Solid oak floor fixing method and squaring up of room

[craig1234]

I am laying a solid oak floor (20mm) onto timber battens affixed to a solid concrete floor downstairs and to wooden joists upstairs.
Downstairs I have run the central heating pipes (lagged) around the edge of the room and the battens have been cut so that they sit on top of the pipes.
In addition to secret nailing, I intend to glue the tongue and grooves (to try and help prevent creaking) and also on the ground floor glue the floor to the battens on the edges of the room where there is not enough wood to nail due to the cut out for the heating pipes - are there any issues/problems with this technique?
Finally, a couple of the rooms are not square (one large room may be a couple of inches out). So that it doesn't show, I intend to try and "lose" the discrepancy by gaining a very small amount on each line of boards on one side of the room (I would insert a thin removable plastic wedge when nailing). This would mean that the boards would not be tight up against each other which I think would be another reason to glue the joints -again, any issues/problems with this approach?

 

[dann09]

Boy,you certainly have a few issues here, perhaps more experienced others will come in.

1. You must stay with manufacturers instructions.
2. The C/H pipework must run "continuously" - no compression fittings, or valves, to be under the floor.
3. For out of square rooms i would work out the dimensions, or rack them out and, typically, scribe the last run, or even first and last run ( very rare), to pick up the discrepancies.
4. I cant visualise your plastic wedge proposal.
5. Is the concrete dry? When you remove skirtings check that the plaster is short of the slab,and no dampness issues are exposed.Look for a membrane.
5. There are other issues, perhaps research on here will help?

 

[craig1234]

dann09

The pipework is continuous with no compression fittings or valves under the floor - I filled the pipes and have been running the system for 5 days now with no sign of leaks.
The wedge proposal was to stop the boards from closing up when I nail - I only intend to use very thin wedges as the room is large and therefore I only need to gain a little on each row of boards - essentially I am looking at creating a fan effect - I think it will work.
The concrete is dry (has a membrane) and I have left a gap between the slab and plaster for the timber to expand into - this is actually a self-build extension which I have been working on for around 18 months now - roof went on last year.
I did lay a timber floor in another house but had a few annoying creaks hence the desire to use another technique to try and alleviate the problem.

 

[dann09]

craig,

Well done for the self-build extension, and your attention to detail, if you dont mind me saying so.

Regarding the unconventional method of plastic wedges, its odd, and anything odd in the building trades will inevitably bring down consequences.

If i understand your method, i should never attempt it myself. The reason people work to convention in the trades is because it has been found to work.

If it works etc.