Hardwood flooring Questions

[Junesden]

So I'm almost ready to tackle my project... A couple quick questions. My 250 Square foot area of my cabin in MN. White Ash 3/4" flooring unfinished from the local Amish... I've done some reading on moisture content and this sort of thing. Do I need to be dramatically concerned with humidity and temperature variances or will basic acclaimation and average temperature control prior to installation be sufficient? I planned to install directly over the top of 3/4" solid floors that are directly attached to the joists..This is the original cabin floor. I plan to put 30lb. felt paper down first of course... The internet tells me I need foam or cork as well?? Should I just quit reading and go to work or what? Thanks.

[Peter Kodner]

June, do you maintain heat/AC year round? Using HVAC year round is always recommend for wood.

If you don't and you want to install now, you will need to install the floor with gaps so it doesn't cup in the spring and summer.

The felt is fine. You do not want to install foam or cork. Is there a basement? If it is a crawl space, you need 18" clearance and will to have a ground cover (moisture retarder- 8 mil black polyethylene sheet) over the soil/gravel. You also need to make sure there is cross ventilation in the crawl.

[Junesden]

Well for the most part the cabin is set to about 50ish degrees in the winter but summer it is only a/c'd when we are around. Is this a major problem? Uh-oh.. how would I install gaps? The crawl space has a foam rim joist and the ground is covered by 8mil black plastic already.. Not alot of air flow but gaps etc.. old cabin.

[Country Flooring Direct]

Junesden said Well for the most part the cabin is set to about 50ish degrees in the winter but summer it is only a/c'd when we are around. Is this a major problem? Uh-oh.. how would I install gaps? The crawl space has a foam rim joist and the ground is covered by 8mil black plastic already.. Not alot of air flow but gaps etc.. old cabin.

Around the walls leave a gap. 1/4 inch. How stable is white ash? I think its pretty stable. I love the amish i wonder how its dried? Kiln Dried air dried? Thats what I would worry about. Let us know how it goes or if the walleyes are bitting.

[Junesden]

The amish kiln dry the wood to unbeleivable standards according to the locals that have tested it with a moisture meter. They also create very straight wood... better than stroe bought. So no gaps other than the perimeter... I'm OK? No walleyes till May

[Country Flooring Direct]

You live out by Peter, he knows better about stability issues than I. I just tell my customers to make sure the heat is on for a couple weeks before we drop the wood.

[Daris Mulkin]

Study the parameters for wood floors. Humidity levels and teperature levels have to be maintained or the wood will gap or buckle if not. Your cabin may not be a good candidate for wood floors.
Speaking from my own experience.

Daris

[Nick Arrera]

As a general rule NWFA says to leave a 3/4" spacing around the walls and obstructions .

White ash stability is above average , 7 to 9 % more stable then N red oak .

Your vents must be at least 1.5 % per 100 ft of the crawl space .
if you don't have any vents you have to overlap the floor at least 6 " With the Polly.
and run it up the wall at least 6 " and glue it .

[Peter Kodner]

I don't usually speak for Nick, but I believe he means the ground in the crawl space where the visqueen must be lapped at seams and run continuous up the foundation walls.

In regards to using wood in your cabin, wood floors have been installed for many,many, many years before the advent of HVAC systems, but your performance and appearance expectations may need some adjustment. I live in a 100 year old home with cast iron radiators and no central AC. I know every winter I am going to have large gaps between the strips of both the oak and maple flooring. I run several humidifiers 24/7 and still cannot get my Rh anywhere near 20% if it is 20° or colder outside (and in Minnesota, that is most of the winter!) .

If gaps in the winter are objectionable, wood will not be a good choice. What I am suggesting, if gaps are not an issue for you, is if you install before late spring or over the summer, the wood will not be at the largest dimension (have the highest moisture content) and you will have cupping issues in the summers, i.e. high humidity seasons. Bear in mind a closed up house will experience what is called a greenhouse effect that will have dramatic impact on wood floor.

If you want to install before the temperature and outdoor humidity levels are highest, , you will need to use some spacers every few boards to "pre-gap" the floor, giving the wood room to grow as it gains moisture and to prevent cupping (edges raising from swelling more than than can expand laterally).

I neglected to ask the width of the flooring. Anything over 3 1/3 inch is considered plank flooring; anything under is called strip. Plank has some different installation requirements than strip. The board sizes and room sizes will have a bearing on the size and frequency of the spacers.

Do you have or have access to a moisture meter?

[Junesden]

Hmm... So... good information except the flooring is stacked in the cabin ready to go. I plan to install within the next 30 days. I can mess with the temperature of the cabin as I have plenty of heat sources so I'm trying to understand the proper way to go about it.... Spacers I don't understand but gaps at the perimeter I do...The walls are already T&G pine so going up them is not possible with felt. I believe it's 3 1/4" or less width Ash so throw out the best ideas as we don't use it much in the winter but my wife will be pissed if I do it wrong. I layered the crawl space with 8 mil plastic before the rim joist spray foam insulation was put in so it is over the plastic and the bottom of the floor roughly
10" deep.

[Junesden]

I suppose I do have access to a moisture meter but the reason for the remodel is a cocked ice maker line that flooded the floor. Renovation specialists brought the cabin to acceptable moisture levels with industrial dehumidifiers over the course of the last month. Two layers of subfloor, linoleum and carpet were removed.

[Nick Arrera]

Peter Kodner said I don't usually speak for Nick, but I believe he means the ground in the crawl space where the visqueen must be lapped at seams and run continuous up the foundation walls.

You can speak for me anytime Peter .

You don't want to go up the walls with felt .I was referring to the crawlspace with the polly .

[Junesden]

Ok good to go on the poly... So to space or not to space or how to space....that is the question.

[Nick Arrera]

Your main problem i see right now is the height of the crawl space .
Can you dig down another 10 " ?

[Junesden]

Nick Arrera said Your main problem i see right now is the height of the crawl space . Can you dig down another 10 " ?

Sorry.. let me clarify... The spray foam insulation is about 10" deep(thick)..the crawl space is deeper.