I need some advice about a 3/4″ Oak strip floor I’m installing. I’m laying the floor across the joists and the subfloor is 3/4″ plywood. I’ve checked the floor and it is level but I have one problem area. From one wall, extending out about 16″, there is one joist that is high. I’ve laid a 4′ level on he floor and it seesaws on this one high point. The only thing I can think of is to beltsand this high point down but it is also under the FHW register. I really don’t want to have to pull the register.
Are there any other ways to handle this high point?
George
Replies
i recently did about 1000 sq.ft. of 3/4" maple and had lot's of situations like yours.
If the high points are not that high, I leave it alone as the flooring will bend somewhat. I use the longer boards at these locations so that any bumbs are a smooth curve rather than a peak.
You can shave the subfloor a little bit. If you have an actual 3/4" subfloor, 1/16" to1/8" should be fine and will make a big difference.
I had spots that were 3/8" high. I used levelling compound on both sides of the joist in this case.
A friend of mine was told by his flooring supplier that a lot of people use asphalt roll roofing (without the aggregate) as shims.
We're(my employer) building a new house right now and the hard wood floors are being put in this week, first thing the installers did was go around and sand ALL the joints flush.
You should belt sand that joint and take a good look at all the others, no reason to skip a simple/easy step.
Doug
Couple months ago we had to lay strip floor (oak prefin.) in an area that we added new joists and subfloor. Ended up with about 1/8" level difference where the old met the new. I thought we would just belt sand and taper out to zero across a couple feet or so. Wrong.For those of you in this situation, don't even bother thinking about the belt sander. For this kind of hogging out go directly to the planer. Holy #### what a timesver! This is an excellent 'adjustment' tool to have.
I didn't mean sanding the finsihed floor. I meant sanding the subfloor down to get rid of the hump. I think I will live with it since I really don't want to pull the register and all that entails. I laid the level across and leveled it out. The gap at each end of the level wasn't that great - an 1/8th or less. I have an 8' straight edge I can use to get a better idea of the overall floor. Of course, this is where the first strip is going so if it has to be straight. If it was the other side I wouldn't be so concerned.
George
Eh...no biggie really to sand down a subfloor joint with a belt sander. Or rent a floor sander and do ALL the joints. Your job will be the better for it IMO.
Ken
Yea I suppose the planer would be a better choice but if you dont have one and you do have a belt sander then you have a tool that will do the job.
BTW, the guys that are installing our floor are using one of those edge sanders that floor guys have, much faster then your average heavy duty belt sander.
Doug
GeorgeP
sand the subfloor not the finish floor.. you might have to sand down into the spline in order to get the floor flat or you might make the wood so thin in that area tha splinters quickly form.
I've got a floor that is too bumpy to do that so I use long boards. I'm actually going for the sqeaky floor thing.. One of my favorite memories was walking across squeeky hardwood flooring. I'm only going to do it in certain areas but I want those squeeks!