Key Post Wooden Floors

Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Just read this thread for the first time and there's some incredible amounts of info - well done all.
All that extra information has give me a lot of extra decisions and questions.
1. For upstairs is it OK to go with the original floorboards even though its only about 25mm thick? This is a decision I probably have to make before the fitted wardrobes go in. There's only two of us in the house so noise between floors won't be an issue although it is semi-d so adding soundproofing and another layer of wood might help in that respect I guess.
2. Can I buy the same plywood and dampproof sheet for underneath tiles as well as wooden floors?
3. For upstairs (pine floorboards) what layers do I need put under the floor tiles - plywood as well?
4. When you buy wooden floorboards, do they need to be dried out or any other way acclimatised?
5. I see that you have to wait a few months for the house to dry before laying wooden floors. Does this also apply before doing the floor tiles, wooden kitchen units, wall tiles, painting and wallpapering?
6. With the floors rising an inch or so after tiling and wooden floors put down, will this mean all my doors will be too big?
7. Is it possible to live in a house where downstairs is all concrete floors while you're waiting for it to dry out or would sofas and tables do damage?
8. Any recommendations where I can get polished porcelain tiles with contours at the corner?
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Hi Joe,

1: Yes, if you're happy with the condition they're in. But make sure you are, once the wardrobes go in, you're probably stuck with them.

2: WBP ply should be sufficient for tiling over. Damp proof sheet? Is this for upstairs?

3: Yep, see here for advice on tiling over wooden floors.

4: Yes, your supplier should advise you on the minimum length of time they should spend acclimatising.

5: Getting confused now, is this an old or new house? See here for advice on painting fresh plaster.

6: The doors and frames will have to be trimmed. Ideally skirting should also be removed and replaced afterwards.

7: How long has the concrete been poured? If you're in, I'd presume they have been down long enough to withstand a bit of furniture.

8: Afraid not, I've only ever seen porcelain with straight edges.
Leo
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Thanks very much.

2. This is for downstairs
5. It's a new house. Concrete laid about 4 months ago and plastered 2 months ago.
8. For further information I found out that the term used is "rectified".
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors- disaster

We had a guy based in Crumlin supply and fit solid oak floors to our new house last year

To cut a long story short he made a complete bags of it , the fact that he is a neighbour of my parents in law is worse , he will not take any calls and has ignored solicitors letters and a ruling from small claims court

Anyway now we are trying to fix the mess he made

He did not let the wood aclimatise in the house and he did not leave any room for expansion as a result the floor has risen in certain areas so badly in one area that we cannot open a door

There are also gaps appearing between the planks of wood

We had a carpenter look at it and he has recommended short of riping it up and getting a new floor, ( which I don't want to do as we spent alot of money on it) , his solution would be to cut around the perimeter to leave room for expansion , this would involve taking the skirting off ( which should have been done originally) filling in gaps with a wood filer , sand and varish and reset new bigger skirting

Has anyone done this to a solid wooden floor which was laid as opposed to doing it on the original floor boards

The carpenter said he would do all the bits except sand and varnish - so we will probablly do this ourselves
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Hi Joe,

Take a look at the pdf linked [broken link removed] for pretty comprehensive insructions on laying hardwood floors, covers most circumstances. This also includes advice on testing the moisture content of new slabs.

Rectified porcelain refers to tiles that are all exactly the same size. They are cut after they are kiln baked, to eliminate the variation in size that you get with the more common cut, then bake process. I presume you're looking for a rounded edge, like [broken link removed].
Leo
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Great link there Leo, good advice there for anybody thinking about timber floors.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors- disaster

telco said:
Has anyone done this to a solid wooden floor which was laid as opposed to doing it on the original floor boards

The carpenter said he would do all the bits except sand and varnish - so we will probablly do this ourselves
Click to expand...

Hi telco, and welcome to AAM! Sorry to hear about your problems. What your carpenter is suggesting is the right course of action. You need a gap around the edges to allow for expansion.

Be careful with the wood filler you use, some of these can stand out and look a little nasty once dry. Some people reccomend using the dust from sanding the floor mixed with some wood glue to fill such gaps.

If you use the search facility here you will find previous threads on sanding wooden floors. There's some info in previous posts in this thread.
Leo
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Thanks for your help Leo

I am a regular reader of the site but that was my first posting, great site very informative !
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Just thought I should point out something RE wooden floors and insurance that I've recently become aware of.

If you get contents only house insurance (i.e. if you have a block insurance policy through a management agency) then your wooden floors may not be covered under this policy. I was told by my contents insurer that wooden floors are not considered contents (carpets), since 'they can not be carried around with you' (i imagine that this would apply to tiles also). Luckily it seems the damage done to my floors will be covered by the block insurance, but, I guess people should check both policys before getting wooden floors.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

I was told that if you're planning a house with wooden floors you should ask the builders to drop the ground as otherwise there's a step and by doing this it makes the wooden floor wear better. I never heard of this before.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Me neither. Doesn't sound right - unless you're thinking about a traditional suspended timber floor.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Hi all,
I am looking at putting down solid birch floors in my apartment. I would like to float the floor as I dont want to raise the floor level too much. When I asked the supplier which would be the prefered method of installing them he said that they were designed to be floated by glueing the boards together. As far as I can tell it looks just like any other tongue and groove solid. Why are some solids nailed down and others floated is it down to the type of wood, the brand or is the supplier just telling me what I want to hear. What are the downsides if any of glueing the borads together. Any advice appreciated.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

My understanding is that solid floors are always either nailed or glued.

We laid 3/4 inch marine ply onto our joists and then laid the solid floors on those. The floors were nailed.

You mention that you live in an apartment. I assume therefore that the floor is concrete, which means that nailing is not an option, only gluing.

As long as the floor is tightly fitted, there shouldn't be any problem.

D.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Glue vs. nail down? If you can, it's better to nail down, the floor then functions just like a traditional suspended timber floor and has the resilience and "spring" that makes a timber floor nice to walk on. Another advantage is that a nailed floor can be cramped up good and tight and subsequent shrinkage is less likely and even if this does occur it won't stand out like itwould on a glued floor. Perhaps the greatest advantage to my mind is that floor boards can be taken up (but you'll have to replace with new boards, they can't be re-used!) thus allowing you to access services, repair plumbing etc without destroying a complete floor. A glued floor cannot be taken up in part later-it comes up like a giant sheet of blockboard! Nailed flooring can be laid quite quickly also.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

My new house will have tongue and groove flooring upstairs. Rather than cover the boards, I would rather get them sanded, stained and varnished. I wont be in a position to do this myself. Would appreciate any recommendations.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

There are lots of companies that offer a floor sanding and varnishing service. Its not hard to do it your self. Hire a sander and buy a stain/Varnish/Laquer.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

My understanding is that solid floors are always either nailed or glued.
Click to expand...

If you go with Junkers, it is layed on foam,using clips and glued at the stave (end of each plank). Therefore you have a floating solid wood floor.
You can get it is a 14mm solid or 22mm. I put down 80sqm of it myself and its lovely. Bought in Brooks, Naas Rd.
You can also glue it directly to a floor-see here [broken link removed]
 
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Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Quick Q: Getting wooden floors laid tomorrow morning, just wondering do I need to lift the carpet myself or would the guy who's coming to lay the floor normally do that bit?

Thanks
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

Getting engineered(semi-solid) real wood boards put down in new house. fitter says drying out time depends on thickness of concrete, approximately 1 month for every inch of concrete. usually takes a few months if the heatings on, he'll do a moisture test in any case.
 
Re: Key Post: Wooden Floors

this is a very good thread lots of information most of which is 100%. I am a professional cleaner at the job for some years now. As you can imagine flooring plays a big part in my life following points.
1. There is no floor suitable for all parts of a house. When entering any building as a rule of thumb the first 5 steps leave a considerable amount of dirt. So for these areas you need a hard floor, I suggest stone as to the comment about tiles etc looking cold have a look at Terra Cotta a warm dark red colour can be pricey though.
2. Kitchen areas - tiled with properly sealed grouting - easier to clean.
3. Storage areas - lino without a doubt - careful if laying in entrance areas danger of cutting when putting heavy items down. Lino can also be good in kitchen areas where there is little food preparation thinking here of those who use take aways, deliviries, micro wavable rather than using ovens.
4. Living aresa - carpets for warmth, sound proofing and appearance. Carpets need vacuuming every second day at least, your vacuum cleaner should have a beater brush and powerful suction. Reference to asthma - studies in Sweden & the states revealed that carpets are actually better for people with respiratory problems, Think on it when you walk on any surface dust no matter now microscopic is disturbed and lifted in the air with carpets the dust is kept in the carpet fibres. See following sites this company supplies all types of floor surfaces so have no need to push any particular.The carpet foundation - [broken link removed], Sweden banned carpeting in Schools in the late 1980's following the ban childhood asthma rates rocketed.
No matter what surface you apply and this is what people forget regular deep cleaning is required carpets 12 - 18 months stone and tiled every 18 months, wood dependant on type 12 - 24 months and lino 6 - 12 months. Remember professional floor cleaners (I'm talking about deep cleans with restoration and protection) are trained and often specialise is a particular surface. Why? Because you cant expect a decent job by reading 2 page in a magazine and then hiring a machine for day or two. Think how much your flooring cost, compare to a car would you rebuild and recondition your engin? Last point - over a 10 year period expect to spend the same on cleaning and maintenance as the purchase price although at todays inflated prices it would probably be closer to 20 years.
 
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