I have researched installing a bamboo floor myself and noticed that some websites suggests that you should put the flooring down 90 degrees to the floor joists. My wife wanted the flooring to go parallel with the floor joist in a few rooms due to the fact that the room was long in the direction of the floor joists. Which brings me to my next question. Is it stupid to have the flooring change directions from room to room and just use a transition piece between the rooms? Any input would be much appreciated. Oh should I buy a powered floor nailer instead of renting and then try to sell it on ebay after I am finished with it? I figured that way I can take my time since we are going to do the whole downstairs of our house.

Thanks everyone,

Dharma

 

Dharma,

Technically Speaking, you should run it 90 degs to the floor joists, not necessary.

If you want to change directions, it's entirely up to you and your tastes.

If you look in the phone book for "Rental Places" they do rent the phenumatic nailers.

Note: Make sure you screw down the subfloor to the floor joists before you start laying any flooring. I would use 2" screws about every 12" or less.

Then use 15 lbs roofing paper as the moisture barrier.

I did the whole first floor of my Mom's home with Bellawood Pre-Finished 3-1/4" wide, solid 3/4" T&G Select White Maple. It looks great. Always add 10 to 15% more for waste factor.

 

Dharma,
When you screw the subfloor make sure to used floor screws not the drywall type.
If you get your lumber from Lumber Liquidator make sure you know what your looking for, I found the saleperson are warehouse worker and have no ideal of what you need and also if you have extra left over they will not refund you.
Check with a flooring store first to determine your need in flooring and from there shop around.

cheers

pg

 

I would do what Sawdustguy says. "Normally" it looks better if the wood runs in the same direction as the longest part of the room, imagine a hallway with the wood running down the length of the hallway as opposed to across it. That said, there are times that the room shape or the direction of the sunlight coming in, might make the room look better if the flooring was laid in the other direction. So go with what looks best to you all.

I would definitely use a pneumatic nailer, it is worth the extra expense, I know in our area H-D will rent them. If you don't do a lot of nailing or hardwood flooring, you need this. It will keep you from dinging the flooring with the hammer (except for the pieces up against the wall where it won't fit) and it will draw the flooring tight when the nail/staple goes in. Plus it will cut your time in half or more.

 

Blizzard brought up a good point that I forgot about.

You'll have to hand nail the first "At Least 3 rows", before the nailer will fit and not hit the wall. You use the same nails that come with the phenumatic nailer. Pre-drill and nail it in. Once you get it close, use a nail set the rest of the way so you don't smash the edge.

You'll have to face nail the last few rows too. I used my brad nailer for as much of that as possible, so I was nailing through the tounge on a 45 deg angle, then face nailed the last row or two.

 

If you get your lumber from Lumber Liquidator make sure you know what your looking for, I found the saleperson are warehouse worker and have no ideal of what you need and also if you have extra left over they will not refund you.
Check with a flooring store first to determine your need in flooring and from there shop around.

You can have a good experience or a bad experience no matter where you go.

It wouldn't be a smart idea to not have extra. You WILL find that not all of the pieces are the same width, as some can be off just a hair and make a difference in how the floor looks. Also, not all the pieces are straight, some can be really bad, so a waste factor is the price you pay.

Ask a flooring professional if you should get "Only the exact amount". They will tell you that you should order extra for that exact reason and others.

What could be more frustrating then doing your floor, running out and having to way weeks to get more. "Especially if you have a girlfriend or are married" . At that point, you don't know how well the next batch will fit.

I would also recommend that you get the micro-bevel, vs the flat top. The tiny bevel will help hide imperfections and also incase the floor ends up being miniscule off on the surface.

 

It is recommended that hardwood flooring be installed perpendicular to floor joists. This is because the joists have to support the weight of the wood. For the technical manual of the National Oak Flooring Manufacturer's Association and hardwood flooring installation instructions, go to www.nofma.org

 

I would think that a transition piece, and then wood running a different direction would look awkward
if the transition is a large opening, like a dining room to a kitchen or living room.
However, down a hall, and into a bedroom for instance would be better.

As for the joist problem, I'd think that ideally you'd want to run them perpendicular,
but if that is not possible then perhaps another layer of plywood, to help avoid
eventual sagging would be in order.

 

Why is this necessary?

 

A heavy moisture invasion can seep up through a wood subfloor. It may occur slowly, but its effects are damaging. The most frequent cause of moisture problems in a new home is moisture trapped within the structure during construction and/or continuing source of excess moisture from the basement, crawlspace or slab. These moisture sources can cause problems with wood flooring in both new construction and remodels. Roofing felt acts as a vapor retarder and also helps prevent squeaks.

 

I will be adding a solid hardwood floor to my 2.5 yr. old ranch over a crawl space that has a concrete floor. Is a vapor barrier necessary for me?