Hardwood over plywood.. How level should the edges be??
johndrew
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I have installed the 3/4 plywood for 3/4 solid hardwood. Now looking at the edges, I see some spots where they are not level.1/16 inch. How level shold they be and how is the best way to level them?. Take off from the top whth a sander, build up with filler like Durobond or add shims on the lower one?
Replies
John
Stub your toe and trip bad-do something. (some doubled up felt paper will taper it enough).
Stub your toe and no big deal, you can feel the difference with your shoe-don't worry about it.
edit: You screwed the new and old subfloor down, right? and you've staggered the end joints in the plywood , right?
Yep. Cut a sheet in half to start off, then offset with a full sheet. Used 2 inch screws to put down thru the 3/4 plywood , thru the 1/2 inch sub-floor into the floor joist about 8" apart. This is perpendicular to the way the flooring will be laid.
Took out the partical board by sawing on each side of the nails attaching it to the joist, then easily removed the 15" center section, which had no nails and then tapped the 1 1/2 inch section which had the nails and it easily broke out.
Will sleep good tonight...if I ever get get out of this Ape like position.
Any suggestions on how to set staples which are not all the way down? Willl start the hardwood Monday. Also any recommendations on how to pull the boards up tight? Screw driver, wide chisel, Planning on leaving a 3/4 gap on all sides .
Where do you recommmend we start? We could start in an ajoining bedroom and work toward the living room which may cause the wall plank in the living room not to be full size due to what comes out of the bedroom into the hallway maybe a 1/4 or half plank. next to the living room wall
John
johndrew wrote:
Yep. Cut a sheet in half to start off, then offset with a full sheet. Used 2 inch screws to put down thru the 3/4 plywood , thru the 1/2 inch sub-floor into the floor joist about 8" apart. This is perpendicular to the way the flooring will be laid.
Took out the partical board by sawing on each side of the nails attaching it to the joist, then easily removed the 15" center section, which had no nails and then tapped the 1 1/2 inch section which had the nails and it easily broke out.
Will sleep good tonight...if I ever get get out of this Ape like position.
Any suggestions on how to set staples which are not all the way down? Willl start the hardwood Monday. Also any recommendations on how to pull the boards up tight? Screw driver, wide chisel, Planning on leaving a 3/4 gap on all sides .
Where do you recommmend we start? We could start in an ajoining bedroom and work toward the living room which may cause the wall plank in the living room not to be full size due to what comes out of the bedroom into the hallway maybe a 1/4 or half plank. next to the living room wall
Which staples?
Not set deep enough-bash the shit outta them.
If flooring staples-bigger nail set, hit each side till flush with the tongue.
I would start in the big room. Not matter how you divide the total distance of coverage-mega computer and using a micrometer..............how you end up will be a mystery in that kind of length. See if you can figure the run in that room (big one) and MAYBE adjust for centering. It'll still work out however it does. Might as well start with a full board and be done with it.
Parallel is more of a thing to keep checking, makes the rips at the opposite wall look better.
Harwood shrinks/expands in width way moreso than in length. With a moisture meter, check the flooring and the subfloor. You want those two to be as close to the same as you can.
I'd leave no more than a 1/2" at the start and finish-----baseboard (if 3/4" will cover) if using base and shoe-no problem whatsoever. At the ends, a half is more than enough-you could leave less and be fine.
To pull the boards together? The flooring nailer will drive most of the way tight. If necessary, a block of the same stuff with edge of the groove narrowed so when you use it as a block, it hits the tongue b/4 it hits the finished edge of the hardwood, thus driving it home without boogering up the finished edge. If a board is so bent that would not work-discard or cut in half to minimize the curve and use it for starter/finisher.
The flat side of the chisel will if driven in at the tongue and an angle, pull in a problem board.............but don't booger up the tongue.
Lay your hardwoods out in front of you, staggering the end joints from adjoining rows. Keep enough room to work (swing the nailer hammer), but lay your runs out so you don't have to fish around as to what board to use next. Layout 5 or so runs ahead. Then you can stay bent over like a goofy looking hunchback for long enough to really get to feeling bad.
Keep the surfaces clean and don't wear lugsoled shoes-with a gravel driveway.
Best of luck.