Tips for oak flooring

[MetManMark]

On a slightly different topic - what should we be aware of when considering how to put our new floor down. Our current thinking was to put ply down and then to stick oak flooring onto that. Is this a good idea?

Thoughts on thickness of board / how to finish it / T&G vs straight edging / oak vs other hardwoods / anything else would be much appreciated.

I have done a bit of reading on engineered oak and I think I would prefer straightforward oak...

Thanks
Mark

 

[plasticpigeon]

When you have the floor up it would be good to insulate between the joists I think. If you insulate below the finished floor between the joists then if you have straight edged boards they will be easier to take up in the future. Is your house a 2 up 2 down??? How about using pine, it is cheaper and probably more faithful to original construction. Sheets of ply make it nearly impossible to do any maintenance if necessary so I would not go this route if it were my house.

 

[MdB]

I've just bought a small amount of 20mmx135mm solid oak at £30/m^2 + vat from Jewsons. You should get a better price for larger amounts. It is hidden screw T&G and the quality can be variable so I would purchase from a large shed that has stock that you can select from.

Ask for American White Oak T&G unfinished.

(the pic has come out yellower than it actual is)