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I am about to install 2-1/4″ hardwood flooring in the new addition of my old house. The old house also has hardwood flooring that runs north and south. The problem is that the joists in the addition run perpendicular to the joists in the old house but I would still like the floor boards to run north and south (parallel with the joists). Everything installation I have ever seen always has the floor boards perpendicular to the joists and all the books say to do it that way. Is this absolute gospel?
The addition sub floor is 3/4″ plywood over 2x10s joists. The joists are on 16″ centers and span 12’6″. (if any of that matters)
Has anyone ever done or seen a successful installation this way???
Any advice???
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This is a code question. The direction allowed depends on the sub floor.
With no subfloor you can run 3/4" T&G flooring ONLY perpendicular to the joists.
With 3/4" plywood running perpendicular to the joists you can run flooring in either direction.
*Steve, You should be fine running them parallel with the joists since you have 3/4" subfloor down. The hardwood is going to be fastened to this and not the joists.
*I HAVE A CUSTOMER THAT WANTS ME TO RUN HIS HARDWOOD WITH THE JOISTS ALSO. IT SCARES ME TO DO THIS BECAUSE ITS AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT. HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE/ SUCCESS HAVE OTHERS HAD WITH RUNNING THE WOOD WITH THE JOISTS? HOW LONG HAVE THE FLOORS BEEN IN PLACE? I ALSO HAVE A PLYWOOD SUBFLOOR,AND SHORT SPAN 2X10'S. JIM R.
*DID EVERYBODY HEAR THAT. I DID.
*Pipe down Guys. I like this place because it's so quiet and peaceful in here. SO SHUSH!You can run either way as long as you've got a decent subfloor. The normal designers prerequesite is to run parrallel with the light flow though sometimes even that changes. I've just finished one where the light flow coming in the windows was the long length of the room. It was already a long narrow room so to use the optical illusion of parrallel lines adding to distance, I ran the flooring parrallel with the short side of the room, perpendicular to light flow. Gave the illusion that the room was wider.Your concern is with structural. I've demoed and remodeled plnety of old ones with flooring going both ways across the joists. The only problem I have observed is that when the subfloor was 1x10 or 1x12 laid perpendicular to the joists (instead of diagonally) and wasn't dry but maybe still green, the hundred year old floor would have three tight strips and a loose joint of nearly 1/8" then more tight joints, etc. You won't have that situation on a ply subfloor. Go ahead and tickle your eyes!
I've been wrestling a bit with this issue myself as everything that I have read says to run hardwood perpendicular to the joists. I'm replacing carpeting on AdvanTech. The carpeting certainly adds no additional strength to the floor. Per other posts - the perpendicular requirement must be for installations where there is no subfloor or the subfloor is substandard.
Structurally there would be little impact either way on your subfloor, but a perpendicular install will be stiffer and less likely to squeak. The subfloor gives a little between the joists, parallel strips would tend to move more and increase the chance of squeaking.
NOFMA also says to run perpendicular, and I agree. Imagine there weren't any plywood. Your floor would span joist to joist. Now imagine it parallel; it would sag and fail. Just cuz' there's plywood down doesn't change a lot. What happens if there is a grand piano leg on the floor between joists. All that stress is on the subfloor. Over time the floor would sag too, causing 'waves' as the floor rose and sagged. I would stay perpendicular until you reached 1 1/4" thickness of subfloor, then you could turn 90 degrees. Or you could run on a 45, but that looks very different and means more time and material.
So you're saying if you just have wall-to-wall and 3/4" subfloor, no piano? We don't have a baby grand, but we do have a baby elephant ;-).
Is that elephant white? I've been installing since '88, and I'm proud to say 3 callbacks, 2 of which weren't my fault. My point is I'm a by-the-books guy, and an overbuilder to boot. Why should we have to invent the wheel again when there are guys who have doing it for 30-50 years and companies who have been doing this stuff daily for generations. Sure times change, methods,coatings...but trees?gravity?
This forum is for those who don't know to ask those of us who have experience and to offer some guidance. I'd guess I'd say I'm trying offer just that..advice. I would never do it in my home, or on one of my jobs. It might be years before it shows up, but trust me it will.
I'm convinced - I'm going perpendicular. Thanks!
Is it possible to add blocking between the joists? In our New construction houses we add blocks 24" o.c. to rooms if the hardwoods run parrelel to the joists. Our hardwood sub will not warranty his work unless this is done. He has seen instances where the floor flexing in between the joists has pushed the boards apart, contributing to gapping issues.
Owen Roberts Group
10634 East Riverside Drive # 100
Bothell, WA 98011
http://www.owenrobertsgroup.com
Edited 7/11/2005 5:50 pm ET by Adam Greisz
It is a family room over a basement with suspended ceiling. I'll take a look at it tomorrow. This sounds like an excellent suggestion.