[PlumbBob^2Pants]

My brother and I always end up arguing about what to do when putting on the subfloor and the last row ends up being 16" wide or thereabouts. Well, we recently had this argument again several days ago and I want to settle it once and for all here :thumbup: We argued over do we use scrap pieces without the tongue to finish it out, or do we spend the extra $$$ and have the tongue just like on the rest of the subfloor? I'm all for using scrap if it's just a small strip that'll be entirely under the bottom plate. He's all for using scrap on wider pieces, like 16" and smaller.

This is just one of the many things we argue about when building a house.

 

[[email protected]]

Well me I like to use the tongue on a piece that wide... Maybe I'm crazy again but if I don't use the tongue then I put in blocking at the seam.. Just never wanted to have problems. But if possible I start my floor where it finishes better. Not possible on most applications but can be done on a few.

 

[Birch]

When I find that scrapping-in is necessary I’ll rip a diamond point tongue (opposing 45’s) on the piece and add some subfloor adhesive to the joint. If done well you cannot tell it’s not a factory T&G seam.

 

[Timuhler]

I'll peice it in depending on where it is at and how much needs to be finished. If it is under hardwood or underlayment, then I have no problem with it, or under cabinets.

If I need a fair amount, I'll just get another sheet. But maybe one peice I'll just use whatever is around.

I like Richard's idea though, that is one I'm going to try and remember.

What are you using for subfloor?

 

[CookeCarpentry]

Stop working with family - problem solved.

 

[PlumbBob^2Pants]

It worked out well enough for us that it was only two pieces in question, in a small cut up area ... so the extra expense was minimal. I won the argument because of that, but if it'd had been along a longer side of the house, we'd probably still be arguing over it right now. :laughing:

One thing we've done in the past is put in those little tongue strips used for hardwood flooring where two runs of flooring meet together on their groove sides. They fit really well, and they seemed to work out pretty nicely for T&G subfloor. We just didn't have them available to use this past time ... so we bared the expense of two more sheets of subflooring.

Stop working with family - problem solved.

CC, tell me about it! :laughing: I would if they weren't the only sober and drug free help out there. It is fun working with them, but kind of reminds me of Orange County Choppers sometimes ... we have a lot of arguments, but that's our style of getting things resolved when problems arise.

@ Tim ... Because it's so wet right now, we're using AdvanTech ... and it goes together so much nicer than ply. We'll be installing hardwood on top of it. Your reasoning makes sense ... the hardwood is going to stiffen up the floor system quite a bit itself. I guess if it were carpet or tile, then it'd make a difference.

@ Birch ... really good idea, thanks. We'll try that the next time we're in this same situation.

@ [email protected] ... I have felt the same about it. T&G is supposed to eliminate squeaking between subfloor panels when a person walks over the seam, and it makes a stronger/stiffer floor. When the tongue is absent on a piece that wide, I also feel something is needed there at the seam. We've put in blocking down longer walls where we didn't want to spend out the extra $$$ for more sheets of T&G.

 

[galla35]

When I find that scrapping-in is necessary I’ll rip a diamond point tongue (opposing 45’s) on the piece and add some subfloor adhesive to the joint. If done well you cannot tell it’s not a factory T&G seam.

that is a damn good idea :thumbsup:

 

[jhark123]

I wouldn't do it at all, but especially not under tile.

 

[JustaFramer]

I used to just block the seam and nail. If it came down to that.

 

[loneframer]

When I was framing full time, I kept a router in the truck with a T&G bit chucked at all times. It was quick and the builder thought it was over and above. It's all the little things that keep your phone ringing first.:thumbsup:

 

[JustaFramer]

When I was framing full time, I kept a router in the truck with a T&G bit chucked at all times. It was quick and the builder thought it was over and above. It's all the little things that keep your phone ringing first.:thumbsup:

Funny, I was thinking about that when I posted. If I was to frame nowadays I would probably do that. Instead of some Neanderthal framer way I used to do. :laughing:

 

[neolitic]

Funny, I was thinking about that when I posted. If I was to frame nowadays I would probably do that. Instead of some Neanderthal framer way I used to do. :laughing:

Wait a minute!
Us Neanderthals used blocking.

 

[BKFranks]

I used to just block the seam and nail. If it came down to that.

Yep. No T&G...block it.

 

[KennMacMoragh]

I have always added blocks to the seams and used scrap, it's a pretty simple solution. Don't buy extra sheets just so it has that groove, that would not make any sense.

 

[wallmaxx]

Sometimes the engineering requires all seams to be blocked - even the T&G edges....as in a diaphragm floor (shear wall but a floor) so blocking can be the way to go.

This was a mock up of the blocking that I had to do on a 5 story condo with 130 MPH wind requirements.

 

[jhark123]

wow, I hope you had those pre-cut, that's a lot of blocks

 

[cbfx3]

Well me I like to use the tongue on a piece that wide... Maybe I'm crazy again but if I don't use the tongue then I put in blocking at the seam.. Just never wanted to have problems. But if possible I start my floor where it finishes better. Not possible on most applications but can be done on a few.

this is what I do but will try the rip trick one of these days

 

[JustaFramer]

Sometimes the engineering requires all seams to be blocked - even the T&G edges....as in a diaphragm floor (shear wall but a floor) so blocking can be the way to go.

This was a mock up of the blocking that I had to do on a 5 story condo with 130 MPH wind requirements.

Is that being called for more and more these days? I remember having to do it more regularly starting in 05. That was right before I started doing formwork in 06.

 

[JustaFramer]

Wait a minute!
Us Neanderthals used blocking.

Take a chill pill. Personally I wouldn't want to bend over to put the blocking in anymore. Plus I think it would be quicker and cheaper. Why and how you ask?

Don't have to cut some odd number of blocks then install these blocks. Plus extra nailing.

A guy that had the right set up could beat that time with his router.

 

[KennMacMoragh]

Is that being called for more and more these days? I remember having to do it more regularly starting in 05. That was right before I started doing formwork in 06.

I remember doing that a few times a long time ago, mid 90's, but never done it since then. The blocks were required for shear value.