Using 3/4" t&g fir for subfloor


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Old 01-25-10, 02:37 PM
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Using 3/4" t&g fir for subfloor

Hi there,

The second floor of my 1909 house currently has 3/4" x 3-1/4" t&g fir flooring. It is about 650 s.f., and there is no subfloor. The fir runs underneath all the interior walls and is (obviously) perpendicular to the joists. The fir is not in great shape; pretty dinged up, quite squishy in spots, and there are a lot of high and low spots. Refinishing it is not an option.

I want to go over this floor with new material (right now I am looking at prefinished bamboo, although I haven't decided). So the fir will effectively become the subfloor for whatever material I decide to use.

I have two questions:

*How should I level (actually flatten, but level is good too) the fir floor? I don't think I can use self-leveling underlayment because it will probably just ooze through any gaps between the boards and pool onto the ceiling of the main floor. Should I go over the fir with plywood? I am hesitant to do that because I am already going to have a tough enough time figuring out how to transition from the stairs to the new floor (I don't want the last stair to be higher than all the rest and be a tripping hazard). Adding plywood to the mix will make it even more difficult.

*Should I run the new material parallel or perpendicular to the fir? Perpendicular seems intuitive, but then the new material will be parallel with the joists.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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Old 01-31-10, 10:07 AM
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Well, I found out how to shim it up to level: asphalt roofing shingles. Here's the link for anyone else looking for that information:

Getting a New Hardwood Floor Level

So... now I just need advice on what direction to lay the new material. Perpendicular to the fir (but parallel to the joists) or parallel with the fir and perpendicular to the joists. Any suggestions?
 
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Old 01-31-10, 11:02 AM
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Do you know how you'll address the soft spots?
That seems the more pressing question.
 
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Old 02-15-10, 01:42 PM
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That is a pressing question. There are several spots where there's just a bit of give, which I'll probably leave alone. The really soft spots I'll probably have to cut out and put 3/4" plywood in instead.

Any advice on how I should lay the bamboo relative to the joists?
 
 

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