Wood Floor 2" Or 4"

drivewizard

My wife and I are building a new house and they just delivered the red oak #2 floor pieces. I thought we were getting 4" wide pieces but they delivered 2".
What is considered to be better as far as looks and reliabilty?
I will ask my builder also when he gets back in town next week, but wanted to get some input on forum also.
I have no particular preference, just want what is best.

Teetorbilt

2" will take twice the work and the warp will be less noticible.

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Toothpick

2" is maybe a little more traditional, used to be almost the standard as far floorcoverings went 40+ years ago. The wider ones are more common today.

Floorwizard

Teetor is right, the wider, the more chance of warpage.

tp is correct as well, 2 inch is traditional.

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Richard

aside from installation and wear issues...I like the way 4" looks much better than the traditional 2"

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Rich

drivewizard

Thanks for the input,
one more question, I know the wood has to acclimate to the new house for several days. Which is has been for 3 days now. The interior is constant 65 deg. Walls are mudded and textured, and they are supposed to start laying the floor next week.
The house is post and beam with 2 X12 decking, my builder says they will put vapor barrier over decking and then lay the oak floor on that. But, the fllor has no insulation installled yet and it has been averaging about 30-35 deg outside. The temp at floor level is much colder than rest of rooms, for obvious reasons. Wouldn't this cause a problem with installation quality? And then when floor is insulated could this cause a warpage problem?

Steve Unkie

2 x 12 decking? I've never seen that. I'm not a flooring expert but I would be concerned about a few things. If your not adding ply subfloor on top then I would run your flooring perpendicluar to the 2 x 12 decking. I would also wait until the floor is insulated and check the moisture content of the flooring and subfloor to make sure the levels are right for installation.
I'm sure some flooring experts will shed some light on this.

Steve.

drivewizard

Maybe it's 2X10, But it is laid flat on the beams. It has anywhere from 1/8 to 3/8 inch gaps between boards. I questioned also wether there would be plywood sub floor on top of the 2x10's and builder said no, just a vapor barrier and then the oak flooring.
He said his house is done the exact same way.
I agree, I think common sense dictates it should be insulated first, but I am not an expert in flooring.

Teetorbilt

2 X anything is some serious stuff! Maybe it's a Yankee thing. The gaps seem pretty wide for a subfloor as the boards shrink over time.

What are they using as a vapor barrier? Not that it makes much difference to me, I'm getting red flags all over. I may just be ignorant about building in your area.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

drivewizard

The 2x span a 4ft distance between the beams on a post and beam foundation. They are pretty much dry, I think my builder said the moisture content was 12%.
Not sure what they are using for a vapor barrier, I'm sure it is something used for that purpose.
I guess my main concern is installing oak floor on a fairly cool deck, with no insulation.
I thought the reason for letting it sit in the house for 4-5 days to acclimate, is so the oak is the same as temp as the rest of the house. My builder said now that the oak is in the house we would need to maintain at least 60 deg for the rest of time. Or as long as the floor is installed. I assume, to prevent warpage and buckling.
But if the under floor is un-insulated, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of letting wood sit there stacked up for 4-5 days if you turn around and install it on a floor that is possibly 15 to 20 degrees colder than the wood was before when it was stacked. It has been between 30 and 40 deg outside and probably under the house also.

Teetorbilt

I'll assume 3/4" flooring. A few days means nothing. I just Googled this to give you some idea. Different woods have different rates and they need to be controlled. http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...try/g05550.htm

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

smilinflloyd

i think 2 inch is better on 45 degrees ////////////////// nice

Teetorbilt

No offense, but they are still doing that wherever you are? The diag. thing died here about 2000. It was never popular with designers unless the run went to the room focal point.

Just the basics on flooring. If you want the room to look longer, run it front to rear. Wider, go side to side. If in doubt, run with the sun. It's all in a book, somewhere.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

skymaster

Drivewizard; will you please clear up something? Teetor go with me on this; Drive you said the 2x sub flooring is on 48" center????????
I dont think that meets any code in this country? Just on a deck here in NJ with 2x I cannot exceed 24" on center. I totally agree with Teetor here I am getting red flags all over my tiny 2 brain cells.

Teetorbilt

sky, take it from the top. I see no mention of joist spacing although 2X can span a gap.

I'm smelling something here! I believe that our 'deck' just turned into joists and we are dealing with an HO. Different ballgame.

Vapor barrier over joists and flooring, don't do it. I don't care where you are or what your contractor did in his own house.

Now we have to deal with those gaps. Is everybody else as confused as I am?

I thought that I had it! In todays world, a 2X subfloor could cause more problems than the flooring itself. Imagine a vapor barrier inbetween.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Steve Unkie

I run into 2 x 6 t&g subfloor around here quite often. It is usually installed over a post & beam floor system and can span up to 4' oc. If your 2 x ? are'nt t&g, I am in the dark as to what span meets code. The felt or rosin paper is'nt a vapor barrier as much as a way to prevent squeeks from wood on wood.
I also am pretty sure you can install hardwood directly over a t&g subfloor if it's installed perpendicular without adding ply.

The hardwood needs to acclimate to the envirnment that it's going to be installed in and It's the moisture content more than temp that's important. If the subfloor and wall framing are 12% mc or lower, I would feel comfortable installing a hardwood floor. The Crawl space should have a vaporbarrier and ideally, I like floor to be insulated first just to help insure even temp.
Just my .04
Steve.

drivewizard

Sorry for the confusion, it is not a "deck". The wood floor is going inside the house in Kitchen, living room and entry halls.
The floor is post and beam on 48" center.
The 2x10's and some 2x8's are laid flat on top of beams, perpendicular.
Insulators are here as I type puting in underfloor bats.
From what I am reading here I gather that it is not normal to put a oak floor on top of 2x10's or 2x8's if they are not T&G 2x's. Is that correct.
And yes I am the HO, but not doing the work. I am a Commercial Indust. HVAC tech who jsut wants to be sure I am getting a quality install on my oak floor. Don't want to have any warpage or other problems. I think I will call local inpector and see what the code is. Thanks for the help.

skymaster

Teetor this is what I was referencing; First sentence, I may not be clearly understanding this but I read it as 4' span
JackM

skymaster

Teetor; please I am NOT bustin here this post is 2 above the one I just quoted above, put the two together and you will see what I undetstood to be 48" on center

MERRY HO HO HO CHRISTMAS TO ALL

justin savage

How about some picture , from above , and below subfloor. justin