llock
09-05-2004, 03:55 PM
Hi,
Perhap someone can provide some more insight on this topic. I'm looking to put down a 3/8" hardwood strip floor on concrete. I looked into gluing it down, but with the price of that type of glue, the mess, and time; I know think the better way is to put down a subfloor and nail the strips. I've looked around the internet for subfloor design/considerations but can't get all my question answered. Hope someone here can offer some tips
Here's what I'm thinking of. I'm trying to think of a way design a floating subfloor. My thought is to see if I lay down some 1.2 mil plastic as a vapor barrier, then some asphalt roofing felt (or that laminate floor padding stuff), then finally some 5/8" (would like to keep the profile as short as possible, might have to 3/4" if I can find the 5/8") Tongue/Groove (T/G) plywood, glueing the T/G edges together to form one large "solid" subfloor. Then I would come back and nail the hardwood strips to the subfloor. Sounds simple enough, but here are the concerns that have surfaced:
- I prefer not to anchor the subfloor to the concrete. Several reasons for this: TIME, $, and noise of the extra step, ramseting type devices might deform the plywood, punctuing the vapor barrier. I live in Austin Tx and the concrete is above grade. Typical outdoor humidity is about 70-80%
- If I don't anchor the plywood sheets, will the plywood cupping be an issue? Would treating both sides of the plywood sheets with Thompson's water seal help this? (Some one gave me a BIG jug of the stuff and I need to get rid of it)
- If I do have to anchor it, I guess I should leve about a 1/4-1/8" gap between the boards to allow for expansion?
Sorry this post is so long, any help would be very welcomed. thanks
Perhap someone can provide some more insight on this topic. I'm looking to put down a 3/8" hardwood strip floor on concrete. I looked into gluing it down, but with the price of that type of glue, the mess, and time; I know think the better way is to put down a subfloor and nail the strips. I've looked around the internet for subfloor design/considerations but can't get all my question answered. Hope someone here can offer some tips
Here's what I'm thinking of. I'm trying to think of a way design a floating subfloor. My thought is to see if I lay down some 1.2 mil plastic as a vapor barrier, then some asphalt roofing felt (or that laminate floor padding stuff), then finally some 5/8" (would like to keep the profile as short as possible, might have to 3/4" if I can find the 5/8") Tongue/Groove (T/G) plywood, glueing the T/G edges together to form one large "solid" subfloor. Then I would come back and nail the hardwood strips to the subfloor. Sounds simple enough, but here are the concerns that have surfaced:
- I prefer not to anchor the subfloor to the concrete. Several reasons for this: TIME, $, and noise of the extra step, ramseting type devices might deform the plywood, punctuing the vapor barrier. I live in Austin Tx and the concrete is above grade. Typical outdoor humidity is about 70-80%
- If I don't anchor the plywood sheets, will the plywood cupping be an issue? Would treating both sides of the plywood sheets with Thompson's water seal help this? (Some one gave me a BIG jug of the stuff and I need to get rid of it)
- If I do have to anchor it, I guess I should leve about a 1/4-1/8" gap between the boards to allow for expansion?
Sorry this post is so long, any help would be very welcomed. thanks