? need for tight temperature control for hardwood install

11 years ago

Hi all,

We have purchased new hardwood flooring for our remodel:

6" solid oak plank, 3/4" thick oil prefinished

We live in Bay Area California, temps 50 night to 80 day.

Flooring installer who is very conservative wants us to get temp heaters while product on site, contractor says it's almost May, don't need them. Flooring guy is planning on glue and nail down.

? need for this, we have already planned to get some dehumidifiers to get humidity within range

thanks!

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Comments (5)

knot2fast
11 years ago
Someone more knowledgeable will have to comment, but I know that wider planks are more susceptible to cupping. 6" wide planks are very wide. I suspect the installer is worried you'll see cupping a few months after installation and come back to him for a remedy. He probably wants to control everything a tightly as possible to limit any cupping, including glue in addition to nailing.

I'd be very wary of a glued 3/4" thick floor. That makes is quite permanent. During a remodel, I ripped up about 800 sq. ft. of 3/4" red oak in 2" planks that was only nailed. It was a huge job that would have been impossible if they had been glued as well.
gregmills_gw
11 years ago
Although many pros are going to have varying opinions on this issue. This is the time to listen to your installer.
If he wants you to get heaters then do what he says. Hes got your best interests at heart.
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glennsfc
11 years ago
However, one caution about heaters...electric is fine, but kerosene or other fossil fueled heaters will add moisture to the environment, unless they are vented to the outside.

Your installer needs to monitor the moisture levels of both the subfloor and the flooring to be installed.

As for glue and nail...that is the method that sometimes is used when installing wide plank flooring in Vermont.

I agree with gregmills, listen to the advice from your installer, if that person is a bonafide flooring installer and not a handyman.
User
11 years ago
If you put down an appropriate sub-floor, installed with it and the wood at the proper moisture level, keep the moisture level under control in the home, and don't abuse the floor then you fulfill all of the requirements for protection under that warranty. If you don't care about having a warranty on the floor, and can afford to rip it out and start over in just a couple of years, then skip one of those requirements.

Go to the manufacturer's website and read the installation requirements. You can't go wrong following those.
brickeyee
11 years ago
"glue and nail down"

What is the glue supposed to do?

Just nail it down and be done with it.

The wood is GOING to move with humidity throughout the year.

See cashter 3 of the 'Wood Handboo'.
The glue will not stop it.
No finish will stop it.
No fasteners will stop it.

Tongue and groove is only nailed on one side to allow for the INEVITABLE wood movement that occurs.

Every single strip moves by itself.

See Chapter 3 of the 'Wood Handbook'

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Wood Handbook'

This post was edited by brickeyee on Sun, Apr 28, 13 at 14:34