Hardwood floor question - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #16 12-18-2009, 07:36 PM

Installing the flooring first then the baseboard is the correct way to do it. When the floor dries out in the winter it can move around and not open a crack at the edge.

BTW floors will always shrink in the winter and open up cracks. As a floor ages these cracks gradually fill with dirt and after a hundred years typically are black even after refinishing.

chrismak · #17 12-18-2009, 10:05 PM

Hardwood flooring is not recommended in a mercedes especially the older 300D. A known issue is the water buildup in the rear seating area when the weep holes get gummed up. A nice brazilian walnut with an epoxy finish may work but also install an underlayment preferably felt paper. A lot of folks use the red rosin paper to absorb moisture and stop squeaks but felt (tar paper) works also.
It would be nice to have your floor match the dash trim and the of course compliment the curtains. The pre-finish flooring has come a long way and now the finish is impregnated into the wood. So that might be an option as it will be very difficult to get an F-89 into the back of a 300D to sand the floor.

http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/installing-hardwood-floors.html

t walgamuth · #18 12-18-2009, 10:38 PM

LOL!

Emmerich · #19 12-19-2009, 12:58 AM

Seems like perpendicular is the way to go, judging by the responses. I actually have a subfloor on top of joists on top of a slab. The main hallway of the house has hardwoods running north-south, the bedroom hallway runs east-west so if I wooded that hall, I would have a 90 degree junction.

I was thinking of using tongue and groove mesquite boards (only need 1/2" thickness) and predrilling for screws through the tongues, instead of nails. I am in no hurry.....

t walgamuth · #20 12-19-2009, 10:24 AM

I think screws might be a mistake. The expansion and contraction of the wood needs the flexibility of the special nails, I think.

Also putting wood over a slab I would want a very comprehensive vapor barrier between the wood flooring and the slab to prevent moisture from coming up from below.

Emmerich · #21 12-19-2009, 12:28 PM

I have 2x6 laying on edge on the slab with the plywood subfloor on top. Hardwoods would be attached to them. My current hardwoods were glued down and that does not work real well. Supposedly the mesquite is very stable and does not move much, so screws should work, I like the idea of being able to remove them for adjustments.

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

I think screws might be a mistake. The expansion and contraction of the wood needs the flexibility of the special nails, I think.

Also putting wood over a slab I would want a very comprehensive vapor barrier between the wood flooring and the slab to prevent moisture from coming up from below.

t walgamuth · #22 12-19-2009, 01:38 PM

The heads of the screws will take up a lot of space in the corner of the tongue and groove and will remove or displace a substantial amount of wood when installing them. If you feel compelled to use them I would recommend trying it out on someplace where you can take it all out if it does not work out.

The nails and boards are all designed to work as an engineered system. Deviating from the system is asking for trouble IMHO.

kerry · #23 12-19-2009, 02:46 PM

I'm with Tom. Nailing is faster, simpler, better, although I have screwed down some tongue and groove fir flooring. In that instance it was a bathroom floor with plumbing pipes to which I needed access underneath. There I put down sections of 3/4" plywood with the seams on various pieces coinciding with the seams on the tongue and grooved fir. I screwed the fir to the plywood and then top screwed through both pieces of wood into the joists. I can remove the screws and pull up the floor in sections to access the plumbing. Pretty nifty system if I may say so myself. I even have one small section that isn't even screwed down and no one can tell. I can simply pull it up and get access to the sewer pipe clean out.

Emmerich · #24 12-19-2009, 06:00 PM

I plan on doing a LOT of testing. The key is getting screws with the proper heads so you don't booger up the tongues as you mentioned. And the pre-drilling is mandatory, especially in something as hard a mesquite. I discovered screws have over 200 times the holding power of nails, I like that....

cmac2012 · #25 12-20-2009, 11:41 AM

No doubt you've seen the trim-head screws. They use a #1 square drive (Roberts I think they're called) head, about half the diameter of a Phillips head. I buy huge boxes of the stainless variety - very useful for outdoor applications.

The smallest black ones are pretty small. Best to use a large predrill bit, just a tad smaller than the threads as they'll strip or break easily if the predrill is too small.

Emmerich · #26 12-20-2009, 03:08 PM

I did a recent fence project and switched to square drive, that is the ONLY way to go. I think star head might be good too, but they both run circles around phillips heads...

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

No doubt you've seen the trim-head screws. They use a #1 square drive (Roberts I think they're called) head, about half the diameter of a Phillips head. I buy huge boxes of the stainless variety - very useful for outdoor applications.

The smallest black ones are pretty small. Best to use a large predrill bit, just a tad smaller than the threads as they'll strip or break easily if the predrill is too small.

cmac2012 · #27 12-21-2009, 04:28 PM

Orchard Supply Hardware, the biggest competitor for HD around here (no lumber to speak of however) has a lot of bulk screws with the torx head (or star head). They are pretty nifty. All of them will strip out under the wrong circumstances however. They all have pluses and minuses for me. Even the slotted head. They have a more elegant, classic look but are a PITA for the most part.

JollyRoger · #28 12-22-2009, 10:56 AM

While we are on the subject, I have question.... I have a second floor porch I intend to enclose in order to add a room. What would become the interior walls are now covered with Hardie Plank lapped siding. Should I remove the siding or can I just sheetrock over the stuff after enclosing the porch? Should I fill in the lap grooves with plaster or such before installing the drywall, if it can be sheetrocked over?

Any advice appreciated!
Thanks!

JollyRoger · #29 12-22-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

Installing the flooring first then the baseboard is the correct way to do it. When the floor dries out in the winter it can move around and not open a crack at the edge.

BTW floors will always shrink in the winter and open up cracks. As a floor ages these cracks gradually fill with dirt and after a hundred years typically are black even after refinishing.

Is it possible to apply a sealant of some sort, perhaps a coat of polyurethane over the entire floor to keep dirt out of the cracks?

Emmerich · #30 12-22-2009, 01:01 PM

You can sheetrock over any flat surface, the trick would be finding the studs to screw into and making sure your screws are long enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JollyRoger

While we are on the subject, I have question.... I have a second floor porch I intend to enclose in order to add a room. What would become the interior walls are now covered with Hardie Plank lapped siding. Should I remove the siding or can I just sheetrock over the stuff after enclosing the porch? Should I fill in the lap grooves with plaster or such before installing the drywall, if it can be sheetrocked over?

Any advice appreciated!
Thanks!