Real wood floor.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm thinking about real wood flooring. Oak would be nice. The existing floor is very good Victorian pine - but not T&G so gaps between boards, and I don't want the sort of result I'd get from sanding and varnishing that.

What I don't want is the sort of loose laid click together stuff that sounds wrong when you walk on it - I want the sort which is secret nailed.

Cost is a factor - I'll need 35 sq.mtrs.

I'm happy enough with an engineered type provided it will last well, and looks real.

There is a bewildering range on offer - where is the best value place?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

No-one got any advice? I'm cross eyed looking at Ebay, and worn out going round the sheds and local suppliers. The prices seem to vary dramatically. I'm obviously after the best value.

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 24 May 2013 18:11 Dave Plowman (News) wrote in uk.d-i-y:

If you want solid - does it have to be oak? Not maybe resawn victorian beams? - Coffee shop down the road has them and they are very nice. Wide boards too.

Re oak - I can only recommend Kahrs engineered, but you said you dod not want a floating floor...

[Huge]

Architectural reclaim?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm happy with engineered on a decent ply backing so it can be nailed. Do want tongue and grooved, though, to keep draughts etc to a minimum.

The existing floor is suspended wood above the cellar. In good condition. What I'm after is a good looking and durable 'top' to that. What I don't want is the type of covering which looks or sounds artificial.

I'm also not sure about the various finishes - oiled or varnish? Or unfinished and apply it myself?

[Tim Watts]

On Friday 24 May 2013 18:58 Dave Plowman (News) wrote in uk.d-i-y:

The Kahrs range might suit you. It's "click fit" (very good fit - you should hoover the joints before clicking as they are that tight).

However, I'm not sure about fixing it down - normally you don't - but their fitting structions are on the website. It might be permissible to glue it - worth checking with them. "1926 Flooring" (google) is where I bought it online - they also know their stuff and were helpful when I phoned them to check a technical detail. It's a 3mm veneer on a very solid ply back - no complaints there.

But it might be that there is a more suitable product for your needs. Sounds like you want a thinner (non load bearing) set of T+G strips in something nice that you can fix down.

I went for "oiled" - it's easy to rejuvanate scratches.

[meow2222]

That's easy, seasoned oak firewood. Get it split but not sawn to short lengths. You did want a couple of nice tools?

Why people pay 10x the price for less quality I don't know.

NT

[stuart noble]

lengths. You did want a couple of nice tools?

Because they don't have a mill in their back yard possibly

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Other thing is some instructions I've read for using engineered stuff that can be nailed down - ie with a decent ply substrata - say the boards must run across existing ones, or be laid over 6mm ply. Others don't mention it. It would be much easier to install in this case if I could run in the same direction as the existing, without the ply.

[meow2222]

lengths. You did want a couple of nice tools?

Cheaper to get a large saw than buy lots of premade flooring

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Perhaps you missed the bit about wanting T&G?

Also, this is central London. I don't have a spare barn to keep large woodworking machinery in - or a sawmill down the road.

[meow2222]

No. Saws, sander, a router & table's cheap compared to lots of premade flooring, as I said. And you get to keep or resell it.

That's the killer, that & family time.

NT

[Rick Hughes]

get one with at least 7mm thick veneer.

I have used several makes - I found BOEN particularly good, and KHARS is also a good product.

[Martin Bonner]

I've just laid a floating beech Junckers floor in the spare bedroom (got ch eap off eBay). The plan was put down wood-fibre underlay from Wickes, and then straight on the top. When we got the carpet up, the underlying floorb oard were very uneven, so we left the underlay down, and put the wood fibre on top of that.

The result doesn't feel at all artificial. There is a *slight* creak, but wood floors creak, so .

Other notes:

- The carpet underlay didn't reach the wall after we took the skirtings and carpet grip up, so we filled that gap with old carpet

- The flooring was 22m (so reasonably stout)

- The board ran at right angles to the old floor boards. I'm hoping that laying parallel will also work - 'cos I have another room to do like that.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

So what's the best tool to buy for secret nailing of some 35 mtr.sq of this stuff to a wood floor? Don't mind taking a gamble on selling it on afterwards - or is it better in this case to hire?

Trouble with hiring is rushing to get everything done within the period.

[Andrew May]

I rented one of these for the weekend.

You could but if you wanted to and then sell on - depends on your timescale.

Andrew