How to install reclaimed oak floor

[steveb]

our carpenter used these "tongue tite" screws through the tongues of our flooring

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Scr.../TongueTite+Screw+35+x+45mm/d90/sd3339/p53848

which didn't seem to split the tongues (presumably that's the point of the small head) - but they were pretty expensive - you need a lot of them.

however I would defer to toby's superior knowledge in matter of the floor - I only have one and those screws haven't entirely stopped the general warping, twisting, gapping and mucking about that the oak likes to do, even the old reclaimed stuff, but we see that as part of the charm. (and we don't have underfloor heat)

perfection is for laminate..

 

[Toby Newell]

(via the link)

No messy glues or inferior nails

Hmmmmm

Plenty of several hundred year old floors still going with 'inferior' er, nails. I am not sure nails are inherently inferior to screws, just different. Sounds like rubbish marketing BS.

I would suggest that those nails are for outside where the dimensional stresses are so large you need something with greater engineering holding power.

In the (relative) closed system of indoors I would suggest that serrated sharks tooth nails are better as they allow for small amounts of movement whilst still holding the floor together, much like modern silane based adhesives have great sheer strength but allow for limited lateral movement.

Movement is good. Oak loves to move about. It never stops. Trying to stop it is an effort in futility.

Maybe you should want to restrict its movement a little.

To be fair I have never used screws through tongues so I cannot directly comment on whether it would work or not. Seeing as there are probably several million square metres of wood floors fitted with serrated nails as opposed to screws I am going to side with tradition here.

 

[88v8]

our carpenter used these "tongue tite" screws through the tongues of our flooring
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Scr.../TongueTite+Screw+35+x+45mm/d90/sd3339/p53848
which didn't seem to split the tongues (presumably that's the point of the small head)

I've seen those in our local builders' merchants. If a pilot is carefully drilled at 45 degrees in the angle of the tongue, and then very slightly 'countersunk' with a touch larger drill, I think these would work fine. With old oak, nailing or otherwise, one has to drill a pilot anyway so it's not much more work.

I just fixed a run of tg board in the back of a cupboard I'm building. I used screws in the tongues, but it was matchboard and I used ½" x 2s.

A reservation about using tongue tites in your floor is the corrosive element of oak, which might eventually make them immovable. Perhaps small stainless screws?... but then one has a full-size head to lose.
Hmmm. Do you have to run the pipes under the floor? Could you use iron pipes and run them down the wall like in ye olde times? Then the floor would never need to come up.

Ivor

 

[middi]

If the screws are used at 45 deg. into the pre drilled intersection of the tongue in the floorboard the downward pressure is exerted into the floorboard and NOT the tongue.

I have always nailed softwood floorboards but always screwed hardwood floorboards when these were to be used as exposed floors.
Done correctly there should be absolutely no problem with the finished product . I agree that excessive humidity onto oak floorboards will result in warped or lifted floors , if the humidity in these rooms are allowed to fluctuate wildly the floorboards will lift and warp when nailed or screwed. This movement is more pronounced when oak is used as this wood is not as flexible and " giving" as softwood.

Middi

 

[Zebra]

Hi Ivor. What I'm doing is having long continuous pipe runs in plastic pipe between boards which will lift out, where all the joins will be, right in front of each radiator. So in theory the floor never will have to come up again, even if I got a leak. Surface mounting is really not going to look good in such a small area, I think. But thanks anyway.
Yes, that's the plan, secret screws, countersunk. Ordinary ones, for cost reasons, given that I have about 700 boards to lay (boards are 60-70mm wide, so 30 sq m of boards on average 600mm long requires around 700 boards!)
The main reason, I have to admit, for not considering using a secret nailer is because I don't have a nail gun, and am not going to hire one because this floor is going to take me a very long time to do in odd spare hours working around a full time job. So I'm going to do it using the tools which I have. That may not be the professionals way of doing things Toby, but I'm afraid I'm going to do it the amateur way, given of course that it's not a terrible idea, if at least one person endorses it!

 

[Toby Newell]

Zebra.

Screws are good! Its just that nails are more appropriate.

I am sure you will be fitting your floor with care and love, which is by far the most important prerequisite.

You could of course by a Portanailer for £130 brand new then sell it afterwards for 90 quid. Hassle I know but notso expensive for several weeks 'hire'.

I am being a pedant. Your boards are so narrow as to almost be classed as a strip floor and as such should move much less anyway.

 

[Zebra]

It will be what it will be, with yes, lots of care and love.

My sister is coming tomorrow to help. Eight hooves are better than four. So will post pics shortly!

 

[Zebra]

Well we made a start, and I promised pics, so here it is so far!.....

 

[LadyArowana]

Looking very nice, and good to see young Henry again too, he seems a little shy though, is he in his awkward teenage years?

 

[Zebra]

Ha ha! Done it! Just laid the last board! According to my spreadsheet, 593 boards laid, over 27 square metres.

 

[88v8]

Excellent.
I hope you will now be wearing hoof covers.

And of course no furniture or rugs...just the odd wisp of straw.....

Ivor