Installing Timber Floors
First, consider whether to install finished timber boards or an economical and temporary floor, which can be lifted and replaced after plastering. Plastering is a dirty, dusty and wet process that can ruin top-quality hardwood timbers. At best, the cleaning-up task will take days if not weeks to complete, whereas simply lifting inexpensive chipboard sheets can be undertaken in an afternoon. The alternative is to ensure there is adequate protection available for the flooring surface once planks are fixed down, but this can be problematic if contractors fail to leave it in position whilst they work.
The procedure for fixing traditional tongue and groove flooring is quite simple and easy to perform. Check one last time that the joists are secure and there is no 'twisting' along their lengths. Ground floors can be 'nogged' with short lengths of floor joist to tighten-up the mooring and further blocked against partition walls. First-floor joists must support a level floor and carry a smooth underlining of plasterboard for the ceiling below. The principle here is to block the outermost floor joists against the brickwork, then cross-brace at 1.8m to 2.0m intervals. This produces rows of bracing that square-up each joist in turn. Leftover softwood timber cut into 25mm by 36mm struts is ideal for this job or there are proprietary metal braces available from builders' merchants.
You will need a pair of floor-cramps when you start laying your tongue and groove planks. This is a special piece of equipment, not unlike a vice in appearance, and it enables the boards to be firmly tightened into position. Cramps can be purchased from a builders' merchant or hired from suitable outlets. Purchase also a box of 50mm floorboard nails. Some builders use ordinary nails or even screws, but neither live up to expectation and will eventually allow the boards to work loose.
Floorboard nails are designed for the job and haven't changed their shape in centuries, being tapered with a hooked head and stamped out of sheet metal. More old adages apply ... Never change something just for the sake of it. If it isn't broken, don't try to fix it!
Both hardwood and softwood timbers should be left to settle and dry out for as long as possible inside the structure, before being fixed into position. Damp or unacclimatised planks will contract excessively, causing unsightly gaps to appear between the timbers. This can be cured with infills of flexible substances specially designed for the purpose, such as silicone or even timber splints if an immaculate finish is required, but it is better to prevent the need for such work by simply giving the boards time to condition themselves.
Lay the first board against the wall and double nail into each joist crossing it. Hardwood planks will benefit from small pilot holes being drilled to prevent any splitting. Place the next board alongside, cramp to the joists, then insert two short pieces of board into the groove of the next board to tighten against it. This will close the second joint tight against the first, whilst protecting the groove from impact damage. Once it is nailed down, you can move onto the next board, working across the floor, closing each joint in turn. The final couple of timbers will need to be dropped into place and forced into position from the wall. Before nailing these down, use a floorboard lever, which is 'L' shaped, to pull the joint together as tightly as possible.
