We've just had a loft conversion done and I now need to buy and lay the flooring.

My experience of doing flooring has been the living room and hallway, in which I installed solid maple strip, with hidden nails. The result was great, but hard work with the manual hidden nail gun + sanding + several coats of varnish.

I'm looking for an easier install for the loft room, which is about 30 sq metre, with lots of corners etc.

I've looked at some of the numerous suppliers online and I feel overwhelmed by the choice and variation in pricing etc. I'm looking for solid wood (not laminate), preferable 150mm wide planks. Oak is a favourite, but there are so many variants, I'm scared of getting it wrong.

So here are my questions - if anyone can advise:

What do the various grades mean, e.g. rustic I assume means more knots in the case of oak ?

What sort of price range should I be looking to spend per m2 ? Oak plank seems to vary massively. Maybe avoid anything sub £25 per m2 ?

Are there any woods that should be avoided - I found a good price on birch, which I really like the look of. Is birch any good for flooring ?

What's the best way to fix down the floor onto chipboard - hidden nail ? Do I need a foam membrane underneath ?

Thanks for any advice

cf

On Tuesday 23 April 2013 22:26 cf-leeds wrote in uk.d-i-y:

We've just had a loft conversion done and I now need to buy and lay the
flooring.

My experience of doing flooring has been the living room and hallway, in
which I installed solid maple strip, with hidden nails. The result was
great, but hard work with the manual hidden nail gun + sanding + several
coats of varnish.

I'm looking for an easier install for the loft room, which is about 30 sq
metre, with lots of corners etc.

I've looked at some of the numerous suppliers online and I feel
overwhelmed by the choice and variation in pricing etc. I'm looking for
solid wood (not laminate), preferable 150mm wide planks. Oak is a
favourite, but there are so many variants, I'm scared of getting it wrong.

So here are my questions - if anyone can advise:

What do the various grades mean, e.g. rustic I assume means more knots in
the case of oak ?

What sort of price range should I be looking to spend per m2 ? Oak plank
seems to vary massively. Maybe avoid anything sub £25 per m2 ?

Are there any woods that should be avoided - I found a good price on
birch, which I really like the look of. Is birch any good for flooring ?

What's the best way to fix down the floor onto chipboard - hidden nail ?
Do I need a foam membrane underneath ?

Thanks for any advice

cf

Have you considered resawn pine from victorian beams?


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On Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:26:51 PM UTC+1, cf-leeds wrote:

We've just had a loft conversion done and I now need to buy and lay the flooring.
My experience of doing flooring has been the living room and hallway, in which I installed solid maple strip, with hidden nails. The result was great, but hard work with the manual hidden nail gun + sanding + several coats of varnish.
I'm looking for an easier install for the loft room, which is about 30 sq metre, with lots of corners etc.
I've looked at some of the numerous suppliers online and I feel overwhelmed by the choice and variation in pricing etc. I'm looking for solid wood (not laminate), preferable 150mm wide planks. Oak is a favourite, but there are so many variants, I'm scared of getting it wrong.
So here are my questions - if anyone can advise:
What do the various grades mean, e.g. rustic I assume means more knots in the case of oak ?
What sort of price range should I be looking to spend per m2 ? Oak plank seems to vary massively. Maybe avoid anything sub £25 per m2 ?
Are there any woods that should be avoided - I found a good price on birch, which I really like the look of. Is birch any good for flooring ?
What's the best way to fix down the floor onto chipboard - hidden nail ? Do I need a foam membrane underneath ?
Thanks for any advice
cf

30x25=£750. A couple of tons of uncut firewood, tablesaw, belt sander. If you have a couple of days youll be all tooled up.


NT

On 23/04/13 22:26, cf-leeds wrote:
We've just had a loft conversion done and I now need to buy and lay the flooring.

My experience of doing flooring has been the living room and hallway, in which I installed solid maple strip, with hidden nails. The result was great, but hard work with the manual hidden nail gun + sanding + several coats of varnish.

I'm looking for an easier install for the loft room, which is about 30 sq metre, with lots of corners etc.

I've looked at some of the numerous suppliers online and I feel overwhelmed by the choice and variation in pricing etc. I'm looking for solid wood (not laminate), preferable 150mm wide planks. Oak is a favourite, but there are so many variants, I'm scared of getting it wrong.

So here are my questions - if anyone can advise:

What do the various grades mean, e.g. rustic I assume means more knots in the case of oak ?

yes

What sort of price range should I be looking to spend per m2 ? Oak plank seems to vary massively. Maybe avoid anything sub £25 per m2 ?

that's about par for rustic

Are there any woods that should be avoided - I found a good price on birch, which I really like the look of. Is birch any good for flooring ?

its what ply is made of

What's the best way to fix down the floor onto chipboard - hidden nail ? Do I need a foam membrane underneath ?
hidden nail or screw countersunk with tap in plugs over - sand down after

Thanks for any advice

cf











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Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

On 24/04/2013 01:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
its what ply is made of

Birch is ONE of the things ply is made of...

Andy

On 24/04/13 09:56, Andy Champ wrote:
On 24/04/2013 01:51, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
its what ply is made of

Birch is ONE of the things ply is made of...

Andy
true. these days its any old ****e.


--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.