer comes and you have no A/C, seems like the wood will swell up and buckle????
Edited 9/19/2008 8:03 pm ET by edwardh1
I have put down about 10 squares of pre-finished 3-1/2 Bruce Armstrong and put it in tight after I let it season for 4 months in my house and in the winter when it gets cold it opens up enough to be noticeable. I added a humidifier to the main part of the house this year and I will then see what it does this winter and try to hold the humidity to around 40-50%. I let it drop to 25% before I got the humidifier last winter.
Over the past 30 yrs. or so I have installed alot of unfinished red oak floors here in NY. 40 miles north of NYC. Preferred barrier is l5 or 30# felt. I have always nailed as tight as possible and have NEVER had a problem. Have NEVER used water based poly either.
I have an experience with tongue and groove porch flooring that might demonstrate the behavior of swelling wood. I installed wit a flooring nailer t and g flooring on a porch in the middle of summer. next spring it was pretty rainy and humid. the flooring moved a lot. so much that it pushed the railing posts out of plumb and even moved some of the framing. the ting that I would like to point out in how this might relate to interior flooring nailed tight or not is that if wood wants to move, it will and no amount of nailing will keep it from doing that. If there is an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room it should have the room it needs to move seasonally. perhaps the following heating cycle some gaps may appear if it moved a lot during the humid months but I don't think nailing it tight is detrimental (indoors). it took standing water on the porch floor outside to result in the buckling and extreme movement I think most of us fear.
"it aint the work I mind,
It's the feeling of falling further behind."
Bozini Latini
http://www.ingrainedwoodworking.com
I dont lay oak flooring for a living but I've been involved in countless houses that have and I dont think I ever saw any floor guy lay it any way but tight. That also applies for cherry flooring, maple, birch, walnut, probably a lot more then that but those are the ones I've been around the most.
Acclimate the flooring for mim. two weeks.
Doug