quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I started to wonder, "what if I alternated rows of 2-1/4 and 3-1/4 planks?"

I really wouldn't do this if I were in your shoes. I have never seen this done in a house, floors were all consistent with the width of planks used. In all three of the houses I owned and lived in (including the current house), they all had 2 1/4"X 3/4" solid oak strips and I love the look compared to the wider planks, just my preference. Don't discount engineered planks- if one gets a minimum of 3mm of veneer on top, it can be refinished at least once.

So. I bought a single carton of 5" planks and "assembled" them for a quick evaluation. I believe the 5" is the way to go.

Next thought: Bringing the material into the house and letting it acclimate for a while before use is understood. Easy enough. (Well... aside from the fact that each carton weighs about 70 pounds. "Leg day!") Once I've opened/unwrapped the cartons, should I take all the material out of the cartons and stack it (have to stack, for lack of storage space) with, say, 1/4" dowels in between layers for air movement around the planks?

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
That looks great, HRK.

Thank you, it's holding up very well to large family gatherings and two very active grandkids...

As to your question on the planks, stack it in the house out of the cartons, and take special care to look at the colors of the planks to be sure you do or do not need to mix the boxes up so that you get a varied pattern.

I don't think you need dowels between them, they'll acclimate in a short time regardless.

I had oak floors refinished five years ago. I was paranoid about damage. I did add a section where the infamous berber carpet was originally placed. All done by Costen Floors, a local company. Guess what? Hardwood damages so very easily.

Having seen my daughters LVP floor withstand five years, and this rental house nearby with LVP doing so well, and my daughter's LVP renovation with "high quality" LVP, I think I will do the LVP if I ever do it again.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
I don't think you need dowels between them, they'll acclimate in a short time regardless.

Good deal. Thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Having seen my daughters LVP floor withstand five years, and this rental house nearby with LVP doing so well, and my daughter's LVP renovation with "high quality" LVP, I think I will do the LVP if I ever do it again.

I'm willing to take another look at LVP before I jump into this, though I really don't like the stuff in TLG's house. It feels like... well... plastic, and sounds bad to boot.

The 3/8" maple "engineered hardwood" I put down in the previous house was gorgeous -- I'd do that again, if I hadn't already done the stairs in oak. Anyway... we're pretty much a no-shoes-on-in-the-house crew with no little ones running around, so the infamous rock-stuck-in-the-sole problem is mitigated nicely. Furniture getting bumped will be my concern, I guess, but I figure I'll put felt pads under furniture legs when things go back into the rooms. Maturity and slowness have their advantages, right?

quote:

I'm looking at about 700 square feet across three rooms. It's not a huge job, but it'll involve emptying and painting the rooms, then putting down the new floor, and "reloading" the rooms. More than a week's worth of work, for sure, as I'll likely be an "army of one" on this project.

I hope you are use to hard physical labor.

Good luck!

quote:

I'm willing to take another look at LVP before I jump into this, though I really don't like the stuff in TLG's house. It feels like... well... plastic, and sounds bad to boot.

Yes I googled it, mainly because it's been several years since I researched it and companies come and go, and ratings change...

I do remember COREtec, Mannington and Shaw.... These are not Lowes Depot LVP, you'll want a flooring store....

So Sundar says:

The top-tier luxury vinyl plank (LVP) brands on the market include COREtec, Mannington (Adura), Shaw (Floorté), Mohawk (SolidTech), and Karndean Designflooring. These manufacturers lead in realism, core stability, wear-layer thickness (20 mil or higher), and long-term warranties.

Premium LVP Brands

COREtec: Widely considered the gold standard for comfort and stability, famous for inventing WPC (wood plastic composite) cores and integrating cork underlayment for sound reduction.

Mannington (Adura): Highly praised for exceptional, realistic wood visuals, textured surfaces, and scratch-resistant technologies.

Shaw (Floorté / Floorté Pro): Known for robust, commercial-grade rigid SPC cores and high-end aesthetic lines that mimic genuine hardwood.

Mohawk (SolidTech / PureTech): Exceptional choice for active households and pet owners, offering heavy-duty scratch resistance and waterproof locking systems.

Karndean (Korlok / Art Select): A premier designer brand offering ultra-realistic grain details, longer planks, and high craftsmanship.

Other Notable & Specialty Brands

Provenza: Known for exceptionally long, wide, and beautifully hand-scraped luxury planks.

Flooret: Highly rated for extra-long and extra-wide heavy commercial wear layers.

Cali Floors (Cali Vinyl): Recognized for high durability and coastal-inspired hardwood aesthetics

We recently had to refloor a rental home prior to sale, as there was a long carack in the slab. We chose laminate, and were very satisfied. Looks more like real hardwood to us than LVP; and the newer laminates are water-resistant; old ones were not.
The laminate's main advantage is its resistance to scratches and dents. The disadvantage is that it can't be resurfaced, unlike real hardwood.

We used a 5 or 6" solid oak product from Floor & Decor. I insisted on gluing it to the slab. I didn't like the sound of floating planks/flooring back in 2015. The newer stuff may do better vs gluing.

Over 10 years old and still looks great. We also installed at a 45 degree angle. I think it looks awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
We recently had to refloor a rental home prior to sale, as there was a long carack in the slab. We chose laminate, and were very satisfied. Looks more like real hardwood to us than LVP; and the newer laminates are water-resistant; old ones were not.
The laminate's main advantage is its resistance to scratches and dents. The disadvantage is that it can't be resurfaced, unlike real hardwood.

Interesting and timely.

We're looking at replacing the original carpet downstairs, 2k sq ft, with LVP. Didn't realize laminates had advanced so far.

We'll see how the cost line up

I'm not one to disagree with HRK's recommendations, but I recall putting slats between my boards when getting them acclimated. I figured it couldn't hurt and would speed the process.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
So Sundar says:

Took me a second to figure that out.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
{research}

Thank you (and Sundar) for all that!

Dan I’m sorry I’m late to the discussion but I think most of my comments have been covered so far.

On the width subject the narrow option is somewhat dated and you would probably do better by going to a wider option. You had mentioned 5” width. My construction company has probably installed over 100,000 SF over the years and 4&5” were the most popular but we have even installed 8” width flooring. As mentioned above the most critical aspect of installing wider widths is to make sure the flooring is properly acclimated to your home. The product is probably stored in a warehouse where the relative humidity is much higher than your home. I would open the packages and spread them out as much as possible in your home for a minimum of a week, preferably two. You should crank your AC down to bring the Relative Humidity in the room/ house down below 45% ( or get a room dehumidifier) and the wood should be between 6 and 9%. You can get a wood humidity probe at any big box store.

Also, make sure you use a vapor barrier under the product. You can use 20# roofing felt as an inexpensive option.

We’ll need pictures!!

Just keep in mind the wider the solid plank the more likely it'll cup or crown. I'd want a dry, conditioned basement underneath and relatively constant indoor temperature and humidity year round.
The worst scenario would be a home in a region that is warm and humid in summer then cold and dry during winter heating season. In that case running AC to lower humidity in spring/summer and a humidifier in winter will help.

9mmepiphany--hey General Tang! When the weather cools down let's get together at Sac Valley!

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Dan I’m sorry I’m late to the discussion but I think most of my comments have been covered so far.

No worries! I'm glad you're chiming in.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
As mentioned above the most critical aspect of installing wider widths is to make sure the flooring is properly acclimated to your home. {snip} warehouse {snip} relative humidity {snip} minimum of a week, preferably two. You should crank your AC down to bring the Relative Humidity in the room/ house down below 45% ( or get a room dehumidifier) and the wood should be between 6 and 9%. You can get a wood humidity probe at any big box store.

Also, make sure you use a vapor barrier under the product. You can use 20# roofing felt as an inexpensive option.

We’ll need pictures!!

I've got a pic of the 20-ish square feet I put down on top of the carpet as a sample -- I'll try to get that posted in a moment. I'll certainly take more pictures as the project goes.

The more I think on this, the more I believe I want to wait until late September or early October to do the job, hoping weather will be a bit more stable (and cooling) by then. The on-and-off rains here lately have been a wreck for humidity readings. Thank you, too, for mention of the probe. I'll look for one of those.

Heck, if I carry material in during late September, it'll take me til early October to recover! A single carton (20-ish square feet) weighs about 70 pounds. (Off the trailer, around the house, up two flights, cough, wheeze, ...)

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
I'd want a dry, conditioned basement underneath and relatively constant indoor temperature and humidity year round.

This project is taking place on the second floor -- how much does that matter with respect to your comment and Eddie's mention of a vapor barrier?


- - - - -

ETA the [crummy cellphone] pic. Hadn't unpacked the whole carton at this point.

Hey, you need an Optimus after all!

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
I hope you are use to hard physical labor.

I'm not a stranger to it, but I'll admit we haven't seen one another in a while.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Hey, you need an Optimus after all!

Only for the carrying of material. After that, that 'bot needs to get the heck outta my house!

ETA: Buying pizza and beer for a couple of strong friends has got to be a lot cheaper than an actual robot!

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
9mmepiphany--hey General Tang! When the weather cools down let's get together at Sac Valley!

Yes, lets do that. Hopefully Sept or Oct will be cooler. I still have your number {area code 650?}

I've been meaning to to connect, but wife retiring and having medical issues distracted me.

Yes, my wife has been having issues, I'm having to drive her most everywhere. Hence the planned Tesla.

I would love to get together to shoot with you, and anyone else you remember--the Hee Brothers?
Nelson Ong (45R) has expressed interest also.