3/4 in. Brazillian Cherry

[JTurner]

I've been doing a lot of research on this topic and I've seen a couple different answers to this question based on the circumstances so I am now looking for advice for my specific circumstances. I am putting 3/4 solid brazillian cherry at grade level. I am in the desert so there is not much humidity. The contractor I have right now told me I could glue this flooring down but he has never installed any solid plank flooring. He wants to put a liquid moisture barrier down and then use a glue down. Most of the articles I have read have recommended using a 3/4 sub floor and then nailing it down which seems like the much better option to me. However, this guy is currently charging 4US / sq ft for installation which I believe is a good deal (I suppose you get what you pay for). Should I tell him there is no way I should glue this floor down and go with someone else ? Or should I make him give me a warranty and if I should what type of warranty should I ask for ? The manafacture (Bellawood) recommends a nail down application for this flooring but does not specifically say not to glue down. I was also unable to find the specific disadvantages of glue down application on

3/4 in, I assume it has to do with the moisture.

One more question, what is a reasonable price to pay to install a sub flooring and then to nail down the wood floors? I feel a bit shafted since I have already recieved the wood after this contractor told me he could glue it down and had checked with the manafacturer. I do intend to sell this home in the near futue, would glued down solid plank be a draw back for a buyer ?

Thanks for your help, I am supposdly getting this floor installed in less then 48 hours and now I am scared of how this might come out.

-Jason Turner

[David]

I don't know the answer, but I have a suggestion: call the mfgr first thing Monday morning and ask them about gluing the product. Then you won't have to wonder any longer if the omission of gluing in the instructions means it's ok or not ok. Better to get it straight from the horse's mouth.

Dave

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Most installer's will agree that about the maximum thickness you can glue down is 1/2". Bellawood also says this, or at least they used to (in fact, all their glue down products are 3/8" to 1/2" thick....that should tell you something right there). Low humidity or not, your floor will move at the first thunderstorm. I think you should plan to either build a subfloor, plane the wood thinner, or buy some thinner boards. I'm in NM and just did my first glue down with Bellawood so I've been through a number of the issues/questions. Cheers, cc

[EXT]

3/4" flooring is stiff, comes with minor bows, warps and curls, requiring a large rubber mallet to convince it to lay flat and fit the tongue of its neighbor, finally you anchor it with a number of steel cleats (nails) to keep it in place.

How would you do this with glue? As soon as you release it, it will go back to its original shape.

I know of no manufacturer that recommends gluing wood planks of this thickness. Only engineered flooring, which is a plywood type material is stable enough to be glued, and I can imagine that sometimes there can be problems with that material.

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Read my post. I recommended against gluing the 3/4" as well. There are some places that do advise that it can be done but I don't subscribe to this. Most if not all, Hardwood Mfg's do say you can glue 3/8" -1/2" planks. Cheers, cc