laying 200x22mm T&G oak floor

[chirpychippy]

This is more a Question for WoodYouLike as her help has been invaluable in the past and I always send my customers in your direction.

I have been asked to lay an oak floor which will be secret nailed onto 4x2 joists "which are adequatly supported" at 400 centres. Whilst I am confident about laying the floor and the finished product, there are a few areas that I would like confirmation for, please.

1) Would it be wise to glue both the top and the bottom of the tongue's?

2) Whilst the joists are at 400 centres, should I get a join which lands bang in the middle of the two joists on a run, will the board to the rear and in front be strong enough to stop any flex which may occur.

3) I just want to run this past you, the flooring is solid oak and varnished/lacquered "its not engineered" the room which the flooring is to be laid, currently has no heating of any description. The customer is currently storing the flooring in a out house which also has no heating. I assume that the flooring will be absorbing moisture from the atmosphere and thus when it does get laid into this room and the radiators and wood burner is installed the flooring could shrink and crack, "would I be right in my assumptions on this subject and if so is there anyway to your knowledge this can be avoided".

Thank you in advance for you help.

 

[mattysupra]

1- well ........... ..

O this one is for you woody!



P.s your wood will be scrap with where its being stored.

 

[WoodYouLike]

LOL Matty

Chirpychippy, thanks for the kind words, and Matty is right about the storage results. Get them inside as soon as possible and blatantly refuse to install the floor when the inside conditions don't change for the better.
At the moment it is very cold and dry in the air, so the wood will need a good long time in a wind and weather secure area to acclimatise.

As for glueing the Tongues? We normally put the glue in the bottom of the groove, where it will be kind of 'scoped' up by the tongue and spread around the top and bottom of it.

You don't need to end every board on a joist AS LONG as every board connects with at least 3 joists.
.