The wifey and I have decided on 10″ pine plank flooring. I’ve access to 50- 16′
pine treads. They are 1″x 11 1/2″. The moisture content is a touch high-10/11%
I plan on ripping the b/n edge to give the 10″ width.
We understand they will gap in winter, etc…. We are going for the cottage/country
look. Before finish they will be chained, dented etc…
Can the planks be used in their full {15′ after squaring} length? Our living room is just under 20′ . Also would like to plug with walnut or braz cherry. These plugs will be functional covering the #10x 1″ screws used to fasten the planks.
Here’s the question for the masses:
Fastener spacing- 1″ in from edges and one centerd 3 total?
at what span-2’/4′????????
Any thoughts,suggs,comments welcome! Thanx GEO
Replies
That will be a great floor.
Given that the boards will shrink some, I would be tempted to keep the screws even closer to the middle ie. 3 inches from each edge and one centered. This would allow at least the outside to move, and may prevent some cracking during the shrinkage.
Better yet, use over size holes with pan head screws and the boards will have more room to move.
Better yet, tongue and groove or shiplap the boards. The boards will still move but will keep each other down, reducing the possiblility of cupping. It adds to the work but will be worth it.
I would also use longer screws and, if possible, screw into the joists. Makes for a quieter floor
The longer the better. There is minute shrinkage lengthwise, so full legth boards are faster to install and easier to take bends out.
It will make a beautiful floor. If you can live with it, stack(sticker) the wood in the room it will be installed in to acclimate it. It may get the MC down some which should make for a tighter floor.
A couple of suggestions to add to those you've been given (which are excellant)
consider putting screws in from underneath. That is, drill holes into the sub floor at the spacing you'll want (it's much easier to drill down than up) then from below run screws up into the wood. If you drill slightly over size the boards will be able to shrink and expand according to the moisture in the room without splitting.
Sticker up the boards in the room you'll put them into and install in the fall (best compromise between winter shrinkage and summer swelling) gaps will open slightly as winter drags on and will swell up during summer.
Regarding plugs, if you do go that way, be carefull to select a wood with a similar expansion to the pine . Differant will cause the plugs to loosen or split the wood.
Finally while you have 15 foot long boards in a 16 foot room, consider picture framing the balance rather than trying to piece in short pieces. It will add a nice look to the room.
Excellent suggs by all, and a hearty thanks!
The room is 20' long so I will have some length to make up. I plan on staggering the offsets------15'/5'----5'/15' etc.....
I wish I could wait till fall {sound thinking there} but we need to move in as we are footing the mortgage and renting with the lease up Aug 1.
I plan on using a 1"router bit to relieve the back as is done on narrower widths.
I'm not green when it comes to woodworking/construction, after the normal path thru framing,int trim,casework to my current gig over the past 4 yrs with a stair co.
The wifey likes the look of the pine plank, even though it's not heart it will look right at home with her design. Besides as mentioned in a previous post, it will go down a little quicker! And I can't beat the price----- all but free as I'm getting it thru the company.
I just haven't seen pine of this size used in flooring and wanted some input from others in the know.
Thanx again to all and if you have any other thoughts-----POST 'EM!
A cold round of the cyber of your choice!---GEO----
Sorted the planks all 54 of them and ripped them to 10" on the straight line rip saw at the shop saturday. Had the wifey as the helper, loaded them on the trailer and into the house. They are stickerd {using the ripped nosings} and acclimating to the house. With boards this wide would it be wise to route 2 or 3 1"x3/8" rabbets on the backs? I'v pretty much decided to counterbore3/4" holes for the #12x2" pan head
screws w/washers into slotted holes for expansion. The counterbores will be plugged w/ 3/4 walnut after some one suggested that the braz chr was too hard and would not help when the boards moved. Great tip! I guess I wasn't thinnin' on that one,
Just tryin' to please the wifey!
Any and all thoughts appreciated!----GEO----
Geonc,
I have a random width pine floor in my house. Boards are between 15" and 26" wide, I was concerned with cupping and shrinkage as we have huge hummity swings. I was planning on screwing and plugging the floor, but at the last minute decided to install with rose head cut nails(authentic for a floor of this type). I did make sure the moisture content was in equilibrium with the house 8-9 if I remember correctly. After 4 years have had no problem with cupping. My biggest problem is the board have not contracted or opened up as much as I would have liked. The floor remains as tight as the day installed. During winter it opens slightly at the edges. Understand that this is Old growth eastern white pine.
Good luck
David
Edited 7/2/2002 10:59:37 PM ET by David Dansky
I'm impressed with the plan and thought you've put in so far. Now I know where that tread order of mine went, LOL
There are a few floors of wide plank SYP around here. One I see often at my FILs home in the dining room.
Not only does this wood shrink and grow but it will also try to cup and curl from moisture and drying. That can make one edge rise up while another rolls down right next to each other. Sometimes there rise up little 1/8" trips at the edges that are a pain in bare feet or socks. To fight against that, I would either dado splines into the edges or rout a T&G edge. Either of those will help maintain alignment in a time tested manner. I suppose you could count on the screws at 16"OC to hold alignment there and add some biscuits in between as an alternate solution.
Don't forget to put tarpaper or resin paper under the planks when you lay to prevent squeeks and clicks.
Enjoy!
Excellence is its own reward!
Thanx once again to all for the input!
The rosin paper is an absolute. Wifey doesent care much for the "atmosphere" of
asphalt impregnated felt.
We are both going into this with the knowledge that this wont be a "perfect" floor.
I've got mixed feelings on fastner locations. I'm leaning towards: 1 1/2" from the ends and centerd for a total of 3. I'll be using # 12x2" pan head screws in an elongated hole for expansion. Plugs will be 1/2" Walnut . Due to this layout it will be nesc to angle them in order to get purchase in the joists. I agree that biscuts should be used between the joists.
I've thought about using "gorilla" type glue along the joits in addition to the biscuts. Anyone think this a waste of time/product?
Hope everyone had a happy and safe holliday! GEO
Definitely don't glue the joints. The glue may well be stronger than the wood and cause it to split in the ceters, probably proceeding from the center screwhole and its stresses which I would leave off, placing the others about 1-1/5" to two inches in from edge. Understand about assphalt odor. It fades but there are other reasons not to use it too.Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin, I see your point. 3 screws is a touch too much and as far as gluing the edges,
I've had good sucess with treads but I wasn't taking the whole 13' width of the room into account.
Sometimes ya gotta really think and see the whole picture. This is my first attempt using planks this size over an area this large.
I've already built the dining room table using the same planks with biscuts and the poly glue. The edges are bread board,pegged at the outside edges only, leaving the 2 inner planks to float. Of course it's only a fraction of the size of the floor and I guess I got off track, not thinking about the splitting if they are glued and use a center screw.
Thats the great thing about this site, anybody can suggest trying a bonehead stunt and they will be coaxed in the right direction without being thrown under the bus!
Hats off to all and a cold round of your choice to all!----GEO---
This is a general question for everyone. The cupping occurs because the top of the board is drier than the bottom. Has anyone tried putting in a vapor barrier under the floor boards to allow the board to dry more evenly and not cup?
It seems to me that you've made two assumptions that are not necessarily true. Cupping can also occur with all sides equally moist but because of the way the growth rings are oriented. If milled, jointed, and laid damp and swollen, it will change shape when drying even if all edges dry equally.
I'm not sure how a vapour bar would prevent this under most situations. If the planks are laid dry and there is a water source in the room/crawlspace under them, then the tarpaper would prevent the bottom of the planks from swelling to force a curl into the top, I think.Excellence is its own reward!