Would anyone here recommend a Bowrench to cramp up pitch pine floorboards before nailing? It seems to be designed as a decking tool, but is a lot less expensive than the Record-style cramps. I'm wondering if a Bowrench would apply enough pressure, or lock tightly.
Cheers Richard
You can hire the Record type from HSS
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Whatever you do, you need to allow for expansion and contraction across the floorboards' width in response to changes in humidity and temperature. This is why filling gaps in floorboard can be such a problem. There's plenty of information on the internet on this topic.
michael adams
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My apologies. You gave no indication that you didn't already know that.
Just taking a quick break and posting nonsense as a result.
michael adams
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???? Well unless thoughts have changed since my apprenticeship very many years ago, that sentence about "you need to allow for expansion and contraction across the floorboards' width in response to changes in humidity and temperature" is a complete contradiction to what I was taught both theoretically and practically.
You *ALWAYS* cramp any 'natural' softwood T&G or PSE flooring up until there is a slight bow in it, and then nail the things down as tightly as you can - and no matter how tight you cramped and nailed the things, they still shrank over time.
As for 'filling gaps' in floorboards, that's a complete waste of time - you are far better off taking the old boards up and relaying them - and make up any difference with new boards that have been left in that room for several months to acclimatise.
Now for cramping the boards as per the OP: If you don't want to go to the expense of buying patent floor cramps - you can simply use one of the floor boards temporarily nailed down and use a number of wooden wedges between that and the rest to push the boards together. Or if you only have small number to lay, use a wide lever to push the boards together (although this would need two persons to - an that's where SWMBO would come in handy if this is a DIY exercise ).
Cash
I've seen the bowrench advertised at £50 - £60. It looks exactly like the Toolstation decking installation tool for less than £10
It applies & considerable amount of force then 'locks' in place. Deck boards are 28mm thick & it does on occassion bruise the edge. I'd worry about what it could do to a tongue or groove.
Good video here
didn't tell me what the tool was called there. I think if I was using this to cramp my floorboards, I'd lay them tongue first, so to speak, and use the tool on the groove side, with a batten to spread the pressure.
Cheers Richard
Yes. I think what Michael said is true for a floating floor, where an expansion gap is needed at the edges, as expansion can ocur as well as contraction. However, I don't think expansion is going to be my issue here ;-)
Then again if you're repairing a floor, it's a great deal less faff to glue some slivers into gaps than take the damn floorboards up, even if it doesn't look as good.
Wedges were my fallback option; however, the room is around 30 m2, so I was hoping to avoid a lot of nailing and moving of battens.
Cheers Richard
Sorry, I missed off my footnote [1], which was to the effect that I've probably committed some solecism by referring to a newsgroup as a "forum".
;-)
Yes, but only after you've allowed the timber to condition somewhat to room humidity.
If you do this with extra-dry timber fresh from the kiln, they'll bow and pull the nails (or screws) loose, then you're left with a squeaky floor.
Cthulthu might, as he has enough tentacles to hold onto it while also nailing down the boards.
Mortals buy a couple of Record floorboard cramp heads from eBay, despite the postage cost on such a lump of cast iron. Or else hire, as you don't often use them.
They lock, supposedly, according to what the manufacturer and the chap above say ;-)
Failing that, I have a glamorous assistant.
Cheers Richard
Now that's a different kettle of fish as they say lol
The problem that you can get then, is a rather persistent and annoying squeak as bits of board rub together when your walking over them - or being overly energetic in the bedroom (so I have been told by the odd one or two people that I have done this job for (against my advice and better judgement) in the long-ago past .
Just put down as many boards that you want to fix in one go, push them so that they form a gently bow, temporarily nail the last board tight against the board and they will go down as you nail them into a nice tight fit on the joints - should only take a small number of 'moves'. As a matter of interest, when I was doing that stuff for a living, I never used a floor cramp and just resorted to the board and wedge jobbie.
BTW, if you can, try and stick the boards in the same room (or one with a similar humidity) for a few weeks to acclimatise and you really will have a lot less shrinkage of the boards - not normally possible I know but if you can....and if these boards are to left exposed, then the difference will be remarkable in the long term.
As a matter of interest, are the boards from new stock or reclaimed from an old building?
Best of luck on the job, and I glad I've now retired from that sort of heaving and banging job - but I suppose that's a damn site easier, and less tiresome, than sticking T&G boards on walls and ceilings (ouch!)
Cash
As I've stated already Andy, but that is not always possible - especially if there is no room to store them, or people (or the bloody gaffer) want the job done ASAP.
You wouldn't normally get flooring that dry when I was doing the work in the distant past - the timber merchants that I dealt with stored the stuff in buildings with a roof and open sides, and the timber would absorb the ambient, seasonal moisture.
It used to be great fun trying to nail down boards that could be used as propellers on 'planes. ;-)
Cash
And 'that's the way to do it' as they say!
All great fun Richard - but I think I'll stick to the odd bit of essential maintenance around the house now - with the odd 'special project' that my wife, kids (and grandchildren) throw at me these days.
Cash
The boards are pitch pine, resawn two years ago from old beams. They spent 18 months in my garage (which is a bit open at the edges as so subject to the seasonal climate). They're currently stacked, with battens between, in another room uprstairs, where I aim to leave them for three weeks or so (is that sufficient, do you think?)
Cheers Richard
I've just taken delivery of two of these Bowrench-a-likes, from Toolstation. They're made by Silverline. I can't see any way of locking them once pressure has been applied, so it looks as if my glamorous assistant is in a job ;-)
Cheers Richard
And replying to my own post again (there's nothing like talking to yourself) - having watched the Bowrench video linked to above, it's clearer to me now how it does lock in place.
Cheers Richard
Cash is dead right in all respects Folding sliding wedges on a nailed batten will do the trick It IS sensible to leave a gap around the perimeter under the skirting Chris
I would go for more than 3 weeks at Room Temp - and I would simple measure a few samples in a known place until they stop shrinking not point in doing this and then having gaps Also consider Sound Deadening quilt Chris
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