Replies

1. 
   jobranch_ | Dec 27, 1998 04:22am | #6

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   Check with the installation manager of a large floor covering retailer in your area. I sell a flooring product and talk with these guys all the time and I have never heard them "float" a 3/4" hardwood floor. The only floating floors I have heard of have been designed to move very little after installation (ex: Pergo, Khars, etc. which have either a hard core or a multi-ply plywood core).

   You may end up having some major problems, I'm not sure though.

2. 
   Guest_ | Dec 27, 1998 04:22am | #7

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   I have been offered +/- 800 sf of old solid oak floor that was carefully removed from an old house that was demo'd in south Texas. I think it is red oak, about 3/4" x 3 1/2" x random length, T&G sides and ends. I want to re-lay it in my almost new house which is a slab-on-grade. I plan to pull up the carpet & pad, and then install it like pergo: lay down that thin foam pad and then glue the boards together, leaving an expansion gap around the perimeter. The weather here is such that we almost always have either the central a/c or heat going - open windows are rare. So the humidity should be pretty stable, right? What problems am I going to have? I plan to run it through the planer first to remove most of the crud off the face, and then once it's down I'll sand it flush and finish with a poly finish.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 25, 1998 04:37am | #1

   *Check really carefully for fragments of nails in those boards before running them through the planer. Know anyone at the doc's or vet's office with access to an X-ray machine? Otherwise, the planer sounds like a great way to minimize the sanding later. Unless you've got some pretty spiffy HVAC system, high heating and cooling correspondes to low and high humidity, respectively. During heating, the house will be dry unless you run a humidifier. And when AC is on, unless it supercools the air to condense moisture out and then reheats it, the air will high humidity. How fast do towels dry on the bathroom rack in summer and winter? Do they mildew on the rack in summer? If the whole floor floats and you allow a good clearance around the perimeter, those seasonal cahnges might be okay. Good Luck,-David

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 25, 1998 06:59am | #2

   *You're probably right on the humidity changes. My thought was that the ac condensate drain drips water at a pretty good rate in the summer (keeps the grass pretty green) so it must be drying the inside of the house. Towels don't mildew; never have thought about how fast they dry.When the boards were removed, they nails were fairly carefully removed - very few broken tongues, obvious nail holes and corresponding black stains. I will be hand scraping the top surface to get the crud off, and hopefully will find any stray nails.Would there be any point in carefully running the edges past a router to take a whisker off the wood so the new glue can penetrate?

1. 
   jim | Dec 25, 1998 08:52pm | #3

   *I am installing infloor radiant heat in concrete and thought of installing regular t and g hardwood by gluing the joints. Does this actually work, and what type of glue do you use? Is it the same application of clamps a pergo system would use? I live in Ontario, so we have 4 strong seasons. Thanks Jim

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   Guest_ | Dec 26, 1998 01:16am | #4

   *If the towels don't mildew in summer, you don't have really high humdity in the summer - enough moisture is being removed via condensation in the AC. That leaves possible low winter humidity. As I write this, it is -18F in Kasilof, Alaska - my lips are a little chapped and the dog builds up a wicked static charge when she rubs against nylon ski pants. Towels dry faster on the towel rack than in the electric clothes dryer. But in milder climates, it's not hard or expensive to rehumidify the house - run a humidifier (pretty cheap), don't vent the bathroom during hot showers, always leave hot water (baths and cooking) uncovered until it's cooled. By humidifying the air in winter, you'll be able to be comfortable with a lower thermostat setting.If those tongues are in good shape (70-80% intact), I wouldn't router them. It would be a lot of work. And the chance of having something misaligned on the boy or girl side of the board. Glue a few test pieces, maybe even with different glues, and then try to break them apart. Always an educational experience. And try a few routered pieces (or just ripped amooth). See if it helps a lot or not.-David

2. 
   Guest_ | Dec 27, 1998 12:11am | #5

   *34 is pretty thick for over concrete.It raises a lot of questions about the slab and curing. Will you need a waterproof sheet under the wood? We have used 90lb felt glued down and installed flooring over it. Are sleepers a option? Check clearance at doors and cabnets. We have planed(around 38 to a 14) the back side of flooring and glued the edges over the foam. We have a problem with warped flooring sometimes not meeting and not being able to draw it up close. Some times the pergo clamps help sometimes you have to toss the board. As far as the face goes it's up to you about the finish you can reface and finish or leave it as it is. Remeber people pay big bucks for that 100 year old look that you have.Good luck in your new floor