Hello, I am planning a DIY install and have a few questions. I'm trying to take the time now to make sure that I wind up with a good looking and well constructed floor!

First off I want to thank Ken and all of the regular contributors to this site. It is a great resource. I was close to purchasing a Bellawood/LL product and it was some comments on this site that led me to research a bit more and realize that I was about to make a mistake

Job description:
The job totals approx 1600 square feet.

500 feet is on a ten year old grade level slab. The slab seems dry (I haven't done a moisture test), but we live in East Texas, basically a swamp, and even if the slab is dry now I'm not convinced that it will stay dry in really wet weather.

The rest is second story over joists 24" OC and 1-1/4" CDX plywood, plus 16 stairs and a small landing. The stairs and about half of the second floor has an existing glued down 1/2" engineered floor over the plywood. The subfloor is reasonably level and sturdy with up to 1/8" overwood at some joints but no obvious high or low spots. It squeaks in a couple of places but there is no discernable movement. The joists are 24" OC, which seems like an awfully long span to me, but the floor is stable.

My plan then is to do nailed/stapled floor for both levels with the slab getting either 5/8"-3/4" plywood or 1x pressure treated screeds between 6 mil plastic as described in Don Bollinger's book. For the second floor, I was planning to take up the existing floor, but reading some other threads here have me wondering if I should build up the rest of the floor instead.

Product choices:
We are considering a few different products, all Brazilian Cherry (my wife really wants it, doesn't want Santos Mahogony). The final choice will depend on price, availability, and the best material for the job (not in that order)

a) BR-111 3/4" x 3" solid strip for upstairs and 5/16" x 3-1/8" solid strip for downstairs. I really like the look of this product, it has more shimmer than any of the others. I like the weight and rigidity of the thicker strip for the second story, and for the downstairs I like the thinner material because it won't have as much height differential where it meets existing tile (hardwood in three downstairs bedrooms, tile in the hallway outside them).

b) WFI 9/16" x 3" engineered for both up and down

c) Mannington Andino Cherry, 1/2" x 3" engineered for both up and down


Questions:
1) Would you prefer one of these products over another for this situation?

2) Can the 3/4" solid strip be stapled? BR-111's installation instructions talk about nailing but not stapling, the NOFMA site says that stapling is okay. I think that the thinner products all require stapling. Can I buy one stapler which will work for both 3/4" and 5/16" wood?

3) Any thoughts on plywood versus screeds over the slab? If I use screeds, what spacing should I plan to use?

4) How should I deal with the 24" OC joists? Is 1-1/4" CDX sufficient to cover the span? If not, will adding 1/2" of CDX on the existing subfloor and leaving the existing glue-down engineered floor be sufficient? The new floor will run in the same direction as the existing floor.

5) I don't really like the look of strip flooring on the stairs (which is what we have now). Are pre-finished exotic treads and risers available anywhere? I've looked a bit but haven't seen anything. If I can't find a good color match I may decide to use a nice contrasting color wood instead. Finishing the treads and risers myself before installation is an option as well.


Thanks for any thoughts.

Seth Cousins

Hey Seth, Let's see if I can help.

1) I like solid whenever possible.
2)yes, it can be stapled. And no, one single nailer/stapler isn't going to work on both floors. Recommend Bostitch M111FS for 3/4" and the floor runner for the thinner wood.
3) I prefer plywood over screeds. Less hollow sound and lower profile. You could cut the plywood into 16" x 8' panels, lay at 90 deg to the floor direction and gapped about 1/2", Sorta like plywood screeds. You cannot place plactic over the plywood like you can the 2x4 pressure treated.
4) You probably have 1&1/8" plywood subflooring. They don't make plywood 1&1/4" thick. And yes, 1&1/8" over 2' oc is fine. I'm sure you have very little deflection. However, you should not "marry" a new floor to an old floor. You can install the new floor at 90 deg. to the old. Or at a 45, but not the same direction.
5) By the treads unfinished and finish them yourself. Of the entire job, this is perhaps the easiest. Should be easy to match a natural B. Cherry.

Sethco,

As Gary said, you will have to use a standard floor nailer for the ¾ and the Bostitch LHF floor runner for the 5/16. If you are not planning on getting into the business, I would suggest trying to rent these tools at a local rental store as they will set you back quite a bit.

As for staples they are fine. I prefer staples over cleats; I personally think they hold much better. Usually when a company specifies nail installation it includes cleats or staples it is just referred to as nail down or blind nail installation. If you have any doubts email the company and get clarification.


I install a lot of BR-111 and love the product, the only complaint I have is that there a few damaged boards and a lot of shorts with the 5/16. I just cull these boards back and use them for overage cuts. I just finished a 5/16 Brazilian Walnut install and it looks beautiful especial with all the wainscoting and crown molding we did. Anyway, there are a lot of horror stories out there about Brazilian Cherry and moisture so you may want to read up and make sure your install is solid if you are going to go with Brazilian Cherry it seems to be moisture sensitive. Personally, I have never had a problem with it but others have complained about it so, take that for the second hand info that it is.

Thanks for the replies, Gary and kls.

We are leaning heavily towards the BR-111 right now, it is good to hear that you like the product.

As for the staplers, it is too bad that I will have to get two of them but that is the way that it goes. I looked into renting, but I'm going to have to take my time with this job; at $135 a week I'd probably end up spending more in rental fees. I'll just plan to sell them after I'm done and get as much of my cost back as possible.

So for the slab portion of the install I am probably looking at: asphalt mastic covered with plastic, then plywood strips fastened down with masonry nails, #15 felt or rosin paper, then the BC strips stapled to the plywood. Does that sound like the right plan? Not too excited about stinky asphalt but I'd rather do it right once.

Gary, I just saw some pictures of some of your work on some older threads and I just have to say 'WOW!'. If my wife sees any of those this install is going to take me a LOT longer!