How To Install Wooden Floor Across Joists

I m about to lay hardwoods in my house and i ve heard that you should lay them perpendicular to the windows so the light doesn t reflect off the gaps in the boards.

How to install wooden floor across joists.

Keep joints that line up at least two rows apart. If you can feel some deflection you have two options. If you re laying your new floor in an older home that has a plywood sub floor the first thing to consider is the direction of the floor joists that support it. In cases where greater open spans are needed framers often use joist hangers which are u shaped hardware pieces that are nailed in to accept hold and support flooring joists.

Install hardwood floors perpendicular to the floor joists parallel to the longest wall leaving a inch expansion gap around the perimeter. Stairway and balcony openings are framed using bearing walls or beams below. Begin by selecting a long board to start the first row. While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines.

Pick one that is straight. Cantilevers allow the floor to be framed out past the foundation. Lay the sheets in rows across the dirt floor. Join the ends of the boards over a floor joist where possible avoiding joints that form an h.

In these cases the conservative. Attach the rim joists. Most manufacturers recommend a standard cutting ordering allowance of 5 and a culling allowance up to an additional 10 percent if installed on a. Overlap the bottom of the walls with two inches of the sheet edges raised upward along the wall s surface.

What s the right answer. When possible begin installation from the straightest longest wall and install the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists. Lisa lisa good question. If raising the floor height is not a problem you can install a layer of 1 2 inch plywood over the existing 3 4 inch plywood.

Besides solid wood joists systems such as i joists and flooring trusses provide other options for consideration when it comes to installing a flooring framework. Align the edge of the board with the chalk line and drill pilot holes down through the hardwood plank and into the sub floor and joist. Cover the dirt floor with a layer of 10 mil plastic sheeting to serve as a vapor barrier which will keep moisture from seeping through the dirt and onto your wood floor. A friend told me that i should lay the wood across the joists and that would mean running the wood parallel to the windows.

Beams under the floor joists allow the floor joists to go over. Make sure you ve got the right amount of flooring for your space. The other option assuming you have access to the open joists from below is to install 2x4 blocking between the joists 24 inches on center. Beams in the floor require joist hangers.