Hardwood T & G flooring over cement

[Phil Mailloux]

Hi guys,

We're having a house built and we'll install the floorings ourselves when it's done.

We visited a Boral Timber display yesterday and the product we liked best from them was "Slimwood", that's 100% hardwood tongue and groove floorings of 80mm X 13mm thick. We like the price too, about $60 S/M.

My questions are about the installation, no way we're paying $30 per S/M for installation, that seems to be the average price out there. We want to do it ourselves.

1. I read that the cement had to be sealed for moisture and thats just some sort of product easily lacquered on that I can get from Bunnings. True? Which one is that?

2. From what I saw it's just a matter of gluing the T & G boards on the floor with polyurethane glue, right? (and of course taping them correctly to each other and measuring the straightness of my boards as I install them)

3. The salesguy told us we'd be better to nail plywood planks on the cement and then spot glue and nail the floorings to that plywood. Does that make any sense? How do you nail plywood to cement anyway :confused:

Whats our best option? I'd personally prefer gluing it all on the cement. Does anyone have any tips for me here?
Is there a chance of the wood delaminating from the glue because of seasonal moisture change?

[Gaza]

look though some old posts all questions have been addressed.

1. If you lay ply then you will save $$$. due to no paint on moisture barrier just use plastic, reduces amount of glue from full trowel to just lines.
2. ply gives you a surface to nail to while the glue dries.
3. silmwood only comes in short lengths if you have no height problems use 19mm flooring, almost same cost.

DIY is not a cost saving but a comprise in the quality. laying a floor is not that easy and sanding is an art.

Concrete slab needs to be +/- 3mm over 3mt.

[journeyman Mick]

Phil,
Boral may have changed their policy (but I doubt it), of their product only being warranted if correctly installed by a licensed contractor. I did have one of their brochures kicking around here from about 15 years ago that said something to that effect. I've laid a few thousnad M2 of timber flooring on joists but wouldn't even attempt to do a direct stick for myself.

Mick