Replies

1. 
   GRCourter | Oct 31, 2006 04:01pm | #1

   Maybe I am old and crazy (one out of two isn't bad) but I do not see how you can "float" a 3/4" T&G floor.  My exper is that this will have to be nailed down.  Is the heating done by tubing or electric grid?  If it is the hot water tubing there is not a problem with nailing the flooring down.  You need to draw out the tubing on the sturdi-floor (and I use orange marking paint) and stay away from the tubing.  I have also found that keeping an eye on your pressure guage while you are nailing down the floor is a plus.  If it is an electric grid, I don't know.

1. 
   Frandn | Oct 31, 2006 04:22pm | #2

   Thanks GR for the response - it is not electrical - just hot water. Would you nail or screw the flooring down? Fran

1. 
   GRCourter | Oct 31, 2006 04:43pm | #3

   If you are using T&G I would nail it down.  I install T&G over radiant heat tubes the same way I install it without tubes, just make sure you stay away from your markings.  You will also need to take a little more care laying out the end cuts so that they do not fall on the tubes.  The radiant heat heats mass, so IMHO there is not a need to try to put a heat convection material between the  T&G and the sturdi-floor.

   Edited 10/31/2006 9:45 am ET by GRCourter

2. 
   frenchy | Oct 31, 2006 05:22pm | #4

   Frandn

     Here's a differant solution to your problem.. 

     You can of course face nail a board to wide to edge nail but I'm not sure you want that look.

     six inches is the widest you can safely edge nail beyond that it's risk time..

     so what you could do for those wider boards is go in the basement below and screw up into the wider boards..

     Get cleaver here because you are in danger area..

    Wide boards move a lot as they swell and shrink.. they swell and shrink from humidity and air borne moisture not tempurature. so you need to accomodate that movement..

     PLace wide planks down to locate where you intend to place them and mark the center of where the wide planks will be..  Now drill a larger hole than the size of screw you intend to use..  if the size is say a #6 for example you might want to drill a 3/8ths hole.  every 6 inches to be safe.. edge nail as normal but go below to run the center screws into the wood.  put the screw in the center of the hole and run it in place.. Use a countersunk screw but put a washer on it larger than the size of the hole....  Sheetrock screws seem to be the neat answer (I know Piffan)

       the wood can now swell and move over a 1/4 of an inch before the screw touches the side and even more as the threads bite into the subflooring..

    Seems like a lot of work but wide plank flooring requires just such solutions.  Wide planks are wonderful, and I plan on using them as wide as 22 inches.. 

    Work but worth it!  

    

1. 
   Frandn | Oct 31, 2006 10:53pm | #5

   Wow! A lot of good suggestions --- I really do appreciate all of the help.  Fran

3. 
   JonE | Nov 01, 2006 01:42am | #6

   I am in the process of having 3/4" unfinished maple put down over staple-up radiant tubing.  I used 3" wide strips and I really wouldn't go much wider - maybe 4" but oak moves quite a bit.

   We put it down over a 3/4" Advantech subfloor with 1-1/2" Bostitch floor staples every 6" o.c..  No punch-through to the basement at all, we ran some tests with 2" Porta-Nails and 2" staples on some scrap and found that both came through the subfloor and would have damaged the tubing.  The 1-1/2" staples hold just fine - in fact it was pretty tough to pull up a piece once stapled.  

   You don't need anything "conductive" between the subfloor and the finished hardwood - just put down red rosin paper as a slip sheet.    Make sure your tubing is insulated from underneath.

    

1. 
   Frandn | Nov 01, 2006 05:24am | #7

   Thanks JonE --- your experience is very helpful. Fran