My husband is installing solid oak floor in our living room. (I have posted previously about using this same flooring in a porch, but this is another query!).
He is planning to lay thick plywood over the existing floorboards, and install the solid oak planks over the top. The room is approx 20SQM and the planks are white Oak Brushed & Natural Oiled 150mm x 19mm. The reason for putting the plywood down is two-fold. First, it is to raise the floor height so that it is more level with an adjoining room. Secondly, it's because there is concrete in one corner of the room, rather than floorboards, hence it's also to make the subfloor the same.
My husband is planning to 'secret screw' (oo-er) - bit like secret nail but with these special screws: www.carpentersofyork.com/cgi-bin/carpo.cgi?Command=ListPromoProducts&db_subid=108
Now, with regards to my query... I *think* that I read somewhere that if you're installing wood floor on a ground floor, you need to put down visqueen or plastic sheeting beneath the floorboards, to act as a damp proof membrane. Currently, there is a bit of a damp smell that comes through the floorboards in the room, so I suspect that there is a bit of damp.
I have searched the forum, but couldn't get a definitive answer. Do we need to put down this DPM under the floorboards? Perhaps i'm being a little over cautious, but I obviously want the job to go right. Secondly, anyone have any experience of using these special screw things? My concern is that they might not allow for expansion.
Please please please help!!
He is planning to lay thick plywood over the existing floorboards, and install the solid oak planks over the top. The room is approx 20SQM and the planks are white Oak Brushed & Natural Oiled 150mm x 19mm. The reason for putting the plywood down is two-fold. First, it is to raise the floor height so that it is more level with an adjoining room. Secondly, it's because there is concrete in one corner of the room, rather than floorboards, hence it's also to make the subfloor the same.
My husband is planning to 'secret screw' (oo-er) - bit like secret nail but with these special screws: www.carpentersofyork.com/cgi-bin/carpo.cgi?Command=ListPromoProducts&db_subid=108
Now, with regards to my query... I *think* that I read somewhere that if you're installing wood floor on a ground floor, you need to put down visqueen or plastic sheeting beneath the floorboards, to act as a damp proof membrane. Currently, there is a bit of a damp smell that comes through the floorboards in the room, so I suspect that there is a bit of damp.
I have searched the forum, but couldn't get a definitive answer. Do we need to put down this DPM under the floorboards? Perhaps i'm being a little over cautious, but I obviously want the job to go right. Secondly, anyone have any experience of using these special screw things? My concern is that they might not allow for expansion.
Please please please help!!
