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  #1   Report Post  
vegasdave
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

I want to make my own flooring tiles from wood and install them as you
would any other flooring tile. I would be intalling them on a solid
concrete subfloor. Is this possible? Would I be able to use grout, or
is there a special grouting material that I would use? Would I use
construction adhesive or thinset to lay the tiles? Would I seal them
with marine varnish, or would a urethane coating be sufficient?
Any advice on this topic would be appreciated. I like tile, love
wood, and hate parkay flooring. This idea seemed the best of both
worlds. Please help.
  #2   Report Post  
JackD
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

Not a good idea.
Wood changes dimension as the water content changes.
Because of this wood floors are not made of wooden tiles.
If they were then gaps would open when the floor dried and it might/would
buckle if it got too wet.

Now, that being said, IF you put down some sort of barrier so any moisture
in the concrete could not find it's way into the wood, and IF you used a
flexible grout (really a sealant) which had elastic properties sufficient to
allow the movement of the wood then it would be OK. I'm guessing that you
would end up with something like a bunch of wood stuck in a puddle of
sikaflex. Maintaining it with the combination of wood and flexible sealant
would be a problem - as would refinishing it since the sander would not like
the sealant at all.

My advice, stick to the traditional methods of installing wooden flooring.

-Jack

"vegasdave" wrote in message
om...
I want to make my own flooring tiles from wood and install them as you
would any other flooring tile. I would be intalling them on a solid
concrete subfloor. Is this possible? Would I be able to use grout, or
is there a special grouting material that I would use? Would I use
construction adhesive or thinset to lay the tiles? Would I seal them
with marine varnish, or would a urethane coating be sufficient?
Any advice on this topic would be appreciated. I like tile, love
wood, and hate parkay flooring. This idea seemed the best of both
worlds. Please help.



  #3   Report Post  
Herman Family
 
Posts: n/a
Default wood flooring tiles

You might consider putting down a moisture barrier, then 1x2s on 16" centers
with foam insulation between them, followed by some subflooring and finally
put your tiles down in the usual manner. The upshot of it all is you want
to remove the tiles from the vagaries of concrete, and put them in a wood
friendly environment.

Michael
"vegasdave" wrote in message
om...
I want to make my own flooring tiles from wood and install them as you
would any other flooring tile. I would be intalling them on a solid
concrete subfloor. Is this possible? Would I be able to use grout, or
is there a special grouting material that I would use? Would I use
construction adhesive or thinset to lay the tiles? Would I seal them
with marine varnish, or would a urethane coating be sufficient?
Any advice on this topic would be appreciated. I like tile, love
wood, and hate parkay flooring. This idea seemed the best of both
worlds. Please help.



  #4   Report Post  
Rob Stokes
 
Posts: n/a
Default wood flooring tiles

Hmmm, interesting. While I agree in principle, just the other day on the way
home from work, I passed a road construction crew. I know, I know, what the
hell does this have to do with anything but wait......

Looking at the "cross section" of the ditch dug down the middle of the road,
it became apparent that the asphalt had been placed over the original
cobblestones. The original cobblestones were wood blocks placed on end...and
they were still there.

Must be something to it.

Rob


"JackD" wrote in message ...
Not a good idea.
Wood changes dimension as the water content changes.
Because of this wood floors are not made of wooden tiles.
If they were then gaps would open when the floor dried and it might/would
buckle if it got too wet.

Now, that being said, IF you put down some sort of barrier so any moisture
in the concrete could not find it's way into the wood, and IF you used a
flexible grout (really a sealant) which had elastic properties sufficient

to
allow the movement of the wood then it would be OK. I'm guessing that you
would end up with something like a bunch of wood stuck in a puddle of
sikaflex. Maintaining it with the combination of wood and flexible sealant
would be a problem - as would refinishing it since the sander would not

like
the sealant at all.

My advice, stick to the traditional methods of installing wooden flooring.

-Jack

"vegasdave" wrote in message
om...
I want to make my own flooring tiles from wood and install them as you
would any other flooring tile. I would be intalling them on a solid
concrete subfloor. Is this possible? Would I be able to use grout, or
is there a special grouting material that I would use? Would I use
construction adhesive or thinset to lay the tiles? Would I seal them
with marine varnish, or would a urethane coating be sufficient?
Any advice on this topic would be appreciated. I like tile, love
wood, and hate parkay flooring. This idea seemed the best of both
worlds. Please help.





  #5   Report Post  
Herman Family
 
Posts: n/a
Default wood flooring tiles

If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once. I don't know how the
wood has survived so long. It might be interesting to ask the road crew or
the transportation department what sort of wood was used.

Michael
"Rob Stokes" wrote in message
s.com...
Hmmm, interesting. While I agree in principle, just the other day on the

way
home from work, I passed a road construction crew. I know, I know, what

the
hell does this have to do with anything but wait......

Looking at the "cross section" of the ditch dug down the middle of the

road,
it became apparent that the asphalt had been placed over the original
cobblestones. The original cobblestones were wood blocks placed on

end...and
they were still there.

Must be something to it.

Rob


"JackD" wrote in message ...
Not a good idea.
Wood changes dimension as the water content changes.
Because of this wood floors are not made of wooden tiles.
If they were then gaps would open when the floor dried and it

might/would
buckle if it got too wet.

Now, that being said, IF you put down some sort of barrier so any

moisture
in the concrete could not find it's way into the wood, and IF you used a
flexible grout (really a sealant) which had elastic properties

sufficient
to
allow the movement of the wood then it would be OK. I'm guessing that

you
would end up with something like a bunch of wood stuck in a puddle of
sikaflex. Maintaining it with the combination of wood and flexible

sealant
would be a problem - as would refinishing it since the sander would not

like
the sealant at all.

My advice, stick to the traditional methods of installing wooden

flooring.

-Jack

"vegasdave" wrote in message
om...
I want to make my own flooring tiles from wood and install them as you
would any other flooring tile. I would be intalling them on a solid
concrete subfloor. Is this possible? Would I be able to use grout, or
is there a special grouting material that I would use? Would I use
construction adhesive or thinset to lay the tiles? Would I seal them
with marine varnish, or would a urethane coating be sufficient?
Any advice on this topic would be appreciated. I like tile, love
wood, and hate parkay flooring. This idea seemed the best of both
worlds. Please help.









  #6   Report Post  
Frank Nakashima
 
Posts: n/a
Default wood flooring tiles


"Herman Family" /without_any_s/ wrote in
message ...
If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once. I don't know how

the
wood has survived so long. It might be interesting to ask the road

crew or
the transportation department what sort of wood was used.


They did that on some show - I think it was one of Bob Vila's Home
Again. One of the first seasons I think. They laid them as tiles in a
running bond and grouted them with something like sawdust and varnish.
It looked pretty slick - like wooden cobblestones.


  #7   Report Post  
Leuf
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:50:00 GMT, "Frank Nakashima"
wrote:


"Herman Family" /without_any_s/ wrote in
message ...
If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once. I don't know how

the
wood has survived so long. It might be interesting to ask the road

crew or
the transportation department what sort of wood was used.


They did that on some show - I think it was one of Bob Vila's Home
Again. One of the first seasons I think. They laid them as tiles in a
running bond and grouted them with something like sawdust and varnish.
It looked pretty slick - like wooden cobblestones.


Good memory,

http://www.bobvila.com/wwwboard/messages/76623.html
http://www.bobvila.com/wwwboard/messages/6438.html


-Leuf
  #10   Report Post  
Alan McClure
 
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Default wood flooring tiles



Herman Family wrote:

If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once. I don't know how the
wood has survived so long. It might be interesting to ask the road crew or
the transportation department what sort of wood was used.

Michael


This type of floor is quite common in manufacturing plants where dropping
a valuable piece of metal on concrete would be disastrous. Tire plants and
plants that make tire molds have acres of block floors.

The blocks are creosote or tar soaked oak 4" long set on end. No glue or
grout is used, the blocks are just wedged in. The man replacing a section
of floor uses a hatchet, wide chisel, and a mallet.

The plant where I worked had yellow spray paint outlines on the floor in
several areas, when I asked what the lines meant, I was told to wait for a
good rain then I would know. The lines indicated where not to walk after
a leak in the roof had wet down the blocks real well and caused the
floor to "blister up". As long as you didn't knock any of the blocks out
of the blister and make it fall in on its self, the blister would subside when
the wood dried out again.

The largest, and one of the first, blisters or domes I saw in one of these
floors
was in the main floor of a facility that was being shut down. The dome was
20 to 30 feet in diameter and 3 to 4 feet high in the middle.

ARM




  #11   Report Post  
MSH
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

I worked on the Wells Fargo Bank in SFs financial district years ago with a
Fir end block floor.

M Hamlin

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...

I think that stuff was oak, maybe white oak. Later, I saw similar stuff

further
south that I'm pretty sure was SYP.




  #12   Report Post  
Andy Dingley
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:46:07 GMT, "Herman Family"
/without_any_s/ wrote:

If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once.


One of the most interesting wood floors I've seen is the
milk-unloading dock at Edge Hill Station, in Liverpool (the Edge Hill
of Stephenson's Rocket fame).

To quieten the early-morning noise of milk churns being unloaded, the
(outdoor) floor was made of wood blocks. However these wood blocks
were pie-shaped wedges, recycled from the railway. An early form of
smooth-riding patent carriage wheel was the Maunsell wheel, a cast
iron hub, steel tyre and clamped-in wooden wedges instead of spokes.



  #14   Report Post  
Phil
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

A variant of this is that I've seen is in use on the large manufacturing
area floors at Sikorsky Helicopter in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Wood
blocks, about 4 inches square. They carry a tremendous load without
noticeable failure.

If anyone knows what they are (wood type), where to purchase them and
how they are finished, I'd like to know. I'd like to use them in a two
level garage I'm planning and on my shop floor.

Phil

Andy Dingley wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 21:46:07 GMT, "Herman Family"
/without_any_s/ wrote:


If you want a very tough floor, then end grain up wood is among the
toughest. I've seen that in a railroad barn once.



One of the most interesting wood floors I've seen is the
milk-unloading dock at Edge Hill Station, in Liverpool (the Edge Hill
of Stephenson's Rocket fame).

To quieten the early-morning noise of milk churns being unloaded, the
(outdoor) floor was made of wood blocks. However these wood blocks
were pie-shaped wedges, recycled from the railway. An early form of
smooth-riding patent carriage wheel was the Maunsell wheel, a cast
iron hub, steel tyre and clamped-in wooden wedges instead of spokes.




  #15   Report Post  
Andy Dingley
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 22:53:03 -0400, Phil wrote:

A variant of this is that I've seen is in use on the large manufacturing
area floors at Sikorsky Helicopter in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Wood
blocks, about 4 inches square. [...]


If anyone knows what they are (wood type), where to purchase them and
how they are finished, I'd like to know.


A few years ago I was working in the body panel press shop of Rover
cars in Swindon. This is a huge shop - one of the biggest
menufacturing plant buildings I've ever been in. 20 lines of presses,
about 4 or 5 presses in each line, and each press ranging from 250 to
1000 tons load.

The floor in there is end-grain woodblock, about 4" square as you
describe. I can't swear to this, but I'd always understood them to be
hard pitch pine.

Each press is fed with a sheet of steel, maybe 6' square. To lubricate
the press tools, a guy with a paint roller applies a wax and paraffin
mix. This goop gets _everywhere, and the floor is near-impossible to
stay upright on. Being a traditional English company (useless fools)
I had to show up wearing a suit and tie, even when I was working on
the shop floor. I drew the line at shoes though, and had my biggest
pair of hobnailed boots (real hobnails) and the suit trousers tucked
into them. I worked there about two weeks, writing and installing
machine-monitoring software on a laptop hooked into our press monitor.
To get a clean workspace, I had to go out and buy locally a folding
white plastic picnic table and chairs, complete with parasol !

I was used to trying to code (and think) in 100dB noise, so working in
ear defenders was no surprise. But I'd never had to sit permanently in
somewhere so oily and grimy for so long. Disgusting place - I was glad
to be out of it.

--
Smert' spamionam


  #18   Report Post  
JackD
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

The original poster didn't mention 4" thick wooden blocks. And the
word used was parkay, not parquet.


JOAT
The whole of life is a learning process.
- John Keel


Ah, "parkay", I thought he meant parquet.

Sorry.

-Jack


  #19   Report Post  
todd
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

JackD wrote:
The original poster didn't mention 4" thick wooden blocks.
And the

word used was parkay, not parquet.


JOAT
The whole of life is a learning process.
- John Keel


Ah, "parkay", I thought he meant parquet.

Sorry.

-Jack


Butter.

todd


  #20   Report Post  
vegasdave
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

Not that this makes TOO much difference, and I haven't read all of the
replies here yet, but I noticed that my husband forgot to mention that
we live in the torturously dry climate of Nevada, and here they
declare 20% humidity to be DAMP(!)- go figure...we were actually
considering something like making a floor in a jigsaw-puzzle manner,
NOT a ripoff of ceramic tiles by making a bunch of squares.

I, personally, was thinking of marine plywood, or something comparably
resistant to re-shaping itself, cut to fit together and stained in
several tones, tons of protective coats, and then a thick coat of
something on top, like the 1/8" layer of clear stuff they pour on top
of bars and restaurant tables. It doesn't even have to be spectacular
looking wood grain - just so it's obviously some form of wood in
there. We're looking for a combo of inexpensive (at least RELATIVELY)
and completely unique, starting with a 10x10 foot toddler's room, then
maybe elsewhere if it works out well.

Thanks, Vegasdave's old lady ;D


  #21   Report Post  
JackD
 
Posts: n/a
Default wood flooring tiles


"vegasdave" wrote in message
om...
Not that this makes TOO much difference, and I haven't read all of the
replies here yet, but I noticed that my husband forgot to mention that
we live in the torturously dry climate of Nevada, and here they
declare 20% humidity to be DAMP(!)- go figure...we were actually
considering something like making a floor in a jigsaw-puzzle manner,
NOT a ripoff of ceramic tiles by making a bunch of squares.

I, personally, was thinking of marine plywood, or something comparably
resistant to re-shaping itself, cut to fit together and stained in
several tones, tons of protective coats, and then a thick coat of
something on top, like the 1/8" layer of clear stuff they pour on top
of bars and restaurant tables. It doesn't even have to be spectacular
looking wood grain - just so it's obviously some form of wood in
there. We're looking for a combo of inexpensive (at least RELATIVELY)
and completely unique, starting with a 10x10 foot toddler's room, then
maybe elsewhere if it works out well.

Thanks, Vegasdave's old lady ;D


Well, that's different. Plywood would work.

-Jack


  #22   Report Post  
Larry Jaques
 
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Default wood flooring tiles

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:58:13 -0700, "JackD" pixelated:

The original poster didn't mention 4" thick wooden blocks. And the

word used was parkay, not parquet.


JOAT
The whole of life is a learning process.
- John Keel


Ah, "parkay", I thought he meant parquet.


("Butter" it said, in a quiet mumbled voice.)


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