Flooring for my new shop

[Magicman]

I understand the strength of diagonally laying the sub flooring.  Matter of fact the original portion of my Cabin floor was done that way, but I seriously doubt that there is any measurable "real world" difference.  Any forces that would exert enough diagonal pressure to do harm would surely compromise the building in some other manner.  Two/three nails as each 1X6 passes a 16" OC joist is creating a very sound structure.

I "scatter" nailed the T&G flooring at ~30° angle so there is no way that the flooring could be pulled up without splitting.

[clintnelms]

So what's the consensus on thickness, 1.5 inches or 1 inch?

[Kbeitz]

So what's the consensus on thickness, 1.5 inches or 1 inch?

Using a pallet jack I would go with at least 2"

[clintnelms]

So what's the consensus on thickness, 1.5 inches or 1 inch?

Using a pallet jack I would go with at least 2"

I don't have a pallet jack and can't see ever buying one. It's only a 30x30 shop.

[Magicman]

I am stubborn, and would use two 1".  Start with a half width board on the sub floor and a full width on the flooring with house wrap or roofing felt between.  That makes a tight installation with no cracks for roaches, etc. to gain entrance.

[clintnelms]

I am stubborn, and would use two 1".  Start with a half width board on the sub floor and a full width on the flooring with house wrap or roofing felt between.  That makes a tight installation with no cracks for roaches, etc. to gain entrance.

What width do you mean Magicman? What would you recommend?

[Magicman]

I used 1X6's for the sub floor and random widths for the flooring, but that was for looks.   For a shop, I would use all 1X6's.

Another consideration would be the nails.  Imagine what you would need to spike down 2" lumber.  A common nail gun certainly could not do it.

[Quebecnewf]

My workshop sit on a wooden rock filled cribbing. 8x8 posts supporting 8x8 stringers. Then 2x8 floor joists. 1.25 floor boards.  A layer of tar paper . 1 1/2 styrofoam . 3/4 plywood . Finish shop flooring to be added soon . As soon that is as I can find something that I like.

Still looking for that last part

Quebecnewf

[clintnelms]

I used 1X6's for the sub floor and random widths for the flooring, but that was for looks.   For a shop, I would use all 1X6's.

Another consideration would be the nails.  Imagine what you would need to spike down 2" lumber.  A common nail gun certainly could not do it.

How would you recommend nailing down the 1x6s since I'll be using green lumber or fairly green? I may be able to let some dry for a week or two. Should I just put 1 nail in the center on the ends and one in the center of the board and then come back later and add more? Also should I use random length boards or does that really matter as far as strength?

[Don P]

Dryer... drier, is better, the more you can do to dally while the wood dries the better. Narrow boards like 1x6 make for many smaller gaps than fewer big gaps like if you used 1x12's.
Diagonal sheathing is done to create a rigid triangularized frame, triangles are immutable polygons can become wrecktangles, we have forgotten that as plywood now does this. However, not all buildings were built this way nor was it required. End matching of flooring came out of a requirement in the building code that said if you are building a single layer board floor and not breaking on joists, random layup, the floorboards had to be end matched. All flooring practically, is now end matched although no one builds a single layer floor anymore. The reason for end matching is now gone but we have forgotten why we started doing it, so we think it necessary. Anyway, diagonal is "stronger" but the span is 1.414x longer. My light shop is just 3/4 osb floored and I have had a truck chassis on it and several engines without punching thru. I've certainly punched through several subfloors during construction. I like the couple of layers with tarpaper between idea. I worked in an old furniture plant that was an unknown number of layers thick. Where we rolled the carts you were down in some serious ruts. The sawmill shop is hoping for concrete over its gravel one day.

[Don P]

whoops double posted

[Magicman]

I would nail 1X6's tight with 2-3 nails per joist with either 10d or 12d cement coated nails.  I would then sticker stack enough 1X6's for the flooring.  After your shop is built and the flooring is dry, I would lay felt or house wrap and scatter nail the flooring down at ~30° angle with 10d cement coated nails.

[clintnelms]

I would nail 1X6's tight with 2-3 nails per joist with either 10d or 12d cement coated nails.  I would then sticker stack enough 1X6's for the flooring.  After your shop is built and the flooring is dry, I would lay felt or house wrap and scatter nail the flooring down at ~30° angle with 10d cement coated nails.

Thanks Magicman! Never heard of cement coated nails though. I'll have to try and find them. Is there a particular name for them? They go in a nail gun? Sure don't want to nail by hand. Don't think my back or knees could take that 😂

[Magicman]

If you use a nail gun you have used them, just did not know it.

All nails that I am familiar with that fit nail guns are cement coated, even brad finishing nails.  Friction heats (melts) the cement (glue) as the nail is driven and it then hardens when it cools.  It adds more gripping/holding power.

[alanh]

If you use a nail gun you have used them, just did not know it.

All nails that I am familiar with that fit nail guns are cement coated, even brad finishing nails.  Friction heats (melts) the cement (glue) as the nail is driven and it then hardens when it cools.  It adds more gripping/holding power.

Interesting piece of info I did not realize... does explain why the DanG things are so hard to pull out after they`ve been in....could never figure out how a smooth nail held so good....

[thecfarm]

Galvanized nails hold good too. That is all I use for my bilding projects. I do not own a nail gun. But those sure do hold good too.

[Kbeitz]

If it's labeled common then it's not coated.

[DDW_OR]

My workshop sit on a wooden rock filled cribbing. 8x8 posts supporting 8x8 stringers. Then 2x8 floor joists. 1.25 floor boards.  A layer of tar paper . 1 1/2 styrofoam . 3/4 plywood . Finish shop flooring to be added soon . As soon that is as I can find something that I like.

Still looking for that last part

Quebecnewf

your shop is missing a Fishing deck with smoker/BBQ

[Bruno of NH]

Hand nails are called coated sinkers
Most building suppliers have them in 5ib boxes now .
When I use hand nails that's all I buy .
Coated ring shank nails from a nail gun hold realy good most new stick guns will fire them

[clintnelms]

If you use a nail gun you have used them, just did not know it.

All nails that I am familiar with that fit nail guns are cement coated, even brad finishing nails.  Friction heats (melts) the cement (glue) as the nail is driven and it then hardens when it cools.  It adds more gripping/holding power.

Dummy me 😂! When you said cement I'm thinking concrete cement lol. Thought they had some kind of light coated sand cement on it or something. Didn't realize you meant like glue cement when I read that earlier. I probably shouldn't have admitted that, but maybe someone will get a laugh out of it for the day. I'm going to blame it on my mind being preoccupied with milling more 2x6s. Took a break and read that. Mind must have still been on milling 😉.

[clintnelms]

Hand nails are called coated sinkers
Most building suppliers have them in 5ib boxes now .
When I use hand nails that's all I buy .
Coated ring shank nails from a nail gun hold realy good most new stick guns will fire them

Only time I like to use ring shank nails is when I'm 100% positive I will never want to pull the nails back out. You'll *DanG near pull the head of the nail off trying to pull them out.

[bkaimwood]

 One of the most important details of this floor in your shop will be indexing the boards correctly. Just remember bark side down. The ends of the board are going to want to cup towards the bark. If it is facing down and nailed securely, the board will not warp.  Use one now in the center of each board, at  each joist. If you put multiple nails across a green board, it will likely split at those locations when it shrinks. Are use glue ring shank nails in my nail gun for all jobs like this... Knowing that if I ever decide to remove or tear down the project, it will be with a match and some gasoline! as far as thickness goes, I would not saw any less than an inch and a quarter... I would probably do inch and a half. Sounds like a great project!

[ozarkgem]

If you use a nail gun you have used them, just did not know it.

All nails that I am familiar with that fit nail guns are cement coated, even brad finishing nails.  Friction heats (melts) the cement (glue) as the nail is driven and it then hardens when it cools.  It adds more gripping/holding power.

Dummy me 😂! When you said cement I'm thinking concrete cement lol. Thought they had some kind of light coated sand cement on it or something. Didn't realize you meant like glue cement when I read that earlier. I probably shouldn't have admitted that, but maybe someone will get a laugh out of it for the day. I'm going to blame it on my mind being preoccupied with milling more 2x6s. Took a break and read that. Mind must have still been on milling 😉.

I did get a good laugh . Thanks for posting it. I don't have enough computer memory to list my dumb things.

[Don P]

The "callout" on framing specs used to be "16d CC sinkers"... 16 penny cement coated sinkers, usually a green or blue glue coating on the nail vs a "bright" nail, a shiny uncoated nail.

One interesting factoid on framing green, A nail that is driven into wood above 19% moisture and subsequently dries is good for 70% of the nail's published shear strength and 25% of its published withdrawal strength. There is one exception in the withdrawal table, if you use a hardened ring shank nail the withdrawal is the same as the published numbers for any moisture content... a pole barn or "ardox" nail. Ring shanks are the way to go for any sheathing.

If you miss and shoot yourself, that glue will be growing out of you for a year... or so I've heard.

Clinching a nail, bending it over and making it "dead", adds 25% to it's shear strength and makes withdrawal darn near impossible.