Laying floorboards - basic question

[PaulP59D]

Hi,

I am contemplating removing the chipboard flooring from our lounge and dining rooms and laying down tongue and groove oak floorboards.

Looking at the manufacturers pics I can see no evidence of nailing of their floorboards. I assume that they have to be, though? I spoke to a sales girl over the phone and she said - after consulting a piece of paper - that they could be just layed on the floor joists. She is wrong, I assume? Or maybe they are glued?

So, if I am right and these lovely oak boards have to be nailed, or screwed can anybody point me to some advice on how the pros do this?

Thanks.

Paul

 

[big-all]

a link to the flooring??
or if it has short lengths[less than 3m] it needs a structural floor under it

 

[PaulP59D]

Not sure what you mean by 'a link to the flooring'?

This is for downstairs rooms. At present there is chipboard tongue and groove laying across floor joists. I could lay the new oak floor boards on top of the chipboard, but it then becomes too high.

So I am thinking about taking the chipboard floor out and laying the new oak floorboards (22mm thick tongue and groove) on top of the joists. Are you saying that this should not be done?

And if I do, do I have to nail them down? I am assuming that they cannot just be sat on top of the joists or be glued?

 

[ladylola]

Screws are a definate no no , it'll look awful if rows of screw heads are visable.
If you are removing the boarding that is there and laying directly onto the joists then it will need to be nailed and your two real options are to either secret nail through the tongues or to surface fix and cut nails look best for this in my opinion.

 

[PaulP59D]

Thanks, hiding nails under the groove hadn't occured to me.

Cheers

 

[DAZB]

You can buy or hire a tool just for the job :
http://www.screwfix.com/p/porta-nai...ools-_-Porta-Nailer Portable Flooring Nailer#

 

[PaulP59D]

Excellent. Thanks Daz, much appreciated.

Paul