New T&G Pine Floorboards...what to look for?

[lovelyjob]

Hi all. I've decided to fit t&g floorboards to my suspended joist ground floor. I'm just at the stage of improving ventilation...then will be insulating between joists with Celotex 75mm.
Having read a little about available t&g floorboards, I've ended up a bit confused. The floorboards will be the finished floor and will be stained and laquered (water based). But just what should I be looking for regarding the floorboards, re quality and stability etc. I've read a little about whitewood and redwood...but not got a clue about the different grades and which suppliers might hold better quality stock. I'm in south west London, so hope you can recommend a supplier.

Secondly, regarding fixing the t&g...was looking at cramping and secret nailing, but interested in the tongue-tite screw..which looks pretty good. It's also a hidden fix, driven in like the nails, but has a smaller head to allow easy countersinking with no pilot hole required. Any thoughts or experience with these?
I've read some people glue the tongues...but most don't. So, is glueing the t&g required or not?

Thanks for reading. Hope I get some advice.

 

[AronSearle]

Consider the quality of the boards in regards to moisture content.

Some of the cheap pine T&G boards are not very dry, they may be sold with the intention to carpet over, you want boards that are properly acclimitized to avoid excessive shrinkage gaps.

Redwood/whitewood are fine, but pine is pine so keep your expectations of such material realistic, and the grades will mostly just affect the knottyness of the boards and cost.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Make sure you keep the boards in the house for a fortnight at the very least, to equalise the mositure content.

Cramp them up as tightly as is humanly possible (with floorboard cramps or a bow-wrench). New boards will shrink even if you do the above.

Don't glue the tongues. When the boards contract or expand, the joints won't be able to move, and the timber will crack.

Another option is new boards re-sawn from old beams. I've used both pine and pich pine, and neither have shrunk very much, as the wood is old and seasoned. Tends to be better quality timber and look nicer.

Cheers
Richardd

 

[lovelyjob]

Thanks for the replies guys. A quick update. Both my local timber yards can supply redwood t&g floorboards...but both of them say the same thing, ie, they do not recommend as a final floor finish due to movement problems that might occur with moisture/swelling/shrinkage etc. Which leaves me in a dilemma really. I wanted to use floorboards to keep the character of the victorian property and also avoid the cost and expense of a sub floor layer plus a finish floor over that. I hate laminate floor with a vengeance, so the finish floor would have to be an engineered veneered...which of course will be even more moolah!

So...I'm a bit non-plussed at the moment. Mmmm, what to do.

Any other advice appreciated.

 

[AronSearle]

You just need to buy some boards that are properly dried, 10% moisture content.

It may be that the quantity/cost you are willing to pay for, means it is not worth their while properly kiln drying and processing them into floorboards. It might be that all they do is buy in pre-machined T&G flooring that is not properly dried.

It is perfectly technically reasonable to lay a T&G softwood floor, and have it as the finished floor.

But you need to buy decently dried timber, and not the cheap crap that people just lay carpets over.