I’m going to be installing pre-finished 3/4″ x 3-1/4″ oak flooring in my house (approx. 2400 sqft). The subfloor throughout the house is 3/4″ Weyerhaeuser Structurwood. Can I staple the hardwood flooring directly to this subfloor? (I have the Bostitch MIIIFS flooring stapler).
In looking at muiltiple books and websites, I’ve gotten confused. Now I’m not sure if the Structurwood is considered OSB or not. One source said if the subfloor is OSB, then a layer of 1/2″ plywood should be put down over the subfloor before the hardwood. This is because they said flooring staples & nails don’t adhere well enough in OSB. On the other had, the “Installing Hardwood Flooring” guide from the NOFMA website (The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association) says OSB is a suitable material to use for Hardwood flooring. I’m thinking that I don’t need the extra 1/2″ plywood.
Here’s the description of the subfloor material (printed on the subfloor sheets):
Weyerhaeuser Grayling Structurwood
Rated STURD-I-FLOOR
24OC 23/32 inch
Sized for spacing exposure 1
Replies
It's OSB. You might like the link.
http://www.rsvpcomm.com/weyerhaeuser/osb-f1101.pdf
"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
I might consider changing the nail before laying 1/2" ply over 2400sq.
I installed over 1K sq. of 3/4"1.5" over OSB and it is wearing well. I had to cut the nails on some mis-shoots and the oak broke instead of the nail pulling. The nails I used are more spendy but they are barbed and have a "T" shaped head. They real stay in place. Sorry but I forgot the name of these, but most rental shops have this older style nailer and nails.
Good luck
I installed 1300 sf of engineered hardwood floor over a layer of OSB - it worked fine. No problems after 2 years.
When OSB first came out it was not approved as a nailing base for hardwood floors. I don't know if they wimped out on their specs, took a bribe or improved the product but it is now approved. I don't like the staples, they don' hold as well as Powernails. Jim Devier
thanks,it looks like the OSB will be OK.. And I've found multiple references on staples vs. nails. It seems pretty evenly split, I gues it's personal preference based on experience. Although, I've found universal agreement (via multiple discussion boards) that stapled floors are MUCH harder to remove than nailed floors. Which implies to my simple mind, that staples may hold better....thanks for your comments!!!mark
staples may hold better....
Smooth staples in osb don't hold worth a darn. OSB doesn't hold nails or staples all that well. Don't believe us, just sink a few of each in osb and pull them out.
Like many of the finish aspects of today's houses, we've all given in to what would have been half-ars ways of building not too long ago simply to save money. Everyone says it will work fine for a few years and we all go happily on our way.
Personally, it's hard to get excited about putting in hardwood floors with a life expectancy of a few decades, whereas a good traditional install will almost last the life of the house.
Put down 3/4" plywood as sub-flooring in our recent addition.THEN, put down another layer of 3/4" plywood, glued and nailed.ONLY THEN, did we put down the 3/4" oak hardwood T&G flooring.This was all in an addition we put on to a 1950's ranch.
The flooring in the original portion of the ranch is 3/4" oak as well.The difference when you step from the old house onto the addition's floor is like night and day. SOLID. We never realized how much the floors creaked, gotten used to it, until the new addition opened up.Getting up early in the morning and walking to the new shower doesn't wake up anyone anymore. No creaks, no squeaks, rock solid.Love it.
Very nice.
Floors built to minimum codes just remind me of apartments or track houses. Same goes for 1/2" sheetrock and 24" spacing on interior studs.
Good building
"No creaks, no squeaks, rock solid."
There's the difference in taste. I don't like a super loose creeky floor, but I like a house with some little creek or noise issuing forth from certain spots. It's the house telling me that there's someone there, a quiet little announcement that life is here and you can really go to sleep now because the kid has come home and is in for the night. (or is it a burgler?)
Each spot has its own special noise, just as each person has their own sounding foot movement, their own gait. "THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNKTHUNKTHUNK" is my 6'2" don'tjackwithme homeforthesummer fratboy emerging from the basement with one thing on his mind. Food.
"ssth ssth ssth ssth...errrrk (oh, she's midway at that spot down the hall)...ssth ssth" is my bleary eyed wife in her bedroom slippers coming to make herself some espresso. An hour later it's, "Clack Clack Clack Clack Clack ....errrk...,Clack Clack" as she scurries, a little late for work.
"Pit pit pit thunk... ("yiddie yiddie yiddie" goes the yet-to-be-repaired railing), pit pit pitpitpit..errrrk..pitpitpitpitpit" is my 17 year old running to find his cell phone that's sounding somewhere in the bowels of the cave where he sleeps.
It's like the loose annoying little finial that sits atop the newel post in "It's A Wonderful Life" that George Bailey ultimately ends up kissing.
It's the sounds of the coinciding lives within a house and the life of the house itself. Something that is rock solid and enduring, even if only in memory.
Nice post.
Beware. RFID is coming.
I'd like to see that post published in the mag. Well done!
I know this wasn't your question and I'm sure you know this, but in case someone else doesn't, be sure to put a layer of roofing felt or at least red rosin paper down on the subfloor before you put the hardwood down. It cuts down on squeaks and serves as a vapor barrier when you are over a basement. The down side to rosin paper is that it will eventually turn to dust, where as the roofing felt won't.