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Wooden floors and shrinking


londoneye
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We are in process of laying wooden (brut) floors.   The reason we are not using varnished or finished flooring is because we still have work to do, and although we will cover the floor, in case of accidents it seemed better to do the final staining or varnishing at completion of works.

Can anyone tell me if brut (as it says on packet) flooring (its plancher parquet if that helps) is more prone to shrinking than finished flooring?    As a supplementary question is there anything we can realistically do to minimise shrinking, and does anyone have recommendations for very good quality stain/varnish etc when we do get to that stage.

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I have found the best way to lay this flooring is as follows:

1.  As well as screwing the batens (7cm x 7cm) to the floor also place some Sikaflex under the batens before screwing down, this will ensure that they do not move.  Place the batens at 40cm intervals.(http://www.castorama.fr/store/CatalogueIndirecte/construction-et-renovation-etancheite-joint--professionnel/p-categorie_7004-casto_product-PRDm931535.htm)

2. When you lay the boards place a couple of  blobs of sikaflex on the batten so that the boards rest on this - this acts as a cushion and stops the boards squecking

3.  Lay the first row of boards and I have found it is best to screw these in place and fill the screw-holes.

4. For the next row of boards, put the board in position and then knock a chisel into the corner of the baten next to the board, and pull the chisel so that the board is pulled into place and there are no gaps, at the same time bang a nail into the tounge - do this for each baten.  This will ensure that the boards are nice and tight - I also use the twisted nails - not sure of name but these are the ones that are difficult to pull out.

5.  For finishing them we used a coloured "Lasure" - V3V make and then used two coats of Bondex Professional Vitfricateur - this gives and excellant finish.  We also sanded the boards before treating them - I suggest that you get an off cut of boarding and stain one that you have sanded and one that you have not and see which one you prefer.

Our floors have been down 2 years and have not shrunk

Good luck

 

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You really do need to let the wood settle, so that it takes on the level of moisture which is appropriate to the house, so it needs to be in a room heated as per normal etc.

Some movement is to be expected, as humidity and temperature both affect the wood. This isn't usually serious, as long as you allow for expansion.

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Thanks all - I think the upshot is probably 'wait and see'.    My job will be the staining, OH is doing the laying, at which he is quite competent (or so he leads me to believe - ha ha good job he can't work the computer)....

I recall a friend laying this flooring in the UK on a new extension, and basically ending up with gaps that he could practically lose his small children in - doesn't bear thinking of, after all that effort and money.    Not much I can do about moisture content of barn conversion at this point, so I suppose its 'fingers crossed' .... and toes, and everything else.

Many thanks

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I've recently been looking at how I'm going to lay the floor upstairs in my barn conversion and looking at the floorboards in BricoDepot. Unlike the parquet boards the floorboards aren't tongued and grooved but have been rebated to half the depth all round with a view to laying them with the rebate overlapping, if that makes sense. Is this the normal French way or just Brico Depot cost cutting? It rules out hidden nails but I had already decided not to use that method in any case so not a problem.
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