Replacing floorboards

[oldbutnotdead]

You'll generally get better prices (and often better timber) from a timber merchant than from the DIY sheds. And your timber merchant will stock longer lengths (my favourite place defaults to 4800 but usually has some 5400 as well). Generally the price is by the linear metre or cubic metre (so doesn't matter what lengths you order). Again your timber merchant will be able to take the room dimensions and tell you how many linear metres you need but it is worth knowing the joist centres- can make a difference to what lengths will give minimum wastage

 

[chriselevate]

My joiner would like to use his pasloade gun with ring nails to fit the floorboards. I noticed that you suggested screws. Would using nails be ok?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Screws will take longer, so cost more.

the chippy will be long gone by the time you need to take up the floor to run a new cable or mend a leaking pipe.

So he is not concerned by how difficult it will be, or the damage that might be caused to the boards.

You, however....

 

[chriselevate]

What size screws would you suggest? Do they need pilot holes and counter sinking too?

Are all floorboards sold as tongue and groove? Just thinking that if any need to come up in the future they’ll be difficult to lift with the tongue and groove on them won’t they?

 

[John D v2.0]

We used 18mm square edge ply screwed with 60mmx5 or 50mmx4. Make sure the screws have enough pplai shank to allow the board to be clamped, otherwise drill clearance holes in the ply..

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Just thinking that if any need to come up in the future they’ll be difficult to lift with the tongue and groove on them won’t they?

It's not difficult to saw through the tongue or just snap it off as you raise the board.

What size screws would you suggest?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/goldscre...ountersunk-woodscrews-4-x-50mm-200-pack/7050f

 

[chriselevate]

Perfect, thanks guys.

If I go with the PTG boards. Would you suggest using the same in the bathroom as this will be tiled over or would ply be better for this? What grade ply and what thickness?

Thanks guys

 

[oldbutnotdead]

A lump of 18mm or 25mm ply will be better, problem with tiling over T & G is if the boards move relative to each other for any reason (weather, joist movement) the tile adhesive/grout will crack.

 

[chriselevate]

The timer has talked about putting down 18mm Stirling board and then 12mm ply on top. Seems a excessive doesn’t it?

Surely just a load of noggins under the 25mm ply where there’s joins will be fine won’t it?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Does the floor need to come up that high for any reason? Has the tiler said why he wants to go that road- is it cos he has loads of both in the van or is it cos the joists are a bit wobbly/long span & he wants to make good and sure that the floor is as near to a single solid lump as possible on suspended timber.

Yes it sounds a bit fat to me but I'm not going to get a phone call in 6 months time telling me the grout has cracked, come back and fix it. Have a chat with him/her, ask some questions (try and avoid the 'a bloke on the internet told me' line, keep it to 'was looking at renovation guides, they say x is usual, any reason you're doing y'.)

 

[chriselevate]

Thanks for that advice. I’ll take it on board and be very careful with the tiler. Thanks

 

[Gerrydelasel]

I wouldn't go near tiling onto a suspended floor. Anything that comes with a will-it-won't-it move/leak/peel/break is just making a rod for your own back. Quality vinyl looks just like tile, feels nicer, no hassle.