Any wood floor installers out there?

[rakesdl]

Well the wife wants wood floors in about 660 sq/ft of our home. Given that money is tight right now this will be a DIY project. I have talked to a few big box stores about the instllation and have been told that I cannot install solid hardwoood over my existing OSB sub floor and recomend that I use enginered flooring instead.
The wife has picked out an enginered wood floor with the following specs, 9/16 thick by 7" wide planks. The manafacture indicates to either glue, nail or float the floor. What would be your recomendations for the best install over 3/4 OSB board? (I will have no moisture issues on the second floor of the home)

 

[draglink]

Im in the floor covering industry, but not an installer. My company installs 3/4 solid oak(usually 2 1/4-3 1/2" widths) over 3/4 OSB T&G subfloor(joist spacing no more than 19"OC) all the time. That is the industry standard for new construction, so I dont know what the problem is....except 7" wide boards. A solid 3/4" X 7" wide board is going to cup with humidity so if you want that wide of a plank def go with engineered. I would not float the floor, I would staple or glue, we have the best luck with glue, no squeaks or floor pops down the road.

 

[Nighttrain]

I put down about 1500 sf of engineered wood on cement (glued) in our last house and this house I did a room up stairs on 3/4 OSB, about 160 sf. Glued this stuff down also. Also engineered wood. Can't be happier with both installs. The glue does cost and arm and leg and will take a bit to clean up. If you stop during the install make sure you have no glue in the joints of the wood. You will never get it cleaned out. You will like the restults of a solid sounding floor with no pops etc when you walk on it as apposed to a floated floor. Look at Lumber Liquidators. They usually have some good closeout deals.

 

[rakesdl]

Draglink/Nighttrain
Thanks for the response,GLUE IT IS!, but am going to try to change her mind on the 7" boards, I had thought the same thing about the borads cuping, (only want to do this once) Thanks Again

 

[NUTTSGT]

One of the guys at work put hardwood floors down when he built his parents house. I'm almost positve he had T&G OSB. I know he used a nailer, I will ask him tommorrow him tommorrow the exact details.

 

[Ford12508]

I put the hardwood floor in m parents house. I am not 100% sure but I think it was 2" wide boards and it was nailed into OSB. I nailed it every 6". If you do go hardwood, make sure the board do not end within 6" of each other.

 

[rsanter]

I am not a professional but I have done several wood floor installs
over OSB subfloor I use a flooring nailer but I have always done the 2 or 2.5 wide solid wood material.
never a problem

I have seen the engineered (real wood) flooring and it looks good to me. with the wider boards I would use the glue as well but I think I would also use a brad nailer as well as I was going just to hold everything in place as I was doing the install. I would not install as many brad nails as if that was the only thing holding it in but I would do a few

bob

 

[draglink]

Brads will work but that will just add holes for no reason. Use 3M blue tape( we buy it by the case), it will hold perfectly, then remove in a couple days.

 

[Traditional hotrodder]

As far as nailing (using harwood cleats 1 3/4" or 2") 3/4" solid hardwood to 3/4" OSB it is an accepted practice. I was a hard surface floor covering installer for 14 yrs. and have never had an install problem over an OSB floor. Now letting the deck sit out for long periods of time before the rest of the framing is set meaning the roof is a whole nother story.