How to install hardwood on a rough floor
 

I have been installing hardwood for customers for a few months and
things have been going well but seems I met my first challenge. When I
installed 4" wide 3/4" thick mahagony flooring there is excessive
height difference, maybe upto 1/10 of an inch in rare cases, between
adjoining boards.

I investigated and found this is due to the chipboard (3/4" OSB) floor
being very rough. Even though there is 1/5" thick plywood on top of the
OSB the problem persists. To correct the problem do I sand the OSB
floor or smooth it with floor leveling compound?
Or is there another solution?

wrote in message
ps.com...
I have been installing hardwood for customers for a few months and
things have been going well but seems I met my first challenge. When I
installed 4" wide 3/4" thick mahagony flooring there is excessive
height difference, maybe upto 1/10 of an inch in rare cases, between
adjoining boards.

I investigated and found this is due to the chipboard (3/4" OSB) floor
being very rough. Even though there is 1/5" thick plywood on top of the
OSB the problem persists. To correct the problem do I sand the OSB
floor or smooth it with floor leveling compound?
Or is there another solution?

When I put down a Pergo floor a few years ago there was a requirement for
the floor to be no more than 1/8" (or something like that) out over 6 feet.
I had a place or two where there was a valley and used Jif-Set with vinyl
sealer to level it. I found it to be not quite as self-leveling as
described and used a bull float for additional leveling.

todd

wrote in message
ps.com...
I have been installing hardwood for customers for a few months and
things have been going well but seems I met my first challenge. When I
installed 4" wide 3/4" thick mahagony flooring there is excessive
height difference, maybe upto 1/10 of an inch in rare cases, between
adjoining boards.

I investigated and found this is due to the chipboard (3/4" OSB) floor
being very rough. Even though there is 1/5" thick plywood on top of the
OSB the problem persists. To correct the problem do I sand the OSB
floor or smooth it with floor leveling compound?
Or is there another solution?


Also check your floor boards. Flooring expects to be sanded before a finish
is put over it and it's not out of the realm of reason that your floor
boards are not all even - though yours does sound like quite a difference.
If the problems are in the area of OSB joints then it would seem likely that
the OSB subfloor is contributing to your problems, but if the problem areas
are in the middle of sheets, then I'd look again at just how much the OSB is
affecting your flooring. It may not be as the much the OSB as you think.
You should easily see a difference of nearly an eighth of an inch as you
describe so if you do, I'd certainly lay down some leveler before putting
down the 1/5" sheets. BTW - what is 1/5" plywood? Is that an English
approximation of a metric measurement?
--

-Mike-

Bizarre! Could you have some boards upside down? The T&G is not always
symmetrical. ALso, the bottom face of the groove edge should be relieved to
make the top edges close up more easily.
Wilson
wrote in message
ps.com...
I have been installing hardwood for customers for a few months and
things have been going well but seems I met my first challenge. When I
installed 4" wide 3/4" thick mahagony flooring there is excessive
height difference, maybe upto 1/10 of an inch in rare cases, between
adjoining boards.

I investigated and found this is due to the chipboard (3/4" OSB) floor
being very rough. Even though there is 1/5" thick plywood on top of the
OSB the problem persists. To correct the problem do I sand the OSB
floor or smooth it with floor leveling compound?
Or is there another solution?

Yes, its 5.2mm thick plywood, so that translates into about 1/5". Sold
here in Canada.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Yes, its 5.2mm thick plywood, so that translates into about 1/5". Sold
here in Canada.


I guessed that might be the case. BTW, please include quoted text when
making your replies so we can see who and what you are replying to.
Snipping is good, but complete snipping is not.
--

-Mike-