New Floorboards(softwood or hardwood)

[deanmack]

I am currently looking to refloor my living room which is about 20sqm. There is chipboard on the joists already down and i just want ptg floorboards and stain them myself.

1. Can i lay on top of the chipboard and do i need anything between them.
2. Someone told me that softwood is no good if im leaving them exposed.

Thanks.

 

[WoodYouLike]

You can install a wooden flooring ontop of the chipboard. Use foam underlayment (2-3mm) to prevent it sounding like Melamine (Plastic) laminate flooring

All woods (soft and hardwood) need a finish layer, either varnish (lacquer) or oil

 

[mack4]

You could also nail the flooring.Most Hire Shops have flooring nailers.

 

[WoodYouLike]

You could also nail the flooring.Most Hire Shops have flooring nailers.

Why should you want to nail them?
A) subfloor has to be thick enough (= more expensive) for the 50 - 60mm nails
B) wood works, even when nailed/glued down

 

[DaveAt168]

I am currently looking to refloor my living room which is about 20sqm. There is chipboard on the joists already down and i just want ptg floorboards and stain them myself.

1. Can i lay on top of the chipboard and do i need anything between them.
2. Someone told me that softwood is no good if im leaving them exposed.

Thanks.

If you can afford to lay ptg on top of your chipboard, then I would suggest that it would be a gross foolishness to leave the chipboard insitu.
There are two reasons:
1/ you have no idea what lies below the chipboard, and might just drive a fixing nail into a service, such as gas, water or electricity.
2/ access to the hidden services is bad enough under chipboard, throwing away the opportunity to improve the access is not a good idea.

With the cheap and nasty chipboard removed, you can do it one row at a time, you can see exactly where to nail, and you can see where you might need access points for services, to place a screwed-down access panel, with the bottom flange of the groove removed.
Best regards,
Dave.