From: schultz@halley.est.3m.com (John C. Schultz)
Subject: Re: Hardwood Floor
In-reply-to: rickt@rmtc.unisys.com's message of Mon, 21 Dec 1992 01:34:23 GMT
Organization: 3M Company, 3M Center, Minnesota, USA
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 92 01:20:46 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.013423.2772@gvl.unisys.com> rickt@rmtc.unisys.com (Rick Thompson [RMTC/ISP]) writes:
   ...
   studs.  I'm going to replace it with random length flooring so I need to put
   plywood down.  Now, finally, for the questions.  Before and after putting down
   the plywood is there anything you would recommend?  For example, sound absorbtion
   material, vapor barrior etc.  Is there an advantage to using red oak rather than
   white oak or visa-versa.  I plan on using #2 wood, should I use #1 and if so what
   advantage is there?  That's all for now.  I'm sure as I move ahead I'll have more
   questions.


I laid about 750 sq ft of red oak in our house 2 years ago as it was being
built.  It required a week of 12 to 18 hour days and some friends helping on
occasion. It was extremely hard work and I had a bout with carpel tunnel
syndrome from all the wrist action. I paid someone to finish it since I was so
tired I screwed up the staining.  I did find out that professional finishers
have much larger sanding equipment than is available at rental stores.

The best reference for laying wood floors that I came across was an article in
Fine Homebuilding, Feb/Mar 1983, #13.  It talks about the underlayment (3/4"
T&G plywood if you lay across joists, 1 1/8" T&G plywood if you lay diagonally
to the joists), measuring the room, sound barriers (1/2" inch cork between two
3/4" inch sheets fo T&G plywood) and how to lay the flooring.  There is also a
publication from the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association called
"Hardwood Flooring Installation Manual".  Their phone is 901-526-5016

National Oak Flooring Mfg. Assoc.
22 N. Front St.
660 Falls Bldg.
Memphis TN 38103

I found that a special, air-drive floor nailer was invaluable (rental
business' generally have them) because you arm tends to fall off after a day
of swinging the 4 or 5 pound hammer used with the manual nailer.  The manual
nailer is supposed to make a tighter joint but in either case you end up
pounding and pressing a lot of pieces in by hand before nailing.

I also found that an air-drive, finish nailer was very nice for the last 12
inches or so up to the wall which the normal nailer could not reach (probably
18 inches for a manual nailer).  With the finish nailer, I only had to hand
nail the last course or two of boards (2 1/4" wide).

I think all the white oak in the country is used to make whiskey
barrels.  Red oak will definitely be cheaper.  I used SEL red oak flooring.  

I do not think that #1 or #2 common would be satisfactory.  Any knots in the
flooring will eventually fall out and the knot-free pieces in #1 and #2 common
boards will be very short and hard to lay out with 3" between seams. Cutting
out knots, as in other hardwood lumber, is very difficult because two sides of
the flooring have a tongue and two sides have a matching groove.  Thus if you
cut a piece of flooring, you will have a loose joint or you must re-do the
tongue and/or grove by hand.  Do not lay flooring which does not have T&G on
all four sides - it will eventually pop up.

Interestingly enough, flooring is sold with a specific proportion of lengths.
X% over 4ft long, X% between 3 and 4ft,...  Practically this means you cannot
return unused fooring.

I also helped a friend lay some maple flooring.  It is much worse than oak
because is is harder (he had to drill holes for the finish nails near walls)
and tends to be more twisted requiring more force to get to lie flat.
--
   John C. Schultz   +1 (612) 733-4047   schultz@halley.serc.3m.com
   How to include the taste of Glendronach in a multi-media system?