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2" T&G car decking

Started by mmhailey, April 22, 2008, 10:09:21 AM

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mmhailey

It seems most of the threads I searched used 3/4" or 4/4" T&G.

I am raising the floor in my garage and am thinking of using some 2X T&G material that I can get cut locally rather than 1" T&G plywood as my decking over my sleepers. My project will require me to actually use the floor as is without any other covering for upwards of a year, so I thought the hemlock T&G might look better than plywood. It might even be clear enough to finish and leave as the finished floor?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to make them as squeak proof and tight as possible.

I was thinking of nailing through the groove, so the nails don't show and using adhesive, but am open for suggestions.
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

beenthere

Welcome to the Forum...

Can you give more information about the floor in your garage?  What will be under the sleepers..??  soil, rock, concrete,..??

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

mmhailey

The existing floor is concrete slab. The floor grade needs to be raised 14 inches, so I am using roughcut 2X12s on 24" centers with blocking as my sleepers. Then either 2X T&G or 1" T&G plywood with a 4/4 hemlock flooring.

Thanks



Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

Radar67

Welcome to the forum!!!

What is the purpose of raising the floor? Will it have a load on it?
"A man's time is the most valuable gift he can give another." TOM

If he can cling to his Blackberry, I can cling to my guns... Me

This will kill you, that will kill you, heck...life will kill you, but you got to live it!

"The man who can comprehend the why, can create the how." SFC J

mmhailey

I'm sorry. I guess this topic, or actually the way I described it doesn't really fit with this forum. Although I have posted only twice I have been reading this forum for over a year. It has been extremely valuable in my planning for my timber framing. I certainly appreciate everyones expertise.

I am in the process of turning a stick built garage space into a eat in/kitchen, which will be attached to a timber frame addition to my house. The planning for the space is complete. I just need to know if anyone has experience using 2X car decking( which are 2X4 or 2X6 or even 2X8 T&G) as a subfloor or finished floor, and how did they attach it to the floor joists? I see by reading the archives that face nailing with cut nails is one option, but does anyone have experience with how much squeaking you get when the boards move with the humidity changes?


Thanks for any input?



Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

beenthere

I'm thinking, it depends on what is going to happen in that 12" space between the flooring and the concrete garage floor. If it will be heated, then the flooring (decking) will dry out and may squeak. If that space is high in moisture, you may not get the squeaking but instead may get decay/mold/deterioration.

If you lay down adhesive on the stringers, and nail in the tongue, and the wood is dry when laid, and the space is heated for low humidity,...then you may not have any squeaking, or very little.

Not an easy call....as it depends on a few things.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

mmhailey

The space below the floor... Hmmm! ???

Even though I was the builder of the original building, and poured the slap with moisture barrier underneath, I first I did the moisture check of the slab for a month. I taped 1 foot squares of plastic down to the slab to see if I got any moisture, which I did not. This was during a period of PLENTY of rain here. The next step just for my personality type, is I will put down 30lb. felt with mastic to prevent any future moisture problem.

Then the 2X12s go down with 2" rigid foam between the sleepers. I thought about using radiant heat, but for this application it doesn't make sense. The space will be heated traditionally. Then the plywood or 2X T&G

As far as the moisture content of the lumber. I plan stickering the material in the garage to dry for around 3-5 months prior to it being used.
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

SeeSaw

I have done quite a few hardwood floors but nothing like you're talking about here.  Beenthere has a good point.  It will dry out and it may squeak. However, I can honestly say I've had very good luck and very few squeaks whenever I've faced nailed the boards. It seems to keep the board more stable and less apt to "rock" than just nailing through the tongue.  However, then you have to figure out if you can deal with the looks of a face nailed floor.  I like it others don't. You may be good with the glue and nailing through the tongue with a 2x4. Not sure I would try that with a 2x6 or 2x8. I think I would use glue as has already been suggested regardless of how the boards are nailed. Just my 2c.   
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, completely worn out and loudly proclaiming, WHAT A RIDE...!

ARKANSAWYER


  I T&G lots of 2x6's and 2x8's for floors out of SYP and find it best to use glue and face screw the boards down.  There is lots more force to pull a nail back up over 4/4 stock.
ARKANSAWYER

Don P

Thats a pretty common log home second floor. We've blind nailed or blind screwed if it was a finish floor. If it's a subfloor I've usually face nailed or screwed it. If you start with blind fasteners on a finish floor you can always come back with face fasteners later.

mmhailey

GREAT idea!!!

I think my plan will be to blind nail and glue. Then after it has been down a few months, should I decide to use it as a finish floor, I can add cut nails, and if I decide to cover it with 4/4 flooring, I'll shoot or screw it down first, then add the finish flooring.

What do you think?

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

ljmathias

Hey, what's wrong with a floor that squeaks?  I always thought that added character to a home- great for discussion of ghosts and such also.  Do we sometimes get too anal-retentive on what is, afterall, just a stopping point on the great journey?  Right now I have problems with the house I built and have lived in for almost ten years, but too many new and exciting things to do to worry about the details, till they become a real problem.  Not the best pro-active approach, but I have grandsons to play with and wood to cut and miles to go before I sleep (to plagerize Robert Frost).  How do we find the right balance between almost-perfection and usability anyway?

Lj
LT40, Long tractor with FEL and backhoe, lots of TF tools, beautiful wife of 50 years plus 4 kids, 5 grandsons AND TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS all healthy plus too many ideas and plans and not enough time and energy

Don P

Being of the male persuasion, if I'm dry, have a roof to keep the rain off and a fire, life is good. My opinion is of no importance though, when she's happy I'm happy.
A lighthearted way of saying it is whatever the client expects.
I married well, our floor squeeks  ;D

Dana

Will there be vehicles parked in the garage? The reason I ask is that they will be bringing in snow, ice and in the summer water. What will that do to your floor? I would expect  swelling of the glued and screwed flooring.
Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Jim_Rogers

Quote from: Dana on April 25, 2008, 07:02:58 AM
Will there be vehicles parked in the garage?

It's a kitchen.......
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

LeeB

Don, does the floor squeak becauase you married good? ;)
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Clovis

Lj and Don P; you boys speeka my language!   :)

Clovis
I'm not afraid of the great outdoors!

ARKANSAWYER


  My floor squeaks because I married a good cook.  It keeps people from sneeking up on me as well.
ARKANSAWYER

LeeB

I kinda resemble that remark myself Arky even if Lindy couldn't cook when we got married. She learned quick though.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

slowzuki

Sorry to piggyback but I have a related question.

I'm putting a 2" floor into the loft of my place.  Most people do t&g and thats it but I'm thinking the pinned floor I saw in a timber framed house once would be easier.  They also had a splined floor using 1/2 plywood splines instead of t&g.

I only have a router to do the work and the lumber will be off my mill and 2 side planed.

My other option is 2" floor with a 1" floor at right angles above.  I know this would be a squeaky floor but would match the local old fashioned construction techniques.

Don P

I've been planing and T&G routing some 4/4 ambrosia maple flooring for the wine room in the house we're working on. It's not moulder quality but it works ok.

mmhailey

Well I finally got my T&G flooring, from the kiln, and am ready to start installing. It is 1 1/2" thick by 5 1/2" wide. The boards are going down on 2X12 floor joists on 16" centers. I have 3" galvanized rink shanks for my nail gun, and a couple of cases of PL400 adhesive, and am planning on blind nailing through the tongue.

My question is do I need to have each board break over a joist, or will the T&G support the board in the middle. It seems obvious to me that it would be sturdier to have the seam over the joist, but on a test I did, I can't get the nail gun to shoot into the end of the board over the joist without cracking, since I am so close to the end.
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and turn him into a liar.

beenthere

It is a dilema, but if the tongue and the groove fit well, and being the joists are 16" oc, if me, I'd let the end joints fall where they may. It will look more random too, rather than having joints line up across the floor and identifying the joist locations.

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Gary_C

Some will use biscuts on the ends to prevent movement. You will still get dust sifting thru the crack, but without any underlayment you will probably have that anyway. The other method on the ends is to glue or screw a board underneath the ends.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

kfhines

Over time an unsupported joint will probably weaken. I would land on a joist,  drill & c'sink a pilot hole then nail or screw it down. If you angle the drill bit a little you should be able to set the hole back far enough as to not split the end. Just don't over torque the screw. A little more time consuming but worth the piece of mind.

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