Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 19, 1999 01:18am | #5

   *
   Recently discovered that the second floor has no subfloor, just 3/4" T&G hardwood. Was this the usual practice at some point, or was someone cutting corners finishing the Cape's attic?

   Also found a half-dozen 60 year-old beer cans in the 2nd floor joist bays. This may explain absence of subfloor. For historical curiosity, has anyone heard of Kuebler Pilsner Beer (a 50/50 cream ale and porter it says), brewed in Easton, PA?

   Treading lightly, Andrew

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 17, 1999 01:17pm | #1

   *In the days before plywood was readily available, it was common in the west to use 1x t&g fir AS a sub floor. The material was virtually clear and is beautiful by todays standards. As far as I know it was intended for use under carpet and not as a finish floor, although I have seen carpet removed and this finished as an exposed surface. Since the use of various species of wood, tends to be regional, it would not surprise me if hardwoods were also used this way in some parts of the country. Is this floor finished? Or did you find it under carpet?

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 18, 1999 08:47am | #2

   *Andrew, Mike is quite right. The floor you see is actually intended as a subfloor. I have seen them made of pine, lain 45 degrees to the joists, with the hardwood lain perpendicular to the joists over the subfloor. Contact a can collector.

1. 
   Cmoller | Jan 18, 1999 09:32pm | #3

   *Yup, Mike's correct. I own a 1919 brick bungalow in Denver that uses 1x T&G fir for the subfloor. We've actually finished it and now serves as the only floor! I understand that finishing fir is hit and miss, but our refinisher said that our's was the best he's ever seen it end up. Looks great to us.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 19, 1999 01:16am | #4

   *Interesting! Yes the floor is finished, though hidden by either the barf-colored carpet or nauseating sheet vinyl that snuck into so many homes in the 70's and 80's (yep, we have the fake brown wood paneling everywhere too -- the homeowner even used it reversed instead of plywood!).On the first floor, the subfloor is regular 1x8 planking (fir?) laid diagonally for I assume a diaphram effect (see, Mike, I know what one is). The oak is nailed on top, enough squeaks to give a new-home buyer a heart attack. Upstairs, just oak laid perpendicular. I was started when the sawzall nearly fell into the joist bay, it was so easy to cut a hole. BTW, the same planking was used to sheath the house -- an extraordinary amount of excellent quality wood. So now part of the kitchen floor is a patch in the roof.Hey, as long as we're talking hardwood flooring, is the wisdom here to buff then varnish it to avoid ripping off the patina? What kind of varnish?