Laying the flooring

G'day all. Began laying the Tas Oak T&G 85 x 19 mm overlay floor today.
The first board was tricky getting it nice and straight. I ran a chalk line the length of the room (8.5 metres) and glued nailed the first run down. then waited 30 mins for the glue to 'go off' a bit then started the next run.
Secret nailing using a Bostich floor stapler. Air type you belt with a special hammer. Brilliant. I'm also using Sikaflex T55 flooring adhesive, spread on with a notched trowel. I've stopped for a drink and I've done 4 runs of 8.5 metres. Now i've got the hang of it i reckon i'll finish laying it tomorrow afternoon. 46 runs to go. 391 lineal metres.
Cheers ;)

Hi Shedhand,
This is exactly what I want to do in my own place so let us know of any pitfalls/ wins you have along the way.
Why did you go 19mm?
Good luck & show us some pics.

19mm = more wear, less movement, better insulation (19mm Tas oak + 19mm Trudek + 12mm subfloor polystyrene wafers = R2.5), better sound insulation. Anyway that's the conclusions I came to after a fair bit of advice and reading etc.
The hardest part is spreading the adhesive. Doesn't go too well with arthritis in the knees and hands. Other than that no pitfalls as yet.
Cheers

knee pads are good.

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Originally Posted by Larry McCully

knee pads are good.

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Hiring someone elses knees is even better.;)

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Originally Posted by Larry McCully

knee pads are good.

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got 'em but the bony lumps still hurt when i kneel....:o

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Originally Posted by Dusty

Hiring someone elses knees is even better.;)

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had a crew lined up but ran out of money unfortunately.

More pics of floor and gear.
The stapler is the ducks guts. The GMC compressor cost me 165 bucks and will be handy in the shed when its done the job. plenty of grunt for the stapler.
Cheers

Shedhand havent heard from you today, I'd say you may be a bit weary after today effort,how are the knees holding up?:)
Hows the progress?
I notice that you put the glue on the floor rather than the board any reason? the instructions I've got say on the board but I can imagine your way is easier and less messy.
cheers

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Shedhand havent heard from you today, I'd say you may be a bit weary after today effort,how are the knees holding up?:)
Hows the progress?
I notice that you put the glue on the floor rather than the board any reason? the instructions I've got say on the board but I can imagine your way is easier and less messy.
cheers

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Knackered mate. Was a bit optomistic about finishing today. Knocked off at 8pm (I think I heard a rifle being loaded over the back fence :eek: ) after I used all the glue I spread. I spread enough to do 3 runs of 8.5 metres at a time. The Sikaflex T55 is very runny and is meant to form a flexible bed as a full surface adhesion. It'd have to be less messy than applying glue to each board and then having to handle a sticky mess. I'm officially just over half way now. Knees will never be the same.. :(
More pics.. Will definitely finish tomorrow.
Cheers

Yea i know what you mean by the knees! I used to have the same problem . then i discoved Glucosamine tabs and now it's easier to stand up and walk straighter too!! (might also have something to do with giving up drinking, NOT) The floor looks great and i've wondered about those bostich floor staplers. Keep going Shedhand.

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Originally Posted by Local Handyman

Yea i know what you mean by the knees! I used to have the same problem . then i discoved Glucosamine tabs and now it's easier to stand up and walk straighter too!! (might also have something to do with giving up drinking, NOT) The floor looks great and i've wondered about those bostich floor staplers. Keep going Shedhand.

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Thanks for the encouragement Handy. I've been on Glucosimine for over 2 years (2000mg / day - I bought a big supply. I have two mates who are pharmacists. Both say I've wasted my money. I asked why they sell the stuff and they said its because customers want to buy it????
They reckon exercise (walking) and healthy food is the best thing.
I'm actually enjoying the flooring. The stapler is just brilliant. When you whack it with the hammer there is a slight delay before the staple shoots into the tongue which allows any small gap the boards have between them to be closed.
Cheers

Shedhand have you finished that floor yet?
I want to know how you got those last boards in?

Its usually about day 3 when the pain sets in, hows the back & knees. :p

Imagine what it would be like to be a carpet layer kicking those spreader things with your knee all day:(

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

Shedhand have you finished that floor yet?
I want to know how you got those last boards in?

Its usually about day 3 when the pain sets in, hows the back & knees. :p

Imagine what it would be like to be a carpet layer kicking those spreader things with your knee all day:(

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I'm convinced that anyone who works in the flooring industry laying anything is a mutant. I'm 8 metres from death. everythings killing me. :(
As for the last three runs...had to hand skew nail 2 runs then top nailed the last two. Took the lower groove edge off the last board so it just sat on the tongue...plenty of sticky goo and top nailed. Just got the dining room to do now. 3m x 4m ... an easier task only having two walls to work at can use the stapler start finish..
Cheers. :o

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Originally Posted by Shedhand

I'm convinced that anyone who works in the flooring industry laying anything is a mutant. I'm 8 metres from death. everythings killing me. :(
As for the last three runs...had to hand skew nail 2 runs then top nailed the last two. Took the lower groove edge off the last board so it just sat on the tongue...plenty of sticky goo and top nailed. Just got the dining room to do now. 3m x 4m ... an easier task only having two walls to work at can use the stapler start finish..
Cheers. :o

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Thanks brother, for some strange reason i am taking that as a compliment. lolhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ons/icon14.gif keep going mate you will get their ,and when you do and its all over, you will have something of beauty in front of you and you did it. That is what keeps us going through the big difficult ones. The end result.

DONE.....'ere 'tis. I have a bit of it (bottom left hand) a quick touch up with the ROS to see how it will come up after I have it sanded. Nice, very nice.
:):):):):):)

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Originally Posted by Larry McCully

Thanks brother, for some strange reason i am taking that as a compliment. lolhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ons/icon14.gif keep going mate you will get their ,and when you do and its all over, you will have something of beauty in front of you and you did it. That is what keeps us going through the big difficult ones. The end result.

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Spot on, Larry.

Great work, shedhand. You've just saved yourself a heap of labour cost.
Way to go.
Looks the goods too.

Dusty.

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Originally Posted by Shedhand

DONE.....'ere 'tis. I have a bit of it (bottom left hand) a quick touch up with the ROS to see how it will come up after I have it sanded. Nice, very nice.
:):):):):):)

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Well done mate.

Thanks Dusty and Larry. Rich praise from a couple of pro's. Means a lot.
Cheers ;)

Ok. Now I've finally finished laying all the T&G. Looks great.
Finishing off the step now. Its a single step 4 metres wide and I'm putting 5 brushed stainless steel flush mounted 14mm L.E.D. deck lights in the kicker 40mm off the lower floor. Will look great and highlight the step.
The sanding guy comes in next week and I'm finishing with 3 coats of Treatex.
Will post some pics when thats done.
Cheers

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Originally Posted by Shedhand

Ok. Now I've finally finished laying all the T&G. Looks great.
Finishing off the step now. Its a single step 4 metres wide and I'm putting 5 brushed stainless steel flush mounted 14mm L.E.D. deck lights in the kicker 40mm off the lower floor. Will look great and highlight the step.
The sanding guy comes in next week and I'm finishing with 3 coats of Treatex.
Will post some pics when thats done.
Cheers

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The lights sound like a great idea, can imagine the reflection on the gloss finish, looking forward to the pics.

G'day all.
Well it's taken me most of 3 days to do but the steps are done.
I designed and built and wired them up myself. (You can legally do 12v wiring)

I used 140mm x 32 mm Select Tasmanian Oak for the tread and riser. I glued and dowelled two lengths to make a tread 4m wide x 270mm deep. The riser is 140mm x 32mm to a finished height of 172mm.

The step delineates the renovated dining area from the new kithchen and living area so I decided to make it a feature by installing deck lights flush into the tread.

However, after thinking about it I thought it was a bit over the top. So I went for small (14mm) brushed stainless steel LED's mounted flush in the riser 30mm from the floor.

The 12v loom is properly secured inside the step and runs through a floor joist to a 240v outlet my sparky installed under the house.


Anyway it looks great. And SWMBO is mightily impressed (she didn't know I was gonna do it and she's been away all weekend.)

Next project. The laundry cupboards.

I've ordered all the kitchen carcasses and they'll be here in 7 weeks.

Cheers

Gee that floor looks GREAT! And the LED's are a terrific feature. Hope all your jointy bits are repairing themselves and not too sore now.

Can you give me a few more details about the 12v LED system? What is the rated candlepower of each LED, voltage of the LED,, wired in series? and resistors in the circuit? Better still, can you sketch a circuit diagram with all the values and post it on here somehow? I like the LED idea and can think of a couple of applications around here.
Many thanks,
Jeff

Mate, I know 3/5ths of 1/11th of sfa about electrical stuff but i think it looks somfink like this......:D

seriously tho..I got lucky in Bunnings and came across 3 boxes of the 14mm LED made by RingGrip who have gone bust. I bought the 3 boxed sets of 4 lights pre-wired and with a master and slave junction box and transformer for 8 bucks a box. Couldn't believe my luck.
Thanks for the positive comments. I appreciate all praise. ;)

I just dug out a pamphlet. They are wired in series (whatever that means). i can hook 32 of the 14mm lights to one transformer. In the back under specifications its says:
Power source -220v-240v, 50hz AC
Load rating -6W Max
Weatherproof rating -IP44

I think if you multiply everything by everything else and divide by pi you get the candlepower... :D

Hope this helps.
Cheers

Its killing you aye? Me and the boss are laying just over 250sqm of floor boards which is just over 3.1km in lineal length, anyway its looking good, looks like blackbutt? Did you leave a gap between the boards and the wall?

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Originally Posted by Shaun04

Its killing you aye? Me and the boss are laying just over 250sqm of floor boards which is just over 3.1km in lineal length, anyway its looking good, looks like blackbutt? Did you leave a gap between the boards and the wall?

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Glad its you and not me..too old for that stuff. Left a 5mm gap each wall of length and 10mm each wall of the width. Timber moves more on the width than the length but i guess you already know that mate.
Probably looks loike blackbutt because it hasn't been sanded yet.
Cheers (get back to work). :D

Thanks shedhand! Off to bunnies bendigo tomorrow to seeif I can track down a box or two.
Jeff

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Originally Posted by woodsprite

Thanks shedhand! Off to bunnies bendigo tomorrow to seeif I can track down a box or two.
Jeff

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goodluck. :)