Live edge flooring?

[Satamax]

Hi everybody. 

Well, i don't come often to this side of the board. 

I was wondering, i am keen a live edge floor, tho, i don't want a tongue and groove live edge floor. 

I would like the looks of old log homes walls, with plaster pointing between the logs. 

Floor would be euro larch. Either flat nailed, and glued to the OSB and joists bellow. Or screwed with wooden plugs hiding the screws, and glued. I still wonder if i plane or leave it roughsawn. 

The biggest problem i have, is, what to use to fill between planks. 

Concrete, resin? plaster i don't think. Grey, black or white, no brown, i would think. 

What's your opinion guys? 

Thanks. 

Max. 

[69bronco]

Interesting, seems like you'd want something with a little flex so it wouldn't crack. Sounds like some experimenting,  maybe the commercial chink ing for logs? If you left it a little below grade maybe finish pour with epoxy? Guess a lot would depend on how wide the gaps are. Pictures please!

[Satamax]

Pictures, duh, not yet! :D 

[isawlogs]

 biggest probleme that will be incontered will be the expantion and retraction of wood used for the floor, what ever media you use to fill the gap will need to react with the wood. The cement/plaster once used before the latex finish now used, always cracked, fell out and was constently being upgraded, that media, I doubt would be of any use. The perma chink type latex finish may not withstand the abuse of being walked on, as it was made for use on a wall.
  That all being said I ain't quite sure what one could use that would look good and last!!! 
:-\ :-\

[Don P]

I've used this for log home chinking, it is made more for tilt wall commercial chinking, the expansion joints in the floors of large slabs, etc. It would probably work;
https://www.sssales.com/basf-masterseal-np-2-3-gallon-pail

A local guy used 2 live edge planks in the floor, he hid led lights under the edges, aluminum on the subfloor in the "river" between the planks, some polished tumbled small stones on that and a clear casting epoxy to level. Looked nice, not sure how it will hold up but a neat experiment.

[Southside]

My first thought is how would you ever keep it clean? Then the follow up thought is does anyone live with you that is going to make an issue over my first thought. 

[LeeB]

Cleaning would lead me to shy away from rough sawn. 

[Satamax]

Thanks a lot guys. I will think about all this again! 

[barbender]

Another problem is that when planks shrink, they usually cup towards the bark. In your scenario, that would mean the outside edges would lift off of the subfloor.

[Satamax]

Another problem is that when planks shrink, they usually cup towards the bark. In your scenario, that would mean the outside edges would lift off of the subfloor.

I would let dry before, obviously. 
And if screwed and glued to the subfloor, then it shouldn't move much once dried. I might just do straight edges, with a joint in between, wide planks, May be just trimmed edge so the planks follow the conicity of the trees. Well, anyway, the trees aren't on the ground yet! :D 

[loganworks2]

For a gap filler you can use pourable deck seam filler used wooden boats. I have seen it used on wide pine plank flooring and it looks great.  It is also sandable so you can finish the floors after it is used to remove any excess or overflow material. 

[Don P]

Another problem is that when planks shrink, they usually cup towards the bark. In your scenario, that would mean the outside edges would lift off of the subfloor.

Not at all, it would depend on which way you lay it with respect to the heart. Put the heartmost face up and it will tend to cup the edges down.

[barbender]

Another problem is that when planks shrink, they usually cup towards the bark. In your scenario, that would mean the outside edges would lift off of the subfloor.

Not at all, it would depend on which way you lay it with respect to the heart. Put the heartmost face up and it will tend to cup the edges down.

I agree Don, I was taking it to mean he wanted a live edge exposed so it looked like a log wall- therefore the heart would have to go down.

[Satamax]

Thanks a lot for all of your replies guys. 

Barbender, you assumed!  ;D

When i said live edge, i mean wavy edge of the planks, not actually showing the edges, since i want to fill in between. And i know not to lay floors etc, heartmost down! :D 

[Don P]

It seems like there's always exceptions I think about after opening my mouth, which probably means keep my mouth shut :D. We go through the heart or bark up debate pretty often laying decking and porch floors. The sun is on one side and the shaded moist earth on the other. Heart or bark means less in that situation than desert on one face and lake on the other so then I look more at "best" face and also at potential for shelling. Our southern pines when flatsawn from boards usually with wider rings and very distinct earlywood/latewood boundries can separate between rings on the exposed face in the sun and leave razorlike shelled out edges just waiting to throw a splinter in to some kids bare foot. I'll flip those boards bark up, potential shell down. Not a thing to do with this floor, just more heart or bark up stuff that came to mind.