New floorboards on old floorboards.

[mattysupra]

any carpet shop will have paper felt. And the reason why you leave to acclimatize is so the wood will grow or shrink to its adverage size it wants to be in the house its being installed in. Nothing worse than huge gaps appearing when you dont want them there!

 

[bobbler]

Thanks for that.

Do you not think that the boards will shrink and make gaps even if the wood is left in the room for a month before laying?

 

[WoodYouLike]

There seems to be a great debate on the "leave the wood to settle in the room for a week". I will, but what difference a week is going to make against the rest of my life that it will be sat there expanding and contracting I do not know.

It does make a big difference Bobbler. Not compared to the rest of its life in your own house-climate - changes in air humidity will happen during the different seasons.

Letting wood - stored somewhere else - acclimatise in the room(s) you plan to install it in gives it the opportunity to adjust to your own house-climate.

Imagine having bought wood that has the top of the specified moist content (12%) while in your own home it reduces back - after being stocked there for 3 - 4 days - to 9%. The wood, when installed after those 4 days will not shrink as much after you've installed it versus shrinking a lot when you install it straight away.

Commons physics sense.

 

[bobbler]

Thanks Wood.

Of course it makes sence not to take it off the truck and nail it down.

It's all arrived this morning so is now sat in the living room - acclimatizing.

Thanks

Bobbler

 

[lisach]

Dare I ask where you got the boards from and the type of wood you went for, even a picture?

This is exactly what we want to do but need to gain some confidence yet!

Thanks

Lisa

 

[bobbler]

Yes you dare ask.

The boards were eventually purchased from a company called Boards who are now part of Naylor Myers Builders Merchants.

They are "bog standard" 25 x 125 mm T & G Redwood or at least that is what it said on the receipt.

I left the wood a week in the room and have now completed laying it.

I will attempt to post a picture for you.

http://www.imageshock.eu/?img=DSCF0850.jpg

Good luck.

Bobbler

 

[mattysupra]

Looks great but also looks a bit tight on expansion. Might i advise you to run a circular saw around the edge to free up any movement ? best to be safe while the skirts are off.

 

[bobbler]

The ones that were tight I have now shortened. Just used a trusty tenon saw.

 

[kedi7uk]

hi and sorry for hijacking this old thread - but I just need a bit of clarification.

I'm having Uniclic strandwoven bamboo laid in 2 rooms and connecting hallway. I would prefer the floor to run through all rooms rather than having door bars and separate areas....

The floor will be laid onto existing boards - and apart from a couple needing nailing down they're sound - there'll be an underlay and the bamboo floor will float (not nailed or glued) the fitter is talking about laying the first long line straight from one room through the hall to the other and then doing the remaining parts of each room separately - sounds good to me -

I have one main question..... although the floorboards are sound I've heard that you should lay a new floor at 90 degrees to existing boards why? - and what would happen if fitter doesn't do this?

Thanks

 

[WoodYouLike]

To avoid the effect of cupped floorboards "rocking" your new boards.

You can install in the same direction is you overboard the existing boards first. (Your fitter should know this)

 

[kedi7uk]

Hmmm - thanks Wood, he didn't mention overboarding and I haven't bought any plywood.... guess I need to have a chat with him.

 

[kedi7uk]

just talked to him and he said hasn't boarded out for at least 3 years -the floorboards I have a level and the uniclic floating floor is like one complete piece of wood. Said he didn't think I needed it and if there was a flood it wouldn't just be a couple of boards they needed to take up they'd have to take up the plyboard too - but it was 'up to me' if I wanted it done....

I told him I wanted it but am now thinking is he right - do I really need it or am I maybe wasting money

 

[WoodYouLike]

I don't know if you need it, I haven't seen your floorboards.

You asked what would happen if you didn't do what you read on here. The floor can rock. Can be avoided by hardboard sheets or plywood.

In the end it is indeed down to you.