I purchased a bunch of teak wood flooring from a coworker who had received a truckload from relatives overseas. I saw a 12 inch sample prior to purchasing it and assumed it was a "sample" size. When I received it, I was very surprised to see that ALL the pieces are uniform, 12 inch pieces. In addition, the "tongue" is very small (approx. 3/16") and thinner than what I've seen. Has anyone worked with anything like this? My concern is that the tongue will be more likely to break upon nailing. Should it be glued? Also, given the shorter length, what is the best pattern? Can I still lay it in a random pattern, os should it be a measured pattern (such as offset by half, like a brick wall pattern)?

Your going to have a difficult time staggering that randomly. I'd do a brick pattern for sure. How thick is it? Got a picture of of? Is it solid? I'm leaning towards gluing since it ain't quite long enough to get many fasteners in there.

It is 11/16" solid teak. I can't figure out how to put a picture in. Thanks for your help.

Herringbone!, as a gluedown over a properly prepared substrate.

Even with control lines....better make sure the milling is on the money, or you have a wavy, gapping nightmare...

Floorologist--Do you mean I'll have a nightmare trying to do herringbone??

Yes, Herringbone is probably one of the most challenging patterns to install. It can be even more so...depending on the products milling consistancy.It doesn't take but a very small variance in milling to start running off, with a herringbone pattern. But it's a beautiful floor IMO.

Concerning any pattern you decide...you will want to make sure the end t&g's will physical allow the floor to be installed in that pattern. It may be a good idea to "loose lay" a nice size section of the wood. This will allow you to tell cosmetically if you like the look, and if the material will physically lend itself to that pattern.

Greg Warren did a step by step herringbone, one of the best I've read on the net in this thread. I'd love to do one myself.

http://www.floormasters.com/flooring-pr ... erringbone

If they all measure exactly 12", then a herringbone will be workable.


I may have misinterpreted "Uniform 12 inch pieces".