How to install pine plank flooring

We checked for knots that went all the way through, edges that weren't perfect, discoloration, warping, and bowing. This photo is from toward the end, I forgot to take a photo earlier. We laid down a layer of this vapor barrier paper. We set the first board in place and realized the threshold piece that butts up to the tile in the hallway needed to go in first.

So my husband cut a piece to fit. In keeping with the history of the house, he repurposed one of the 2x4's from a wall we took down. Now it remains a part of the house. After each board was cut to size, we sanded a small bevel on the top two long edges.

This gave a nice v-groove accent between the boards. This will allow for movement in the boards with settling and expansion. We measured from the walls to the seam in the plywood subfloor to see if that line was square, and it was. So this gave us a good way to make sure our first board was laid square. With each board we used a flooring nailer to nail the edge down and help keep the joints tight. Then we used a framing nailer with 3" screw shank nails to top nail the boards into the floor joists.

My husband made this template to keep each set of nails evenly spaced and consistent. We had already invested in these nails so we made it work. For future projects we will definitely use different collated nails. So because of this issue, our workflow for each board was setting the nails, cleaning up the plastic shards, hammering the nail heads flush with the board, and then using a nail set to recess the nails slightly below the wood surface.

When we had a butt joint of two boards, only one board actually was nailed into the floor joist. In the photo below, it would be the board on the right. See how those nails line up with the nails in the other boards? We used Liquid Nails for subfloors to basically glue the ends of the two boards together, so they will move together with expansion and prevent cupping on the ends.

I didn't get a shot of the glue itself, but you get the idea. Then we cut about an inch off of some nails to use in the board on the left. We pre-drilled the holes through the boards and then nailed through into the subfloor. This way the nails didn't blow through into the basement ceiling below. We used a jigsaw to cut out the holes for the floor vents. A few times we ended up with a board that wasn't lining up well with the previous board, leaving a wider gap than we wanted at one end.

We ended up using our car's tire jack, braced against a board that was solidly screwed into the subfloor, to gently close the gap before we nailed the board into place. I t all came together beautifully, and thankfully square to the last board! No, it was not easy, but it was totally do-able if you have some experience. And we will be doing it again in other rooms as soon as we can. So here it is all done. Scroll back up and look at those before's to really see the difference!

Here's the breakdown of the cost of this floor:. The room was square feet. This post is getting so long, I figured I would break it up into two posts.

Update: Please see these other posts for further information on how we installed 12" wide plank pine tongue and groove floors next. Thanks for joining us on this crazy renovation ride! We are following your tutorial on how to install these floors. Would you please tell me how you sealed them? I have read mixed reviews on which polyurethane is tough enough to stand the test of time.

I would love to know what you did and if you stained them or not. Hi Christina! I hope it's going well! I haven't had time to write the follow up post but I will be happy to email you everything we did. We used a water based system. Can you please email me at hoodcreeklogcabin gmail. I love this Dara!! I'm showing my husband now, we are really looking into new flooring and especially on a budget!

Pine is not only an attractive and inexpensive flooring choice. Once treated with oil, a pine floor can achieve its own rich, warm color over time.

For ease of installation, choose a material that requires little sanding or none at all. Choose the grade of pine you will be using. Pine wood is classed in a range from no knots to large knots. Many craftspeople recommend the standard 8-foot-long pine plank, measuring 1 inch by 6 inches in "No.

Stack your wood in the room where the new floor is planned, so the wood can acclimate to the moisture in the air in that room. Wood flooring acclimates best when indoor humidity is at its lowest. Stack the boards with thin pieces of wood between them, so the air can reach each plank. The wood should meet the moisture level of the room within 10 to 14 days.

Measure the area of your floor, including closets. Increase the amount of that square footage by 10 percent, to allow for error and defective wood.

Your wood supplier should be able to advise you on the amount of cut nails and finishing oil you need for your square footage. Pull all baseboards and trim around doors away from the wall with a pry bar. Remove any floor covering and the plywood or particleboard underneath it. Pull out any protruding or loose nails from the subfloor, then walk around to spot loose or squeaking areas.

Fasten these by electrically drilling 2-inch screws into the floor at the floor joists. Draw the floor plan to scale so you know how many boards are needed where.

Use a circular saw or table saw to cut the wood. Cut from the bottom side of the board. Cut the ends to ensure that the butt joints, where the boards meet end to end, are over the floor joists. Pull a taut string across the floor, along longest wall of the room, and chalk mark that line. Lay the boards perpendicular to the floor joists. Choose the longest, straightest boards and place them along that wall, following the marks from the string.