How To Lay A Wooden Floor On Joists

If you can feel some deflection you have two options.

How to lay a wooden floor on joists.

Before starting calculate the width the last row will be. Set the first two planks against opposing walls. If raising the floor height is not a problem you can install a layer of 1 2 inch plywood over the existing 3 4 inch plywood. Lay down 3 4 in 1 9 cm tongue and groove plywood panels over the joists then use wood glue or panel adhesive and galvanized flooring nails to secure each panel around its edges.

It s like a mini bridge that s only supported at each end. Work in small sections until the entire floor is covered. Besides solid wood joists systems such as i joists and flooring trusses provide other options for consideration when it comes to installing a flooring framework. Floor joists are used to support a floor over an open area like a basement crawl space etc.

Installing hardwood floors with a few careful preparations elbow grease and a weekend you can have beautiful new floors. When possible begin installation from the straightest longest wall and install the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists. Another important thing to take into account when laying hardwood floors is the possibility that your walls aren t straight. The other option assuming you have access to the open joists from below is to install 2x4 blocking between the joists 24 inches on center.

If the uneven floor is due to floor joists that have warped or twisted over time or were incorrectly installed the only way to level the floor is to remove the subflooring and shim the joists. Make sure you ve got the right amount of flooring for your space. When learning how to install hardwood flooring there are a few tips to keep in mind. Keep joints that line up at least two rows apart.

The correct direction for laying hardwood floors. While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. In cases where greater open spans are needed framers often use joist hangers which are u shaped hardware pieces that are nailed in to accept hold and support flooring joists. Join the ends of the boards over a floor joist where possible avoiding joints that form an h.

Laying a solid hardwood strip floor is easier and faster if you choose a prefinished product to avoid the extra work of sanding staining and finishing. Another thing to consider is floor joists.