Pine board for flooring

Started by suburbancowboy, February 23, 2011, 10:42:20 AM

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suburbancowboy

February 23, 2011, 10:42:20 AM
I have seen several pictures of cabins with pine wood floors on here for the last several months and the wife and I really like what we are seeing.  I have a crazy idea that I wanted to run by everybody and see what you all think.  I was wondering if I could buy a bunch of 2X6 and cut them in half with a band saw.  I would then secure them to the osb on the floor with square nails.  Then I would sand and cover with several coats of polyurethane.  It comes out to about .50 cents a square foot if I did the math correct.

Has anybody done this?
What are the pluses and minus?
Whould some 1X6 T&G be a better way to go?

Redoverfarm

#1
February 23, 2011, 11:00:53 AM
Quote from: suburbancowboy on February 23, 2011, 10:42:20 AM
I have seen several pictures of cabins with pine wood floors on here for the last several months and the wife and I really like what we are seeing.  I have a crazy idea that I wanted to run by everybody and see what you all think.  I was wondering if I could buy a bunch of 2X6 and cut them in half with a band saw.  I would then secure them to the osb on the floor with square nails.  Then I would sand and cover with several coats of polyurethane.  It comes out to about .50 cents a square foot if I did the math correct.

Has anybody done this?
What are the pluses and minus?
Whould some 1X6 T&G be a better way to go?

Personally I would opt for the T&G.  What you are proposing is a lot of labor for a little savings.  The regular boards in my opinion would most likely open up given the change in humidity and it will be hard to remove dirt from the floor.  You could find 1X material for basicly the same price and mill a ship lap and accomplish a better floor.  If you wanted the asthetics of the square nails they could be used in addition to the tounge nails or by themselves.

PEG688

#2
February 23, 2011, 11:10:05 AM
Quote from: suburbancowboy on February 23, 2011, 10:42:20 AM
I have seen several pictures of cabins with pine wood floors on here for the last several months and the wife and I really like what we are seeing.  I have a crazy idea that I wanted to run by everybody and see what you all think.  I was wondering if I could buy a bunch of 2X6 and cut them in half with a band saw.  I would then secure them to the osb on the floor with square nails.  Then I would sand and cover with several coats of polyurethane.  It comes out to about .50 cents a square foot if I did the math correct.


  #1: Has anybody done this?

  Yes.


  #2: What are the pluses and minus?

There's a bunch of them.


  #3: Whould some 1X6 T&G be a better way to go?

  Maybe.


   #1:  Thousands of homes have Pine floors , some T&G,  some square edged , some ship lapped.   


   #2:    Some of the issues would be the same so lets touch on those. 

            A)  You'd need to make sure the stock was well acclimated BEFORE you laid it.  And it being a cabin you could have issues with it going from damp to dry depending on how you heat the place , how often you heat / or  use the place.   Wood "moves" thru out it's life ,  drying and shrinking during the heating season, swelling are re-absorbing moisture during the other / non-heating seasons , which in a cabin can mean just about any thing, as it would be use  / user driven , when do you use it / how much / how often do you heat it , and how do you heat it?

            B)  Gaps resulting from  "A" , with T&G you'd have some backing , the tongue when it shrank , but there still would be a gap for stuff to get into and make the floor harder to clean. 

           C) Ripping with a band saw will be slow , unless it's a great band saw and as you rip it some of it will break at knots , some will have tension in it and get very crooked and twisted . So you'll have some material that will be unusable   

      #3: The T&G will have  V match on the good / graded side , it's unlikely that's the side you'd want up , So again you'll have some waste due to this .

   There's plenty more but some one else  can add some other ideas.

  It's a good idea but Pine floors are soft and they will wear out quicker then other woods ,    so taste , and how you treat it will be big factors as well.

G/L PEG
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

glenn kangiser

#3
February 23, 2011, 11:43:22 AM
I agree with PEG.  All he said and that cutting that much 2x6 on a band saw would be a nightmare.  Thickness would surely vary as the saw got dull as band blades wander when they are not totally sharp.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

Shawn B

#4
February 23, 2011, 01:54:58 PM
"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule." Samuel Adams

suburbancowboy

#5
February 24, 2011, 10:49:11 AM
Thanks for the link.  It contained one of the pictures of the pine floor that we really liked.  As far as the other comments go, I think you have swayed me not to try and cut the board myself.  I will keep my eye out for some cheap one by.  Thanks

Shawn B

#6
February 24, 2011, 01:30:29 PM
If you go through Scott's thread there are more pics of the floor. Some after it is finished.

I was thinking maybe someone could use "biscuits" to hold the floor together.
"The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on Earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but only to have the law of nature for his rule." Samuel Adams

suburbancowboy

#7
February 25, 2011, 10:54:50 AM
I had another thought yesterday as I was wondering through home depot.  What if I bought some AC ply wood and and cut it into 12 inch sections thus having the appearance of 1X12 board.  The HD here had some special going for 25 dollars a sheet. It looked really nice and knot and plug free.

Redoverfarm

#8
February 25, 2011, 01:58:44 PM
Personally I would not go that route.  If you heve ever worked with very much ply it does not result in a good edge after sawing, delaminates around the edges which IMO would be a disaster unless you could cover the edges but then you would have a raised area on your floor.  If the delamination occurs it will snag everything that passes over it.  You would be better off just using 1X material if that is the look you are after.  Have you checked at a mill and see what kind of price you could obtain 1X material for.  Quick pass on a planner and some sanding. 

glenn kangiser

#9
February 25, 2011, 05:17:59 PM
I agree with John.  I have never seen a piece of plywood that looked like a board no matter what you do to it.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

MountainDon

#10
February 25, 2011, 05:44:12 PM
Or one could just use plywood and leave it at that.   ???  Paint or clear coat.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ScottA

#11
February 25, 2011, 05:53:57 PM
Why not just use real boards? It's not all that expensive. Labor intensive yes.

Erin

#12
February 26, 2011, 08:38:54 AM
That's what I was thinking.

Why not just go with 2x6 T&G floors and be done with it?   ??? 
They can span floor joists on 4' centers, IIRC.  There's no reason you HAVE to have a "subfloor" of OSB, ply or anything else...
The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

Redoverfarm

#13
February 26, 2011, 08:53:14 AM Last Edit: February 26, 2011, 09:08:12 AM by Redoverfarm
The only problem with 2X6 T&G that I have experienced is that generally the manufacturer will make it "v" groove on one side and flat on the other.  Of course "V" groove will not work for the flooring side.  That leaves you turning it upside down.  What I have used goes together well for ceilings with the "V" groove exposed but has alot to be desired on the flat side.  Seems the milling process concentrates on the "V" groove side being tight but the flat side will have gaps that you cannot draw together.  You might check to see if there is a 2X6 T&G made w/o "v" groove that might work better.  Other than regular T&G flooring I think that all that manufacture even 1' (3/4") do so in pine for ceilings and walls but include the "v" groove in their process.  Again check with a local mill as they are more flexible in their set up to make you what you want and probably less cost than getting it at a lumber yard.

Here is a picture of the flat side of T&G

PEG688

#14
February 26, 2011, 09:41:04 AM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on February 26, 2011, 08:53:14 AM


The only problem with 2X6 T&G that I have experienced is that generally the manufacturer will make it "v" groove on one side and flat on the other.  



  There's another issue , SQUEAK< SQUEAK< SQUEAK< , 2x6 T&G is about the noisiest floor you can lay.   Can it be done, yup , used to be a pretty standard "sub-floor" here in the PNW , then carpet or underlayment and / or vinyl or tile would be laid over it.   

  It also can shrink so much in a heated house that you'll get gaps between the boards , if used in a loft light dust will filter thru creating a snow like event in the lower floor.

   Just some things to consider.
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

OlJarhead

#15
February 26, 2011, 12:01:42 PM
This is a topic for me too :)  Thanks.

I'm milling 1x's for my floor out of Blue Stained pine.  I thought at first I'd mill them into shiplap then was convinced to go with T&G.

Can anyone give me a pro vs con on shiplap vs T&G for a floor?

Thanks!

Redoverfarm

#16
February 26, 2011, 12:36:53 PM
I think the biggest reason for T&G verses ship lap is to keep the face or top aligned.  With ship lap you have nothing to keep the boards from raising up (no bottom spline) except your fastners.  They can fail over time. Both will hide the movement of seperation in humidity changes. 

Erin

#17
February 26, 2011, 01:20:39 PM
QuoteHere is a picture of the flat side of T&G
That's looks lovely.  Well, the stain might be a bit dark for my tastes, but otherwise, quite nice...
But re-reading your post, is this supposed to be a pic of a good floor or a bad one?   ???

The wise woman builds her own house... Proverbs 14:1

Redoverfarm

#18
February 26, 2011, 03:36:41 PM
Erin although the picture does not really accurately depict the gaps between the boards they are present.  The ceiling side ("V" groove) is tight.  As  stated the "v" groove is the side graded best and the flat is less than that.  All in all I am somewhat satisfied with the end results as it goes with the theme and period of the cabin.  Is it for everyone or would it look satisfactory in a more modern setting maybe not.

considerations

#19
February 26, 2011, 04:50:31 PM
T&G flooring is more labor...But I really prefer the way it looks.  Plywood or other underlayment almost locks you into some additional surface, like vinyl or carpet or Pergo....At least w/t&G you can try it on for awhile, and if you don't like it, it can be covered w/any or all of the aforementioned. 

I used 2x6 for both the main floor and the loft floor.  I don't have serious gap-osis in either floor, so no fine rain of fuzz and dust from the loft, except where the stairs are, not through any cracks in the floor, and it's been in place now for about 18months.

However, neither floor is "finished" and so....in the tiny cracks between the boards all sorts of fascinating detritus tends to collect.  So, I encourage a prompt and "evening" surface finish to prevent this type of science project.

suburbancowboy

#20
February 28, 2011, 05:10:29 PM
Thanks for all the information and things to think about.  What I am trying to do is to get the flooring in for under 1.00 a square foot.  And I really want to go with the pine look.  The only thing that I have been able to find is what I have suggested.  This will be on the bottom floor only.  The top floor will be 2X6 which has already been purchased.  I have seen floor out of OSB with many coats of poly on it, but I haven't decided yet the the cheap price would be worth the look.
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