I love my hardwood floor!! - Revisit to Household tips by Grumpy

[Sloatsburgh]

A while back I was asking advice on putting down a hardwood floor. We moved into a house with 70's carpet and were ready to replace it. The wife persuaded me to put down a wood instead of carpet. Barely. And I got advice on how to do it. I was going to do it myself because we have 4 rooms and we decided to leave on room empty. Put the wood down move onto another. I was ready to do this because of 1) the cost 2) conveinence of not moving everything 3) because of the cost and because you can't get anyone to do 300 sq feet. They would have a min of 1,000 sq feet.

Enter wife's father. We will get some one to do it.
Me NO!
Wife: just let him look.
Me NO! See above reasons. If he wants to look, well maybe look at wood, BUT I AM NOT PREPARED TO BUY ALL OF THE WOOD AT ONCE. Where am I going to store it? How am I going to pay for it.
Wife: He wants to help.

Father last week Sunday: I can get someone to do it for $5. Look really nice. You no want to do it. Too much work. 1,000 feet minimum.
Me: NO! I can't afford it, I don't want anyone IN my house. I am going to do it. I had a friend over yesterday to help me plan it.
Wife: He just had a heart problem. Let him feel good by helping us.
Me: Fine, but He is not addressing my concerns.
Wife: It would be beter to have someone else do it.
Me: ARE YOU FUCKING LISTENING.

Last night. Wife comes home from her fucking greasy gumba dago wop family tradition of every fucking Sunday of going for an hour fucking drive to and from Yonkers.
I got good news and bad news.
Me: What
Wife: He bought the wood, 1,000 sq feet, but it's unfinished. But we don't have to pay for it. High quality.

SO the fucker backed me into a corner. Because the wood is unfinished, I HAVE to have someone come in the sand it and stain it, even if I do lay it. That's the one piece of advice I DID pick from my friends. So if someone is coming in anyways, well then might as well let them lay it to.

Here I am, with a fucking Chevy Nova on my front yard that an uncle bought for me. He spent $1,000 on it, but I have to spend $8,000 to get the car running. And if I don't fix the car, I will have insulted him.

Oh, and I have to take a half day of from work so that the wood can be delivered.




Advice: Should I still lay the floor one room at a time like I was planning to all along? I really can't see us moving everything downstairs so that the stain and finish can have their three days to dry.

Should this have been put in anger managment?

[Hybrid]

tl;dr

[QuickStop]

kill them all and build coffins out of the wood :thumbs-up:

[Hey Ladi]

duuude, that's rough :-o

why don't you have to pay for the wood? why is he paying for it? did he "find" it? :lol:

[virgingrrl]

burn it. all of it.

[Sweet Angel]

kill them all and build coffins out of the wood

That's a great response. I hate inlaw shit.

[The Jays]

He bought the wood, 1,000 sq feet, but it's unfinished. But we don't have to pay for it. High quality.

How do you plan on finishing it? Me and a friend restored some shitty wood floors, was a bitch to sand down and laquer. I suppose you would just be laquering it. That's a bitch, cuz of the fumes and waiting for it to dry before you can put stuff into the room.

I do prefer unfinished wood whenever possible....

[Rookie]

I do prefer unfinished wood whenever possible....

Not on a floor... It wouldn't take long for an unfinished floor to start splintering and tear nasty little gouges in your feet...

[Sloatsburgh]

We will probably stain it and put some finish protective coat on the top....

[Metalfan]

Dude, rent a fucking floor sander from Home Depot. Will cost less than paying someone, plus you won't have to let them in your house. After that is done, you can stain it a poly it yourself. So now, all you're paying for is the sander rental, stain and poly. You still win :bouncer:

[Rookie]

Make sure you bury your father-in-law under the new floor so you don't have to deal with this shit anymore.

[Brokenjaw]

Ok, well, yes do it one room at a time. You are right no reason to move evrything all at once. As far as the wood goes, why the Hell would he get 1000 sq feet of hard wood? Who gives a shit if its free , you don't need it. Tell the fathe-in-law to shove the shit up his ass, go to home depot or Lowes, tell them the sq footage you have, they will give the right amount and it will be finnished. I am taking it that you have never done this before, so if you do take what you FIL gives you, do you know what your doing? Are you putting it down on concreat floors, or is there a wood sub floor? Is the flooring he got you tounge and groved, or is it just straight planks? Do you have an air compresor if it is tounge and groved, because if you do it with a regular flooring nailer you are going to kill yourself. Speaking of a flooring gun, do you know how to use one, do you have the right paper that needs to be put down before the floor is layed? What kind of paper you ask.. well, the paper is to keep the boards from squeaking, you could use tar paper that you put down on a roof before you shingle, it's cheaper and does a fine job. Is the sub floor level, if not you can run into problems.. I can keep going on and on, My advice, buy tounge and groved flooring, take the other stuff and heat your housse with it. Do one room at atime, make sure the floors are level, and dont have any major bumps or divits in it, get the right tools for the job, pluss knee pads, beer, and lots of Asprin for your back.

Good Luck :thumbs-up:

[Sloatsburgh]

Here's the plan:

Oh, why 1,000 square feet? Whole upstairs is 914 or something to that affect. White oak, top quality, 3/4" tounge and groove, just not pre-finished.

We will do each room at a time, by myself (and at least one friend who is in construction). I have already discussed the resin paper to eliminate squeeks. Figured out that I have to use a 1 inch gap from the wall where the baseboard heaters are (1/2" from lip) and that I do not have to raise the heater back panel.

The first room, all of the carpeting, padding, prior staples have been removed. Wall trim pulled out. The present flooring is, from what I can tell, two layers of chip board (particle). Most likely 1/4". The only problem I foresee is that this room is an open overhang and I felt some dampnest in the padding when I pulled it up (warm floor, cool outside).

Tools I need to borrow/rent: Square, Chop saw (Circular & Miter box), Nail gun and accessories, and now floor sander.

Repeat process 4 times for 3 rooms and hallway.

Should I look into purchasing a couple of tools if I am going to rent 5 times over a year and half?

I am 3/4 of the way of persuading my wife that we will do a room at a time. She whines "I want it all done at once" I whine back "I want a Porche".... I could whine back "I want a threesome" but I really want to keep this house.

More advice BJ! More advice!! (Already talked about running the wood the long way (25') so that the wood will hit the support studs and that we will start at the door and move towards the heater.) I'm just pissed that I am going to have to finish the floors too.

[Brokenjaw]

Tools I need to borrow/rent: Square, Chop saw (Circular & Miter box), Nail gun and accessories, and now floor sander.

Yes a nail gun, BUT not a regular nail gun...


you know this right? What you need for hard wood floor is a ....


You don't need a circular saw for this project but I do recomend buying one, good thing to have around the house, you are right you need a chop saw(MIter) another good investment to have around the house. Don't forget the knee pads man, I can't stress that enough.

(Already talked about running the wood the long way (25') so that the wood will hit the support studs and that we will start at the door and move towards the heater.)

You don't have to worry about hitting support studs, but I would sugest not running all the boards the same length, you can do it the way you are planning, but stagering the sizes makes it look much nicer. :thumbs-up:

Good Luck!!

[onehung]

Notice the angle of the nailer,,That white part is what holds the nails.....You're gonna need a Finish gun to nail down the first 4-5 courses and the last 4+ courses. The first 2 will probably have to be nailed through the top Into the joists (depending How big those heaters are) the next few you'll have to use the finish gun and nail through the toungue (not straight down, but at an angle so It doesn't destroy the tounge yet below the finished level of the board) then You can go nuts with the floor nailer (8"-12" apart is fine)

More with this Pic.

Notice how this guy started in the middle of the room.....For him to run the boards behind him, he's going to have to make a tounge out of pine or any kind of shit he has laying around.1/4 thick x 7/16ths (Table saw) It should fit snuggly into the (groove) courses he already has down and enough should stick out to receive the piece thats going to butt to it. (called a spline ) If not it'll be a spot in the floor where it will buckle, or raise. He could always nail it down through the top,,But that looks like shit.

Ok...He probably has a table saw set up somewhere in that room also to rip down the pieces that go up against the wall,Splines, around the doorways, and if theres any jogs in the room. A miterbox is fine for straight cuts but it isn't worth shit ripping down a 4' piece that wont fit cause you need an 1"1/4 piece when they come 2" 1/4..

Theres alot more to it, than just putting boards down
acclimating the wood before you lay it. typing of which,,,thats spot where you said cold underneath warm above= frost. i would suggest insulating that cold spot first. Paper will only handle so much moisture before it fails. then the floor will buckle up and cup and just look like shit.
spacing against the walls.
threshholds.
door trim.
gaps in the joints. etc etc etc

tools
finish gun
nail set
compressor
table saw
circular saw,if you're good with the table and miter saw you wont need the circular or jig saw.
Chalkline
back brace etc etc etc

[Hey Ladi]

watch some This Old House or the Home Channel, they always do some floor

this is cool, interesting :thumbs-up:

[Brokenjaw]

Notice how this guy started in the middle of the room.....For him to run the boards behind him, he's going to have to make a tounge out of pine or any kind of shit he has laying around.1/4 thick x 7/16ths

The reason he is starting in the middle of the room like that is because he is not going behind him with more wood. Look at the pic again, he is just laying hard wood, behind him and down the hall is most likely going to be carpet.Why get a finnish gun for 8 to 10 boards, they can be done by hand. I agree with the tabel saw, you can't rip shit with a chop saw.


Install the flooring perpendicular to joists or sleepers.The first row must be parallel to the center line of the room. Take sevral mx's of the width of the room and locate the centerline. Snap a chalk line to establish a centerline that is parallel to your starting wall. After you have removed all the base moldings , mark the positions of floor joists or sleepers along the wall near the floor for refrence once you start installing the new floor.

Work with one bundle at atime. Lay out a couple of rows to plan a patern, staggering end joints so that no joint is closer then 6" to a joint of the next roww.As you install, find or cut pieces to fit at the end of each row,leaving a 1/2" gap between each end piece and the wall. No end piece should be shorter then 8".

Step one...

Lay out the first row
Snap a chalk line about 3/4" frpm thestarting wall,measured to be exactly parallel with your centerline. This is where you will lay the first row.

Step 2
Fasten the first row.

Choosing the longest boards for the first row, predrill pillot holes for 1 1/2" finnishing nails,then face nail the first row to joiists whener the nailheads will be coverd by a base shoe.

Step 3
Blind nail by hand, along the first row, and on the next 6 or 7 rows, drill pillot holes at a 45 to 50 degree angle threw the tounge,centered on each joist at the ends and evry 10" along the lengths.When nailing in by hand, dont try to set the nail all the way with the hammer, leave the nail head exposed a bit, then take a nail set sideways and tap the nail in , then use the point of the nailset to sink the nail.

I hope this helps and I really cant type anymore

:thumbs-up: :thumbs-up: :thumbs-up:

[kindred]

I'm laying Pergo in my two front rooms this weekend. And while it's not hardwood, this thread is veryyy interesting to me...

[onehung]

The reason he is starting in the middle of the room like that is because he is not going behind him with more wood.

Could be he's just an idiot too. looks like hes only got the second coat of mud on, No sanding,,no paint.. But , hey to each their own.

Why get a finnish gun for 8 to 10 boards, they can be done by hand

Already talked about running the wood the long way (25')

25x8 = 200' 1 room .You have a compressor already, might as well get a gun. less time bent over,less movent in the boards,one tool compared to 3. shooting a 2 1/2 " nail opposed to an 1 1/2 nail that will barely penetrate the joist.....

Work with one bundle at atime.

Crack open a few of them. You'll notice that some bundles have a lot of little fuckers in them and some have a few extra longer ones. Nothing over 6' though....If your having someone help you, you can speed up the job by having your buddy stay a couple feet infront of you laying the floor out.. lay out the first 10 or so rows then one of you can nail and the other can fit the pieces/ make the puzzle.
As for the nailer...Make sure you have it set flush with the board and not at any kind of angle. if its at an angle and you hit the plunger to set a nail Or staple (I like the staples myself ) it'll put a geek in the wood

leaving a 1/2" gap between each end piece and the wall.

thats fine if your using 3/4 " baseboard over it. but 1/4 " is plenty if the wood's been acclimated to the room.

Snap a chalk line about 3/4" from the starting wall

? 3/4" baseboard? standing the wood up?

Choosing the longest boards for the first row

good move, But straightest would be better. It straightens out with the floor nailer against the boards you allready have down, But trying to straighten them to start is a bitch.

Blind nail by hand, along the first row, and on the next 6 or 7 rows, drill pillot holes at a 45 to 50 degree angle threw the tounge,centered on each joist at the ends and evry 10" along the lengths.When nailing in by hand, dont try to set the nail all the way with the hammer, leave the nail head exposed a bit, then take a nail set sideways and tap the nail in , then use the point of the nailset to sink the nail.

get a gun :-p

I'm laying Pergo

Did you get the glueless type ? Pergo is tit to work with, But It does Move Alot when its down ...Make sure its spaced from walls. :banana:

[Brokenjaw]

25x8 = 200' 1 room .You have a compressor already, might as well get a gun. less time bent over,less movent in the boards,one tool compared to 3. shooting a 2 1/2 " nail opposed to an 1 1/2 nail that will barely penetrate the joist.....

Ok, I see you want him to get the gun, BUT did you read what he said, he is doing one room at a time, over the course of a year and a half...

Should I look into purchasing a couple of tools if I am going to rent 5 times over a year and half?

This is why I am saying just do it by hand, why go out and buy another tool he is probably not going to use after this project, or keep renting one, over and over again. Yeah it's a lot more work, but it will save him money, on renting. He will be renting an air compresor, and the regular floor nailer, why spend the extra money on that. But hey, if he want's to go out and spend the extra money, then by all means go for it.

? 3/4" baseboard? standing the wood up?

No not stading the wood up. With the baseboard up,mx 3/4' gap snap a chalk line and lay your first board along this line, leaving the space for the baseboard.

Could be he's just an idiot too. looks like hes only got the second coat of mud on, No sanding,,no paint.. But , hey to each their own.

Could be, or it could be that he was told to do the floor by the job super. I have been on many jobs where the floor, wood, and tile have been down before the second mud/sand/paint is done. I know its not the right way to do it, but you seem like you know what you are talking about,so you should be able to look at the pic and see why he started there.