My carpet is shot and I’d like to install wood flooring in the house. I’m not happy with the strip flooring I installed a couple years ago in the dining room. It looks like a parquet floor which is not a look I admire. I’d like to install an even-colored, long plank with a nice grain pattern. I’ve checked the usual flooring web sites and can’t find anything with greater than 4′ lengths with a decently even coloration for less than $7.00 a sq ft. which is way beyond my means.
My solution is to purchase lumber locally and have the lumberyard surface the boards to 5/8ths thickness and 31/2″ width with tongue and groove for me. I can purchase bald cypress for cheap locally and it’s suprisingly hard (harder than cherry) and has low shrink and swell. I purchased a fewl hundred board feet for exterior trim several years ago and I’m happy with what the yard supplied me. My plan is to pour a leveling compound on the floors, lay down 5/8th plywood and nail the cypress boards to that. I’m not willing to attempt a glue down. I’ll sand and finish the flooring once it’s installed. With the milling charges, wastage, plywood, sander rental and finish figured in, the flooring will cost about $3.60 a square foot which is something I can handle.
I’m not sure 5/8ths plywood will suffice and I’m not sure how to attach it to the concrete floors. Screws I guess. I’m also not sure if I need an underlayerment beneath the plywood or between the flooring and the plywood. And I’m not sure what’s the latest in wood floor finishes or whether I need to put a coat of shellac on the underside of the flooring to prevent cupping. I’d like a warm, oiled look, but I have two kids and a dog.
Actually, I’m not sure this will work at all. The older houses around here with wood floors have regular 3/4″ thick solid wood installed on 2X4 sleepers. This would elevate my floors way too much.
I’m installing this on dry, above grade concrete floors and the humidity in the house changes only 30% max. from winter to summer (my kids were susceptible to croup so I’ve monitored humidity levels for a few years now), so the environmental conditions are relatively mild.
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Would be useful to know where you are -- I'm guessing somewhere relatively South.
Traditionally solid wood flooring is "relieved" on the back -- this presumably helps prevent warping. Shelac on the back side might not be a bad idea.
I remember cypress as being pretty soft (though perhaps bald cypress is different). I know it's quite stable, though. If it's really that hard, will you be able to nail it?
Wood Floors over concrete
Houston. I need to check what sort of nail lengths are available as well. I could live with a total flooring thickness of 1-1/2" so maybe one layer of 3/4" plywood and 3/4" planks would be better.
Bald cypress is harder than cherry, but softer than oak so I shouldn't have a problem nailing it.
Wood Flooring
Even at 1-1/2 inches your doors probably won't work anymore. This not a big problem unless it is an outside door. You could probably use cypress with an oil but you need to price that oil. It can cost several dollars per foot just for the product.
Check out a high quality engineered or laminate floor and float it right onto the concrete with an appropriate vapor retarder per instructions in the box. Get planks and they usually come in longer lengths. You can get a real high quality laminate floor, 12mm, for around $4 and it is virtually indestructible. Most have a built in barrier but buy one box and lay it down. If you don't like the sound, add an underlayment like Floor Muffler and it will sound like nailed down wood. If the floors are irregular, use one of the thicker 1/8 inch underlayment pads like Eco Timber pad. Check Consumer Reports for high quality laminate and engineered flooring. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer for installation over concrete.
I just finished a new house and debated flooring material for weeks and finally chose Eco Timber strand bamboo because it was 'real' nailed down. It is so hard it required a special nail gun. My first choice was a laminate made by Armstrong / Bruce but there are many of high quality. I tested samples with screwdrivers and keys and banged them with a hammer. The only wood that came close to laminate was a BR 111 Rosewood. Just make sure it is at least 12mm to reduce the ping sound when you drop a
dime.
I regret that I didn't use the laminate even though the Eco Timber is top rated, very hard and looks good. Besides saving several thousand on installation, it would have actually been more durable.