[Homestead] Wood Floors

Gene GeRue genegerue at ruralize.com
Sun Nov 4 20:55:37 EST 2007


On Nov 4, 2007, at 6:11 PM, Robert Walton wrote:

> I'm thinking about going to a mill near here and getting some plank
> wood for the floor and walls. Has any one done this? I'd like to put
> down a plank floor. Do I need the wood to be tongue and groove? If I
> just use oak planks for instance and finish them in place, my concern
> is the groves that would be left between the planks. How do you handle
> that?

Your concern about grooves would be exacerbated by shrinkage. Best  
move in buying from a mill is to stack the planks carefully against a  
wall and leave them there for a year before nailing them down.

T&G stuff often has a slight bevel on each edge, creating a short V  
groove when joined. A local mill T&G machine may not do that. They  
may leave the corners square. No problem as long as there are no  
splinters. But make sure the planks are as dry as the house, or you  
will live with cracks forever.

I presume you will put plywood or wire on the bottom of the joists  
first--plywood if the floor is exposed to the weather or wire if in a  
closed crawl space--then either lay fiberglass insulation over the  
wire or maybe have cellulose blown in over the plywood. Then lay the  
plywood subfloor. Lap building paper on the plywood, then lay the  
planks, face nailing the first run and then nailing through the plank  
tongues at an angle. Get them tight. Do some research and see the  
various ways to get them really tight.

Rent a floor sander and do the field. Very carefully; it will make  
grooves quickly. Use a hand sander at the edges. Vacuum thoroughly,  
stain and finish.






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