Nail and glue 1/2" engineered 7" wide hardwood planks

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Hi,

Wonder if anyone has any experience in nailing down the 1/2" thick by 7" wide by 7 ft pre-finished planks with bevel edges and glue the tongue & grooves to prevent dog pee or water from going through to the underlayment? We are trying to find the best way to do this. It doesn't make sense that we can glue the tongue & grooves in float installation or can nail down but can we do both? I like the advantage of both since it'll be solid feel plus waterproofing... Just little concerned with the expansion of the wood during the season changes. We live in Denver, CO which is mostly dry climate.

Thanks!

Derek

Featured Answer

User

5 years ago

You need sheet vinyl, not wood. Wood glue is not going to stop wood from swelling with increased humidity or surface moisture. You’re setting yourself up for an expensive mistake.

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Comments (7)

Derek Sevier
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes we looked through this luxury vinyl planks but it is not real. We want wood. Are we better off to get solid hardwood floors, sand, and clear coat?
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It sounds like this floor covering will never be able to come up for replacement. I am not able to process that for a surface coating. How about some nice tar paper or other reasonable barrier instead? And why would you want to trap moisture or spills on the bottom side? That is not allowed on a vertical installation of wood, so why here in the horizontal application? Dry wood lasts, and holds its finish. There is a hvac space below so it is not exposed to moist air? That moisture barrier thinking for a second story flooring confuses me. Is the glue in the osb insufficient? I thought it was rated for construction exposure to weather, and that is pretty good by itself. Is there a plan to edge treat the tongue and groove to prevent squeeks from polished lignin over time? At least a wax? That hardwood is dense with lignin is why I ask. And that subfloor is probably not 2 layers glued and screwed, but I read it was glued to the joists so that is a plus. But unless it is thick it will move a lot. If it is thick it will move but very little. The movement will polish the mating surfaces and thus noise. Also, The wider the board, the more the expansion. even quartersawn. What is your expectation of joint expansion across the year? The very building itself can grow and shrink is why I ask. I assume it will be coated in plastic poly sealant instead of oiled?
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For 3/4" x 5" , You will need to do a nail assist installation, which is a full troweled glue as your main fastener and cleats or staples, spaced 18-24" as secondary fasteners. This is standard installation practice for wide planks. The alternative is to do a glue assist, which is the opposite of a nail assist and much more tedious. Beads of glue is applied in a continuous "s" pattern on the back of "each" flooring board and nails/staples are at 6"-8". The nail assist is a better and faster install, but not the cheapest. With the correct type of adhesive, the adhesive acts as a vapor "retarder" , not trapping moisture on or above grade installation. More prep work is involved. If, the installer does not have familiarity with adhesive types. Have them use the glue assist method to stay on the safe side. Or find someone who is.
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As above. The wide plank (anything 5" or wider is considered 'wide' by the industry) must have a 'glue assist' if you use nails/cleats/staples. That is an added expense...that's why wide plank wood floors are a serious upgrade. If you are going to use a glue-assist, then a full spread glue WITHOUT the nails is just the next step. And as G & S points out, the nailing down of thin planks (3/4" is the industry 'gold standard') could lead to more problems. And of course, being in SC you will want to make sure you have the HVAC system updated (it it needs it) to include a whole home humidistat (includes humidifier or dehumidifier or both depending on your local year round climate). Before you do anything, make sure your HVAC system has the RIGHT attachments to handle a home full of wood flooring. Traditionally that requires an upgrade....but not always (we've seen some homes that already come with the top of the line HVAC systems that have all the bells and whistles already attached).
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Before you glue to the concrete, I would like to know a few things: 1. Is the slab on, above or at grade (on the ground, above the ground or below the ground)? 2. How old is the house/slab? Old homes have issues with moisture (moisture barriers were not consistently used until the late 1980's - mid 1990's (depending on where you live). As someone who is overly cautious with hardwoods and concrete slabs, I like to be QUADRUPLE sure that a glue down is an option. And even then I would consider floating if I am not 100% sure of moisture readings. As an aside, I've read the technical specifications of this floor. I would say they are underwhelming at best. This is a 9.5mm engineered hardwood with 1.2mm wear layer. It is 5" wide (which could indicate 'glue assist' would be a good idea). This floor consists of short lengths. The longest plank will be LESS THAN 48" (states 47" as the longest plank) with an average plank length of 29.5" (less than 3ft). At $2.25/sf, it will cost more to install the product than the product is worth. I hope your installer is aware of all these shorts. Shorts make for a LONG install. And the longer it takes to install the product, the higher the price you pay the installer. I wish you luck. I really hope the 1.2mm wear layer stays attached to the 9.5mm thick plank. To do that, you will need EXCEPTIONAL humidity control. As in you need a super-duper high-end HVAC system that can have humidity added/removed with the touch of a button.
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jmm1837
5 years ago
I can tell you from experience that wood will expand and contract with changing humidity and there is no coating that will waterproof it or stop it doing what it does. If you want waterproof, tile is a better bet.
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Leaky pets and wood of any kind is money thrown away. Damage from urine will happen. Vinyl tile has seams that urine will get down in. Sheet vinyl does not. The only other option for incontinent pets is porcelain tile with an epoxy grout.
Chessie
5 years ago
Agree with the above. If you have to worry about dog pee, you need a floor with NO seams. Sheet vinyl is your answer.
SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
Traditionally a nail-down "wide plank" hardwood receives "glue assist". That is to say glue is applied to the back of the planks and then nailed into place. Your problems will be SHRINKAGE due to VERY DRY conditions. A wide plank is VERY tricky to install in DRY climates such as yours. And to be clear, "wide" is anything 5" or wider. Your 7" wide planks are VERY wide. The wider the plank, the MORE it will shrink. The more it shrinks the bigger the gaps (where water and urine can fall into). The more it shrinks the unhappier you will be.

A solid, narrow strip hardwood (such as 3" wide planks) would be the best option if you want wood. Some of the worst shrinkage/splitting/checking occurs in DRY climates. Humidity is SUCKED OUT of the wood so quickly it starts looking like 20 year old cedar shakes.

Please check to see if you can ADD humidity to your entire home at the touch of a button (whole home humidifier). If you do not have this device, I highly recommend you purchase one. I would suspect $6K should get you what you need - but that number is highly dependent on size of your home and the type/size of your furnace/duct work.
Derek Sevier thanked SJ McCarthy
owana123
5 years ago
Dogs and wood floors are a very bad combination. If you go with wood floors, you will need to expect and accept damaged floors.

Nail and glue 1/2" engineered 7" wide hardwood planks

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Derek Sevier
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Nail and glue 1/2" engineered 7" wide hardwood planks

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Comments (7)

Derek SevierOriginal Author

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jmm1837

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Derek Sevier
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