Help!! Laying t&g flooring

[Oregon_Sawyer]

Tomorrow I will be picking up my CVG fir that has been KD'd and milled.

It is 3/4 in random width.  This will be going in the master bedroom of our log home.  The bed room is only about 250
sq ft.  My heat is hot water tubing in the floor. The flooring is going on to a concrete floor that has firing strips approx 18 inches apart.

The floor is 12.5 x 19.5.  The flooring will run the shorter distance.

What I need to know is how do I start the first row.  Making sure that the flooring is all running 90 degrees from the other wall.

Do I need to use any adhesive?

Thanks ,  this is the practice for the great room which is going to be about 700 sq ft of rustic Oregon White Oak.

Loren

[beenthere]

Sounds like a great project.

I wouldn't worry about being 90 deg to the wall, but only parallel to the walls on the side you start as well as the wall across the room. It will help if the room is square. Fastening the starter course (run) with adhesive to the furring strips would be one way to start, and some face nailing along the back edge that will be covered by the trim, may also help.  A chalk line may help get them straight when starting.

[etat]

It will also be a good idea to leave a small gap all the way around the room and then use trim molding to cover the gap.  This will allow for expansion and contraction.  The first piece  I split the plank cutting the groove off of it.  Then I face nailed the plank  close  to the wall, but as said I did leave a gap, and also nailed in the tongue.  I used a floor nailer which helps pull the planks tight. Also you will have to face nail the last plank or two on the other side of the wall.  I used finishing nails and counter sunk them.  The holes are hardly noticeable after the floor was finished.

A couple of the rooms in my house I ran the flooring diagonal. This is a bit harder, and a bit more wasteful of materials but the ones I did sure did look good. I used 1/6 bought tongue and groove d grade pine.

Just thought, the chalk line is a good idea.  The floor nailer I used was the kind you hit with a big hammer.  The first piece you need to put a few wedges of some kind in the gap because when you put in the second piece with the nailer it will try to move or slide the first piece a bit. To get the very last piece to lock in tight I ripped it to the right width, started the tongue and groove together, then used a pry bar and some pieces of wood  so as not to scar the wall and wedge the pieces tight.

[etat]

I just thought I'd add that you can expect more expansion and contraction on the width of the floor than the length of it. The floor won't expand and contract much length ways of the boards.

One more thing, important, and easy.  Use some 15 pound tarpaper for underlayment between the sub floor and the tongue and groove.  This will help keep the floor from absorbing moisture underneath the boards.Are the firing strips fastened to the concrete, if not and you try to fasten them beware of the plumbing in the concrete.  If you can fasten the tongue and groove to the firring strips it will also be ok if the floor floats on the concrete.  

[etat]

TOM, I am so happy!!!  Somebody asked a question about WOOD', and I knew the answer!  

[Tom]

Way to go, Charles. ;D 8)

Nothing travels with as much blistering speed as a smile. :D

It makes me happy too. ....spread it around! :D

[hiya]

One think that helps too is use long boards to start it will help keep it straight.
Richard

[Jeff]

I put 15lb felt down before I layed my floor. No Squeeks!

[Oregon_Sawyer]

Thanks for the advice.  I had done a google search but took the advice with a grain of salt as they are sponsered by home improvment centers

The firing strips were nailed to the subfloor (1 1/2 T&G decking) betweent the radient floor tubing before we poured the concrete.  They are flush with the floor.

I will be borrowing a flooring nailer.  I have senco finish nailing guns also.

Loren

[etat]

Please check the knowledge base for a couple of other tips on laying a new floor.  I researched this very, very extensively before I layed my own floor both on the internet, and from others on this forum.  I am happy to pass along these tips.  

To find these tips click on the knowledge base, click on show contents, and click on wood working projects!

Those finishing nail guns are really handy aren't they?

[Ga_Boy]

Loren,

If you have the time check out this link.  It is the Wood Flooring Manfactures Assoc.  Lots a god information there.  I used the tips instructions for laying the Cherry in my home offcie and new master bedroom closet.

http://www.nofma.org/


Check out the link for installing hardwood floors, good pictures and tips.



Mark

[Oregon_Sawyer]

We have laid the bedroom floor and I am now looking forward to laying the great room floor.

My builder volunteered to help me.  We did not use any felt as we needed to see the nailers between where the radiant floor tubes were laid out.  We used random width boards, 5, 4, 3  & 2 1/2.  This worked out well, as we had to span odd widths on the floor.  We used a Senco flooring nailer, the kind that you hit with a hammer.  Near the walls we used a finish nail gun.  On the ends of the wide boards we used a biscuit jointer.

The material was from the old growth log that I have posted pictures of before (A real man's saw) when we quartered them. From just one tree (four logs grossing 10,000 bd ft) I got the material for my porch trusses, great room ceiling, handrails and spindles for the inside stairway and the flooing for my bedroom.

Here is a picture at about the half-way point of installing the floor.  I was in the other room cutting the boards to length.



I had another picture but I don't know how to retrieve it from the archives.

Loren

[Gilman]

Loren,
I can't find the thread, " (A real man's saw)."  Could you be so kind as to point me in the right direction.  I want to see those logs.

Thanks in advance,

David

[Oregon_Sawyer]

Gilman:  Here is the link to A Real Man's Chainsaw. I found it on page 44.

https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action=display;num=1067663586

Here is some more on page 47.

https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action=display;num=1064213840

By the way I am just over the hill and around the corner from Frank if you get down this way.

Loren

[Oregon_Sawyer]

Found the other picture.  This is my builder laying down the floor.  I was in the other room cutting out defect and cutting the last board to length.




Loren