Thread: floating timber floor

HI Jughead,

I'm lucky I've got here first so I can address the easiest request

End matched boards are T&G boards which have a tongue machined on one end and a groove machined on the opposite end, this way the boards don't move apart vertically at the joins.

Another bonus of them, is when laying a normal T&G floor the joins don't need to be placed above joists.

AS for diagonally laying the ply????? I would first of all ask where you read it? Although one would expect it to mean diagonal to the walls. Maybe this is so no joinsin the ply can be in line with the flooring joins?

Nylon impact fasteners - some kind of fixing hardware which sounds as though it may be installed by a Ramset gun or equivalent. I'm sure someone on the forum will be able to help much better.

Hope some of this helps.

Nylon Impact fasteners would be just nylon anchors made by Ramset or Hilti plus other various copies by other manufacturers.

Ramset also make a die cast metal version.

You drill a hole through the timber into the masonary the dia of the nylon anchor.

Insert the anchor and insert a removable steel pin in the centre and drive it in with a hammer.

They hang on like buggery and come with Mushroom, Round and Countersunk Heads

Thanks for the help fellas, this is a big job 120 sq m. I need all and any help I can get, as well as any tricks I should know about.
By the way when using a secret nailer, what happens when you come to the last board against a wall? Will the nailer be able to fasten it or does it need to be nailed in by hand, and on top of the board???
PS. The info I got concerning the fixing of ply in a diagonal brick bond was in a link from this site, TIMBER STRIP FLOORS, Fixing and Finishing .... National timber development council.

Jughead,

you'll probably find the secret nailer might not be able to do the last few boards dependening upon how much horizontal clearance it needs. So it will be a case of revisiting the good old days and doing it by hand. I think typically the last board is face nailed, punched and filled - depending upon your skirting you may be able to get the nails just hidden by the skirting, but still allowing enough free space for movement.

Your source for the ply info is a good credible site which offers terrific advice, so even though initially it did seem a little off-beat to lay the ply diagonal, it is probably so that neither material is aligned along joins.....?

All the best with the job

I imagine the diagonal thing is to offset the movement in both the timber floor and the ply substrate as much as possible....but I have nevere seen it done. Running bond, or "brick pattern" is standard procedure.....though did the site recommend placing a 2mm gap between all ply sheets as well? This is a must.

Cheers

Almost all questions have already been answered!!

I have only once seen a floor layed diagonally over a ply subfloor and seriph1 is absolutely correct! If there is any movement at all in the ply underlay, it will be taken up by floor finish layer acting as a membrane, rather than "working" along one board if it was layed parallel.

Don't forget when laying over new concrete.....well just don't do it over new concrete!!!! Make sure that the moisture content of the concrete floor is LOW - most manufacturers recommend around 5% which normally takes at least six months of curing, then use a moisture barrier, seal all joints, and turn it up the walls behind skirtings to be safe.

Yep! I've seen what can happen.

Our current floor is a ply product by Big River http://www.bigrivertimbers.com.au which looks just like the real thing, but is so stable that movement is negligable, and we were able to use a direct-stick approach using a waterproof glue/membrane, and it's been fantastic.

Downside is that there's a limit to how much it can be sanded if it gets damaged!

All the best,

P

The tech site recommended 3mm gap between the ply sheets. It also recommended that expansion joints be used every 6m in the finish layer.
CHEERS

BUMP

I have had advice that secret nail and glue is the way to go. I understand secret nailing but can someone explain the procedure of glueing. Do you glue the face boards to the ply sub floor? or glue the tongue and grooves of the face boards?

Thanks for the help guys.

am at a loss to know what you would glue, sorry - could you let us know what material you are actually going to use..... ie: overlay boards or full thickness flooring or one of the newer flooring products?

Also - where are you situated?


success

Hardwood boards over ply subfloor layed on concrete slab. Newcastle NSW

ok, thanks - I shoulve been clearer with my question - are we talking:

Full thickness hardwood flooring? ie: normal floorboards

Overlay boards - usually made of sloid timber, though only around 12mm thick

12mm on the ply sub floor. And I think the boards are 19mm thick?