Floating a solid wood floor any problems?

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My original idea was to glue my new solid oak flooring down to the concrete subfloor as my previous post, however as no-one has been able to reply to that post //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=165167 I thought I would post again.

Having now read through many posts on laying solid wood flooring over a concrete floor with a bitumen residue left on it, it would seem that the only way to do this with guaranteed results is to hire a concrete planer to plane the floor (to remove the bitumen) then re-screed with a layer of 3mm floor levelling compound, then install a pour on DPM then glue down your boards to that. This all seems like a lot of work that will create a lot of mess and ultimately cost a lot of money.

However, I have also read a lot of posts that suggest laying a new oak floor fully floating, by just laying down a underlay that incorporates a DPM and then gluing the boards together with a PVCA wood glue all 4 sides of the T & G.

I have never heard of this method before, in the past I have only ever used the stick the boards to the subfloor method, this way you know the boards are stuck down firmly and are not going to move.

My question is has anyone had any problems using the fully floating method, can or do the boards warp or cup or move as they are not stuck to anything but each other.

I am hoping woodlikeyou will be around to comment as I believe they advocate this floating method
 
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I am hoping woodlikeyou will be around to comment as I believe they advocate this floating method
Hope you won't have a problem if woodyoulike answers? ;) (What's in a name: plenty)

We advocate the floating method indeed, as long as your wooden floor is suitable for this. 20 x 160mm should be ok, I'm kind of worried about the lengths you state your floorboards come in. Have you checked how many boards are the shortest ones?
 
No I haven’t opened all the packets yet the wood is still wrapped up in one of the rooms they will be laid, it’s been they for two weeks now. But I don’t think there is too many short lengths looking at the packs you can see the length of the wood inside.

One of the rooms is an L – Shaped hallway and it has a long area of 4.7m x 0.83m I was intending to use most of the short lengths up in this area, laying them width ways ie two 400mm planks to go across the width of .83m which leave me a expansion gap of 15mm either side. Obviously I would also use some longer pieces to stagger the joints.

Why are you worried could this be a problem?
 
If I understand correctly you want to install your hallway not in the length - which would look most aesthetic pleasing, but width ways.
You have 4.7 meters, don't think it will look very nice seeing all those boards - are they bevelled? - in this direction in a rather long and narrow hallway.
 
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The hallway is L –shaped, the main part of the hall is 2m wide x 3.40m long off of this is the narrow bit that leads to bedrooms (it’s a bungalow) the reason I want the boards to run this way is because there is another slightly raised (about 40mm) entrance hall leading off the 2m x 3.40 bit as mentioned above this other entrance hall way is 1.80m wide x 3.1m long and leads to the front door, the boards in this other hall (its an extension to the house) run that way so I wanted it all to match.

I do realise that it might look a little odd in the narrow part but the main part of the hall will look wonderful if it matches up with the existing oak floor in the extension as it makes one big hall of 5.2m long and 3.40 and 2m wide as you walk down it.

The other room I need to do which comes off of the 2m wide x 3.40m long bit of the hall is my dinning room this is 4.3m x 3.4m, one of the walls in this room is far from straight so I need to lay the boards cross ways so that ends are butting up to the un straight wall otherwise shaping a board to fit the curved wall will emphasis its un straightness. Again the laying the boards in the hall the way I have said will match in with this.

Yes the floor has bevelled edges.

Apart from your concerns of appearance in the narrow part is the fully floating method going to work for me or would I be better to look at Elastilon?
 
Floating should be fine. Install thresholds inbetween rooms would be best too.
See here for more info

Other option for your hallway would be to install diagonal, nice feature
 
Ok thanks, I will install a threshold between the hall and dinning room, what size 15mm each side or more?

Can you also advise on which underlay to use, I will be buying it from you, I see you do two with a DPM, Combi-underlayment 3mm or Timbermate Excell 3.6mm which one should I choose? Which is best?

Also I will need some PVCA glue how many bottles of Lecol PAVC wood-glue 750 gr will I need to do 27m sq of flooring.

I will also buy my thresholds from you I need 7 in total (1 x wood to wood, 4 x wood to carpet and 2 x wood to tile/slate floor)

Thanks for your help, I still can’t help but wonder how it won’t cup or warp if it’s not stuck down.
 
Type of underlayment depends on how level your underfloor is really. Timbermate also gives extra sound-insulation, mostly used in apartments. If your floor is rather level and being in a bungalow you don't have to worry about donwstairs neighbours the combi-underlayment will suffice.

Best is always to get the thresholds in so you can determine per door how wide the gap has to be for that particular threshold to fit correctly.

As for not cupping: depends more on the moist content of the new wood floor and the air-humidity. You're acclimatising the wood now, which is good. If you keep an eye on your normal house climate - seasonal chances will occur - your floor will not cup or warp.
If you don't or have a flood, or other reason why the wood suddenly absorbs much more moist then no matter how the floor is installed it will warp, buckle and cup.

In your case with the bitumen 'stained' underfloor installing floating is the most practical, simple and cost-effective way.
 
I had a wood floor installed using the floating method. So I have a solid wood (not engineered) over a concrete base, with planks glued along T & G. Wood didnt acclimatize before fitting ; also perimeter gaps up to 10mm. Can anyone advise whether this is right? Many thanks
 
When was it installed, what are the board measurements and the room size? What type of underlayment is used?
 
Installed earlier this year. Room is roughly 20 feet by 30 feet (sorry dont know metrics !). V thin 'foam' underlay used. Am concerned because all the info I get says not to use floating installation with solid wood and not to glue T & G because this will restrict movement in natural wood....
 
Sadly there are loads of problems. The wood has warped and lifted and is very unstable.
 
Fear I need to drag more information out of you.

1: When did the problems start?
2: has the installer had a look at the problems, if so what's his/her reply/solution?
3: what are the measurements of the boards? How wide is one plank, how long and how thick?
4: the underlayment used, does that have a DPM in it?
5: any moist signs, known moist problems?

Plenty of different reasons your floor could be causing problems, so we need to know more before we and others can give you any sensible advice. Now we're shooting in the dark.
 
1. Problems started immediately - floor had noticeable movement. Was advised to wait 12 weeks to allow it to 'settle'. It just got worse and has continued to get worse over last few months.

2. Installer has refused to acknowledge problems !

3. boards are 18mm solid oak, roughly 12cm wide, varying lengths

4. Very thin 'foam' underlay - don't know if this includes DPM

5. No moisture issues to my knowledge
 

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