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Green 1" floorboards exposed through a season. Wider or thinner?

Started by iancorey, October 18, 2022, 12:42:15 PM

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iancorey

Two story timber frame question:

I will be decking the floor of the upstairs prior to roofing. This will be flat sawn 1" green Virginia pine. Later this deck will be used as sub floor for tongue and groove. Until then, it will be exposed to elements. It will be visible from the downstairs. I'm piling up 12" and 10" flat sawn boards now. Should I rip those to 6" and 5" to avoid extreme cupping issues? Thanks in advance. 

Don P

I put down temporary junk till its dry unless it is small and we are really rolling along.

Gary Davis

before plywood 1x8 up to 1x12 shiplap was used I am sure it was green when it was put down

some times it was run diagonally crossed the floor joists 

kantuckid

I'd lay down walk boards for now and put that wide pine on sticks for spring installation. My own build I have a bunch of 8/4 walk boards that go onto the ceiling joists (on grandpa duty until thursday) I've begun to install. Either after a crew (trying to find one now) helps me raise my roof and cover it before winter, or come spring, my loft gets 2x6 T&G decking I've had made since early spring. Wide boards will cup, yes indeed, unless things are dry and nice.
My home has EWP, subfloor that had 3 feet of snow on it several times as I shoveled it off a couple of times that winter. Had to hike into my build site.
Once the roof was on come spring, it stayed flat but it was dry when put down and a tamer pine species. Also had to pump my basement floor...

BTW, the term is wider or narrower. Thinner is the thickness. ;D
I'm currently working top of a poplar/pine subfloor that's diagonal and from 6" wide to 12" and not cupped and is screwed down. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Mattjohndeere2

I wouldn't bother to rip them. I just put my subfloor down. Mostly 10" boards, some 8" and some 12". It was hemlock sawed in the spring and nicely stickered for the summer. I thought I would have issues with cupping when they dried but all is well, though they were dry before putting down.

Probably best to do what another said - put temp boards up and sticker your pine for the winter.

If you do put down I would just make sure to use ring shank nails. I put some screws in some that were fussy. I also shiplapped and put subfloor glue under.

Once you lay a couple 6" wide boards you'll be sure to use 10s and 12s in the future as it goes a lot faster. Skinny boards are the same amount of work for half the gain.


Mattjohndeere2

One other note is the wider boards are stronger. I chose to shiplap mine mostly because I had a mixture of 6" wide that I put down, and having that one edge supported by another board helped reduce their flex. Plus it looks cleaner from below.

Pictures below of mine



 

 

kantuckid

When I built my timberframe room addition in 2004, I bought a pile of OSB T&G 4x8 x 3/4"  sheets. I had them on a hay wagon not covered and had been told they take some moisture OK. We got an unscheduled brief rain shower and the tongues no longer fit the grooves and I had to saw them off to use it. Live and learn. 
I'll add:
 As I now move my Genie Super Lift (4" wheels) around on my rough lumber subfloor, I've become very familiar with the thick and the thin boards among them... 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

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