Using Structural Pine as Battens ??

[h_samtani]

May i please get some advice from the guru's out there.

PLanning to use pine 90/35 as battens to level the concrete and install Blackbutt T&G (85/19) using 38mm nails.

The slab will have a layer of epoxy based sealer and then plastic sheet as damp proof.

Reason for using pine is i need to pack 30 to 50 mm in some spaces and hardwood battens are more expensive then the timber itself.

How much trouble am i going to get into by using pine?

Thanks

Harender

[Beardy]

The pine is fine to use but your proposed nails are too short

[h_samtani]

The pine is fine to use but your proposed nails are too short

Do i just go to 50mm? or more is needed

thanks

Harender

[Beardy]

Are you face fixing or secret nailing? Suggest you hire or buy a secret nailing gun. Apart from giving you a cleaner finish, the fixing is skewed so gives superior holding power over surface fixing

[h_samtani]

I have bought the paslode floor master and the 38mm staples for T&g secret nailing.

I have done this before, but previously was done over 50 yr old house where i relined over the existing floor. I used the same timber (southern oak) as battens over the existing floor. that lasted fine for the last 16 years till we sold the place. A sand and polish would have it back to looking new.

This is the first time i am doing it over concrete, and the cost of leveling and then plywood was also too high.

I really should take the concreter to the cleaners, but have no hopes of going anywhere with that, hence the option to use pine.

I can get the surface pretty close to smooth, and was going to use T nails (in addition to the staples) at every alternate batten to strenthen the grip into the pine battens.

Cheers

Harender

[jack620]

I really should take the concreter to the cleaners, but have no hopes of going anywhere with that, hence the option to use pine.

Wait. This is a new slab? With a 50mm variation in level across the room? And presumably has no membrane under it?

[h_samtani]

It does have a plastic sheet underneat the slab, the section with the 50mm variance was due to the footings being too high, done by a different contractor, so who do i really chase.

The trouble is we have 5-20 mm variance between the high and low spots, and if only it was a 'bow', we have a 'wave', so high and low spots galore.

The bathroom step downs were shocking, where the coverage above reo was only about 5mm, we could see the ribs of the mesh.

Got them to fix that, and it was a long conversation, and I did not pick up on this level issue back then. Now that the invoice is paid, no hopes of getting any more fixes out of them.

i have come to accept that as a learning and moved on, and definitely wont be using them again.

[jack620]

It sounds like a nightmare. You have my sympathy. My experience with concreters is just as bad.

It does have a plastic sheet underneat the slab

At least they got something right! In that case, why are you planning on applying an epoxy sealer and plastic sheet?

[h_samtani]

The epoxy was a nice to have, and for circa $400 (only for the ground floor)

The plastic sheet i thought was required by the standard, although it might be redundant if we are coating the slab, but am not sure of that.

cheers

[rwbuild]

Don't use concrete nails, use concrete screws Just a moment...

Any reason for using 90x 35 instead of 70 x 35 battens, they need to be min H2 or blue pine and treat all cuts and joints because once you put the flooring down you will never get to it again. Also if using multiple packers use glue to to stick them together and to the batten as well. The epoxy is perfect to stop any sweating of the concrete and allow min 20mm gap at wall junctions and battens.
It's also an opportunity to run speaker wires as well if you so desire.

[h_samtani]

The 90/35 is simply because we over ordered at the carpentry stage,

The 20mm gap is a nice to know, i would have left only 10 mm

Yes, it is MGP10 blue and thanks for the reminder about treating the cut edges, i had forgotten about it,


will start putting some photos as we go with the install