Floating floor

[Eddie Jones]

Hi all,
I'm planning a floating floor as part of the reno of a federation house. Old floor has been termite attacked. No signs of present activity. Not sure of the state of the underfloor, but suspect I will have to replace some/all of the joists and bearers. I haven't selected the brand of flooring yet, have done a lot of reading, here and elsewhere, and understand most of the laying procedures, but 2 points still have me baffled.

1. When laying a floater, how do you butt it up to a door frame? It seems to me it wouldn't be possible to use quad or similar to hide the edge.

2. I will be laying 2 rooms, lounge and passageway, separated by a door. I want to lay the lounge floor at 90 deg. to the passage floor. How do I handle the join between the two?

As always, any advice gratefully accepted.

Eddie

[bitingmidge]

Eddie,
I'd like to challenge you on the need for a floating floor in the first place.

Unless the floor is completely missing, you'll be able to salvage most or a lot of it, and replace only the worst boards. This will not give you a new showroom floor, but one with a bit of patina and character.

My last office was in a house that had experienced a very chequered life, and had several different floor types throughout, including one area that was badly termite affected. We sanded the lot, replaced the boards that couldn't support us jumping on them, then used good old orange "Builder's Bog" in the big termite eaten bits, leaving the borer holes etc as they were.

We floated on a thick FLAT polyurethene, and with a couple of rugs down it looked really fabulous. I'd be a bit concerned that your new floating floor would be a bit "tacky and new" looking for the house?

ON the floating floor questions though:

First: I'm not a floating floor expert my experience is limited to specifying a few, observing a lot, and laying two cheapies.

1. The first one I did, I cut neatly round the door frames, about 8mm all round, then filled with butyl mastic of a similar colour to the floor. 2 years later it still looks like it was then, a neat bodgy job.

The next one I got all keen and made a rectangular block out of 19mm Tas Oak, profiled the edge to match the quad moulding, then scribed around the jamb, stop etc. Finally I relieved the bit where the door had to swing against the stop. This looks like someone has tried hard to do a good job, but failed! :eek:

2. I wouldn't do that. It will look wrong! The only way you will get away with it is to get a hold of a plastic or aluminium "T" extrusion like the kind carpet layers use at doorways, but don't do it!

Think hard about using as much of the old floor as you can! You have to replace the wrecked bits anyway.

Cheers,

P

[glock40sw]

G'day Floating flooring is like random groove paneling sheets.

Looks cheap, tacky and trailer trashish.
Use the real thing (new or old).

I would even carpet before using a floater.

[Eddie Jones]

BM,

Thanks for the suggestions, but the old floor really is beyond salvation. the termite damage is pretty bad and even the undamaged parts are a collection of various timbers, plus a sprinkling of hardwood sheets, altogether a bluddy mess! When I bought the place it had carpet over it that was probably used to wrap Cleo up in the movie of the same name! In addition, the underfloor is obviously in bad nick. Sways and creaks a LOT.

I know you don't like floaters, and I know and accept all the arguements of why solid timber is better, but it comes down to first, what I can afford and second, and probably most important, I can do the floater myself. All of it.

[journeyman Mick]

Eddie,
I'm no fan of floating floors and reckon they're a waste of time, money and natural resources. If your floor is bad enough that you neeed to replace joists and bearers I assume you'll be laying a new floor on top probably in structafloor (particleboard). As money is an issue why don't you just sand and seal the structafloor. I've seen it done and it looks a lot like a cork floor. Then, later down the track you could lay 12mm T&G over the top of it. That way all your wasting" is the time/money spent on the sanding and sealing of the structafloor rather than all the time and money you'll waste on the floating floor which probably won't even last as long as a well applied coating of two pack estapol.

Mick

[Metung]

I suspect there are "floating floors" and floating floors. I am looking at installing one that has a 4mm wear layer that is available in most of the Australian timbers used for T&G flooring, an 8mm solid hardwood core and a 2mm backing layer all covered with 6 coats of abrasion resistant ceramic acrylic urethane. I have taken a coarse sandpaper to the coating and could barely mark it.
I notice that a lot of the new public buildings I have visited of late that use timber floors have used floating floors. There may be a number of reasons for this but to my way of thinking, if it is good enough for these sorts of places then it is good enough for me.

[Larry McCully]

i agree with Metung, I have seen some good systems, There are a couple that have a 4mm wear surface, and will allow you to resand and recoat them after about 5 or so years, but you will not get the same life expectancy you will get if you use a solid timber floor. Most of the floater will give you a 10 year guarantee, and thats fine but you want your floor to last more that 10 years. a solid floor can last up to the life of the building, in your case you will be able to secret nail directly over the top of your old floor. YOu a have the choise of either a overlay or traditional 19mm. also a solid t/g floor is cheaper to supply install and finnish. The cheaper floaters will give you greif and are more suited for shorter life expecentancy.If you finilly decide on a floater, Choose one that has at least a 4 mm wear surface and that can be resanded and coated at least once. As far as your doors are concerned, when you buy your floor, take a short piece of it and lay it on the floor next to the door jam and usis a saw, lat it on top of the timber and cut through the jam all the way to the bottom plate. your door wont fall down. At the same time, cut through the archatraves on either side of the jam. This will allow you to slide your new floor under that section, doing away with ussightly gaps. Cut up to within 5mm of all other walls and reskirt using a small quad of the same timber species. I recon in your case a solid floor would be the go, but at the end of the day, it is your choise. You need to weigh up the pros and cons .

[Larry McCully]

I have jut gone over you inquiry again, you state that you may need to replace some or all of your joists. You will have to consider that you cant float a floor over joists. you will have to put ply down first. and also if you are doing a fed reno, then go the distance and get a t/g proffesionaly installed and sanded. There are heaps of rich species to choose frrom. Jarrah, blackbutt, and many many more.

[bitingmidge]

Eddie,

I agree with what the above are saying, HOWEVER do your sums.

I am sure that by the time you replace the floor framing, then add some cheap particleboard or ply, then a cheap floating system, you could have a good solid timber floor for the same dosh.

Cheers,

P

[Larry McCully]

To answer question 2... When you change directions on a floor , you need to support under the joint, so that you dont get any sinking at that point. In the case of a floater, at the point of contact at door line, you may want to biscuit join so that you get positive strength and at the same time , run a lick of pva glue along that joint . that joint will never sag if you take these precautions. Changing directions always looks good on a floor, but it is destroyed if not done proper. its easy, so have a go at it. remember to do perfect cuts, you want a joinery finish at that line, no gaps. also a sharp new blade on your saw. If you are having trouble getting clean lines without fraying, try turning the board upside down to cut, but a sharp blade with 60 or so teeth will give you joy, a blade that cuts aluminum is good for cutting fine lines. just a thought on your floater, go for it if thats what you want, I know that some people are leaning that way because they have seen shoddy work done by a sander, and dont want to take that risk, there are good quality craftsman out their that can turn a solid floor and give it the same look as a floater. When you call that trade in , go and look at his last job.... and insist on it..... that will wake him up and if he is true to his trade, you will see what he is like. if your not happy with what you see, choise another one and do the same process, you will find that craftsman you will want to finnish your floor. solid flooring is always better than floaters