A solid hardwood floor can be successfully installed
in most situations, whether over existing floorboards or over solid
floors such as concrete or mastic asphalt. Where there are more extreme
conditions, such as in conservatories / sun rooms, unheated rooms,
bathrooms, or in areas with underfloor heating, a wood floor can be
installed, but there will be special considerations, which I would
discuss with the customer.
Installation of the new floor directly over joists
is not recommended, as the standard spacing of joists in houses
is too large for a satisfactory result. It is much better to install
the floor onto existing floorboards, or to install a base of 18
mm exterior ply.
Where the sub-floor is concrete or mastic asphalt,
a base of 18 mm ply can be fixed down, onto which the new floor
can be secret nailed, or special adhesives can be used to fix the
new floor in place.
Concrete floors in new-build houses will take many
months to dry out completely (a rule of thumb is one month for each
inch thickness of the slab), but to save delays the concrete can
be sealed with a surface damp proof barrier, to enable installation
to proceed.
In all our installations we work to any relevant provisions
of BS 8201 (1987).
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Expansion
Gaps
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A gap for expansion must be left all around the
edge of the floor, and it can be concealed with a moulding in the
same timber as the floor, or alternatively the skirting boards can
be removed before installation and then replaced on top of the new
floor. If desired, new skirting boards in the same timber as the floor
can be supplied and fitted.
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Borders
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Decorative borders can be considered, either for
individual features, such as fireplaces, or for the entire floor.
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Matwells
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These are strongly recommended where an exterior
door opens onto the new floor, and in domestic situations coir matting
is usually installed in the well.
They can be of any shape or size.
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Doorways
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Where the new floor meets other floorcoverings
there are different methods of covering the junction, ranging through
metal cover plates (in brass, chrome, stainless steel, etc) to cork
strip or hardwood thresholds.
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