New oak floor to joists or not?

[littlevic]

I'm replacing the old floor boards with a new 18mm oak floor in our hall and livingroom, but Im not sure if its best to just lay the new floor straight on to the joists or put down a chipboard layer first to cut down any draughts as our bungalow can be a bit cold. If I use the chipboard would the 18mm t&g loft flooring do? The local diy shed has a deal going and I have a few packs over from when I did my loft.

 

[Thermo]

use chipboard and use the bigger sheets. it works out just as cheap if you go to a decent builders/timber merchants and its quicker and gives less joints

 

[littlevic]

Cheers thermo. I thought I'd screw the chipboard down and use a portanailer on the oak t&g as I dont like the idea of glueing anything down permanently, just incase.....

 

[chappers]

18mm rip up the old floor and fix direct to the joists

 

[HandyJon]

I'm replacing the old floor boards with a new 18mm oak floor in our hall and livingroom, but Im not sure if its best to just lay the new floor straight on to the joists or put down a chipboard layer first to cut down any draughts as our bungalow can be a bit cold.

If you've got problems with cold and draughts, think about insulating the floor whislt you've got the floor up. Put some battens of 2x1 along the joists and rest polysterene bats (cut to fit between joists) on them. Then lay new floor.

 

[littlevic]

Thanks for the replies folks, but Ive gone ahead and replaced the old t&g with chipboard (not the loft type stuff) which revealed a host of problems under the floor ie dodgy wiring and leaky plastic central heating pipes, but thats for another forum post!
The flooring guide that came with my oak floor says I need to lay a 1000 gauge polythene vapour barrier. I didnt think I needed to as its not a laminate and could lay the oak straight over the chipboard.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Your right.
DPM (vapour barier) is mostly used only where concrete underfloors are concerned.
Using DPM on (wood)sheet materials can even create moist problems (sweating).

 

[littlevic]

Many thanks WYL.
Just one more thing....... how many nails do you recon I would need with a portanailer for 20sqm.
I'm not being tight but I'm laying the floor over the weekend and I dont want to get caught short on Sunday when everythings shut.
£16 for 1000. I recon that should do it.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Rule of thumb: nail every 30 cm.

But if you're installing the floorboards directly onto the chipboard you could also install it floating. Use a 2 - 3mm foam sound insulation, glue the T&G and that's all.

 

[littlevic]

Cheers. Gonna stick with the nailer tho'.
Got it yesterday nice and early which was just as well as my local hire shop only has 1 porta-nailer and 2 other people came in to hire it when I was there! Good timeing. £16 for the 1st day and £8 thereafter. Thought it would be dearer than that.
The floor is going down a treat and earning me loads of brownie points with the missus. I'm taking my time tho' because if I finish to quick i'll have to vist her mother on Sunday!
Once again a big thank you to all who gave advice.
I love this forum.

 

[jiminblack]

Where did you get the flooring from mate and at what price. I'm Interested in doing the same.

 

[littlevic]

Sorry jiminblack, the moderators call it advertising so I cant say which flooring warehouse I got it from but it was priced at £40sqm but due to some fine haggling I paid considerably less £26sqm. Solid oak t&g 18mm Rustic oak finish and it looks the muts nuts.
Beware tho many of the "flooring superstores" make their money up with the extras like the adhesive I was offered at £76 or radiator pipe collars £15!

 

[WoodYouLike]

'sheds' are also famous for that: cheap flooring but very expensive underlayment, parquet (or PAVC wood glue for T&G), thresholds, beading/scotias and indeed radiator-pipe-covers (if they have them in wood even).
Standard price for proper solid radiator-pipe-cover is around £ 4.25 each (two parts with dowel joints, not the tiny flat ring you have to cut in two and glue to the floor)