Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Jan 06, 2010 3:03 pm Hello, I live in a two-bedroom townhouse that's tiled downstairs, with carpet laid on the stairs and rooms upstairs. Eventually, I would like to get rid of the carpet and lay timber flooring in its place. The stairs and upstairs floor is made of concrete. Is laying timber on concrete difficult? Will this raise the floor by a significant amount? (The ceilings aren't that high to begin with and sacrificing any more space isn't desirable). Any other information offered is appreciated. Thanks in advance. Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 2Jan 06, 2010 4:30 pm You can lay 12 mm plywood then 12 mm timber flooring to give a total floor height of only 24 mm. This is what I'm going for. The conventional approach is 19 mm battons + 19 mm timber for a total height of 38 mm. (You can even direct stick the 12 mm timber to concrete, but I suspect this is tricky.) Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 3Jan 06, 2010 8:48 pm There is a 10mm overlay solid hardwood floor on the market now. It has been exhaustively tested for 3 years and has been found to be far superior to to the 12mm/13mm overlay floors currently used. 14mm is still the best thickness for wide board overlay (130mm and 180mm) Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 4Jan 06, 2010 9:14 pm Dukekamaya There is a 10mm overlay solid hardwood floor on the market now. It has been exhaustively tested for 3 years and has been found to be far superior to to the 12mm/13mm overlay floors currently used. 14mm is still the best thickness for wide board overlay (130mm and 180mm) Dukekamaya, Is the 10 mm overlay solid hardwood floor intended to go directly on a concrete slab or plywood underlay? Also, who supplies these timbers? Cheers, Casa Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 5Jan 06, 2010 9:17 pm Casa2 You can lay 12 mm plywood then 12 mm timber flooring to give a total floor height of only 24 mm. This is what I'm going for. Hi Casa Can you let us (me) know how that went. Actually, when is that happening? Do you plan to use slimwood or floating floor? What's you experience/opinion in regards to using a slimmer plywood instead (just to save some headroom)? Cheers My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 6Jan 06, 2010 9:23 pm Lex Casa2 You can lay 12 mm plywood then 12 mm timber flooring to give a total floor height of only 24 mm. This is what I'm going for. Hi Casa Can you let us (me) know how that went. Actually, when is that happening? Do you plan to use slimwood or floating floor? What's you experience/opinion in regards to using a slimmer plywood instead (just to save some headroom)? Cheers Donuts used 8 mm plywood plus 12 mm solid timber in her house. I haven't got to lock-up yet, let alone timber flooring. The contract states 12 mm plywood + 12 mm Slimwood (in Sydney Blue Gum). I think it will work out well. I like the idea of only 24 mm thick flooring directly bearing on the slab (to avoid that drummy sound for timber flooring on bearers). Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 7Jan 06, 2010 10:23 pm I would be inclined to go with the floating floor systems, as others have mentioned you can buy solid timber versions, this way you can still lay a nice underlay that will give a little movement and provide some comfort under foot. Direct sticking timber to concrete would not. Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 8Jan 07, 2010 5:10 am Not too sure what a "nice" underlay is.....it won't provide movement in the floor as much as it will provide great sound adsorption between your floors. These days you can buy acoustic underlay (that meets the BCA) for as little as $8 m2, without the need for the old school rubber/cork mixtures from regepol etc that used to sell for $30 m2. Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 10Jan 07, 2010 8:43 am OK, what are people's opinions in regards to timber floor on slab installation? We are thinking slimwood (= full raw timber floor boards but thinner than the standard 19mm ones). What is the best under"thing" for that for a concrete slab installation and why (IYO)? Is plywood good? Is something else more appropriate? Our slab is very un-level in one area. It has a few large deep puddle style dips (1.5-2m diameter). Would they need to use some kind of levelling first if they put plywood (or any other underlay)? Is it useful to have plywood first, then some kind of sponge (to soak up any small gaps which potentially could cause clanking when you walk on the floor), and then nail the slimwood into the plywood??? Can it be done, or plywood should not be nailed into ??? P.S. Slimwood only because we haven't made the necessary changes to the ground floor to accomodate full thickness timber boards on battens (38mm floor thickness). We are trying to save on the headroom My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 11Jan 07, 2010 3:25 pm Lex Is plywood good? Is something else more appropriate? Our slab is very un-level in one area. It has a few large deep puddle style dips (1.5-2m diameter). Would they need to use some kind of levelling first if they put plywood (or any other underlay)? You can buy a self levelling grout for this purpose. It mixes into a slurry and when poured into the low points it levels itself out to conform with the level of the rest of the floor. Perfect for laying floorboards and floating floors. Cheers. Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 12Jan 07, 2010 6:26 pm Overlay floors are designed to be laid over a solid-substrate whether it be concrete, ply or particle-board etc. Direct sticking to concrete seems to be quite common in Vic/SA/WA and not so common in NSW/Qld. Whether its a issue with those states being drier against NSW/Qld with much higher rainfalls I don't know. As for '8mm plywood' there is no such thing, it would be 7mm or 9mm and and would contravene the BCA for use under 12mm overlay flooring. 10mm overlay has the same applications as the various 12mm or 13mm solid ovelays currently on the market Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 13Jan 07, 2010 7:50 pm Thanks guys ... So, essentially, we can choose ourselves what kind of underlay we'll install under the overlay ... this sentence is hillarious My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 16Jan 09, 2010 11:11 am Lex OK, what are people's opinions in regards to timber floor on slab installation? We are thinking slimwood (= full raw timber floor boards but thinner than the standard 19mm ones). What is the best under"thing" for that for a concrete slab installation and why (IYO)? Is plywood good? Is something else more appropriate? Our slab is very un-level in one area. It has a few large deep puddle style dips (1.5-2m diameter). Would they need to use some kind of levelling first if they put plywood (or any other underlay)? Is it useful to have plywood first, then some kind of sponge (to soak up any small gaps which potentially could cause clanking when you walk on the floor), and then nail the slimwood into the plywood??? Can it be done, or plywood should not be nailed into ??? P.S. Slimwood only because we haven't made the necessary changes to the ground floor to accomodate full thickness timber boards on battens (38mm floor thickness). We are trying to save on the headroom IMO I would like to instal timber over concrete and have it directly stuck to the slab, but this takes time so the next best thing would be to install plywood underlay which is fixed either by nails or screws to the slab. Timber floor then get fixed to the ply with staples through the tongue of the board as normal. I wouldn't use a foam underlay either and I believe that a floor layer wouldn't either. With regards to the "dip" in your floor, as per DD's comment you can use a self levelling compound here. andy we are installing block parquetry,is that laid directly on to concrete or is there a underlay used is the term overlay also used parquetry would be better to have 14mm or 19mm parquetry IMO the parquetry would be directly stuck to the slab as it's normally small blocks that make up the floor. Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 17Jan 17, 2010 12:41 pm Dukekamaya There is a 10mm overlay solid hardwood floor on the market now. It has been exhaustively tested for 3 years and has been found to be far superior to to the 12mm/13mm overlay floors currently used. 14mm is still the best thickness for wide board overlay (130mm and 180mm) How is it far superior? I would of thought there would be little difference, just fewer sandings. We're deciding out of 86x10mm and 80x12mm blackbutt Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 18Jan 18, 2010 12:48 pm Rex How is it far superior? I would of thought there would be little difference, just fewer sandings. We're deciding out of 86x10mm and 80x12mm blackbutt Hope you're not going to use the "WA Blackbutt" variety - its tangential shrinkage index is 10 and durability/hardness are specified as low. Translated into human friendly language it means "very reactive to change in moisture (not a sponge but near) with the expected life of 5-10 years". As for the thread's topic, my personal position (if I was limited to concrete installation only) would be parquetry floor. The boards are very small and movement due to changes in moisture will be minimal. Still, it would be handy to put moisture barrier before as it will improve longevity of the floor. ... built a Promenade with Clarendon. viewtopic.php?f=31&t=25104 20-10-09 - excavation and piering completed ... 12-04-10 - Basins fixed. Connecting to the electrical grid 23-04-10 - PCI 07-05-10 - HANDOVER! Re: Timber Flooring on Concrete 19Jan 18, 2010 12:58 pm ebyelyakov Hope you're not going to use the "WA Blackbutt" variety - its tangential shrinkage index is 10 and durability/hardness are specified as low. Translated into human friendly language it means "very reactive to change in moisture (not a sponge but near) with the expected life of 5-10 years". No we want to use NSW Blackbutt. But I wouldn't saw WA Blackbutt has a life expectancy of 5-10 years. Tas Oak is softer and that lasts 10+ Engineering timber is certainly a less fuss option, times cheaper to supply and install and better withstands humidity. 1 15908 Sam There is a much stronger glue than liquid nails. It's called T Rex and will stick your timber to the concrete. Cheers Simeon 1 1551 |