Chipboard flooring T&G or not?

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Slugster
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Cotswolds

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject: Chipboard flooring T&G or not?

I'm replacing all the old floor boards and I am going to put down chipboard.

I hate having to rip stuff up once it's down so when I did my attic floor I cut off all the T&G from the 8'x2'x18mm boards so I could easily lift an individual one to get to services etc.

But I have noticed slight movement and squeaks between the edges - not a problem in a storage only attic, but I don't want this in my rooms.

The local merchants has 8'x2'x18mm(and 22mm by order) T&G or 8'x4'x18mm straight edged.

If I use the straight edge stuff, should I support all the joins?

I'm really torn between no squeaks and easy access.

Any advice please...

ultimatehandyman
Site Admin

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:32 pm Post subject:

If you know that you are going to be lifting them regularly in order to complete work underneath then I would get the tongue and groove and at every other sheet remove the tongue and put some noggins in where the tongues are removed.

This way you don't need to fit noggins for each board and it is very rarely that you would need to remove more than every other board for access.

If you ever do need to remove the other boards then you can cut off the tongues and use some noggins.

Are you nailing or screwing them down?
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big-all
Pro Carpenter

Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2775
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:56 pm Post subject:

heeeelloo slugster :grin: :grin: :grin:

do not use 8x4 as they arn't flooring grade and youll finnish up with weetabix even faster than flooring grade

unless the origional wooden floor is badly dammaged is easier [and reduces the value of your house less] to replace the odd board

if you worried about accsess cut some access pannels where you need them joist centre to joist centre and around 24" long with noggins or 2x1" to tie the edges together
glue all the txg edges and screw down the boards

you can also buy specific accsess systems http://www.toolstation.com/search.html?searchstr=36742
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Slugster
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Cotswolds

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 2:52 pm Post subject:

Thanks for feed back so soon.

UHM, I'll be screwing down the boards. I hardly use any nails - in fact I think I've only every used them to hold stuff until the glue takes Wink

I always screw and bolt stuff - I like to be able to take it apart again.

Big-All,

1) A lot of the floor boards are already damaged as just about the only work the previous occupants did was to have a butcher fit a new single socket in each room. Whoever did it totally trashed the floorboards.

2) My beloved wife makes Monica from Friends look like a slob. This means she wants everything from new (yes - should have bought a new build but I don't like them) hence the new flooring.

As for reducing value - it's not that sort of house that would benefit from the exposed boards look so I think replacing them and carpeting (for upstairs) will be OK.

I'm interested about the weetabix remark. It take it that's what you mean when chipboard gets wet and expands?

If I'm right in that, do you mean from leaks or general damp? The house is dry and I'm only doing this upstairs (the ground floor is solid concrete with parquet wood and tiles in the kitchen).

Do I still need to worry about it?

What is flooring grade chipboard? The 8x2 I put in the attic was treated so it looked green. Would this be OK

Also 8x2 is easier to manhandle about.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

ultimatehandyman
Site Admin

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:01 pm Post subject:

Slugster wrote:

Thanks for feed back so soon.

UHM, I'll be screwing down the boards. I hardly use any nails - in fact I think I've only every used them to hold stuff until the glue takes Wink

I always screw and bolt stuff - I like to be able to take it apart again.

Good stuff Thumbright

I always use screws, but I know a plumber that uses nails and they never hold the boards down tight enough!
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big-all
Pro Carpenter

Joined: 16 Dec 2006
Posts: 2775
Location: redhill surrey an auld reekie laddie

Posted: Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:41 pm Post subject:

yes the green stuff is a lot more water resistant but any chipboard constantly wet will eventualy swell and flake probably weeks and months in the green stuff rather weeks constant wet in normal chip board Crying

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Slugster
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Cotswolds

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:33 am Post subject:

OK, I'm going to use the 8x2 treated T&G.

Now the really stupid question. The orientation of the boards.

I take it I run the long length perpendicular to the joists (16" centres). That's what I did in the loft.

But what I did there was to cut each board to the length so the short join was over a joist. I also had to do this because I had cut off the T&G

This meant lots of cutting, but lots of strength.

If I am leaving the T&G on for the room floors, do I need to do this or can I leave a short edge join floating between the joists and rely on the T&G to do the work (sounds scary)...

If I do put a noggin in, it will run between the joists and only support the middle of the board if you know what I mean.

I've attached a sketch to see if I understand correctly.

boards.jpg

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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
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Location: Darwen, Lancashire

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject:

You could probably get away with just relying on the tongue and groove joint, but a friend of mine recently had an extension built and he put a noggin in, as a precaution.

I'd also put a noggin in, this way you are almost guaranteed that the boards will not squeak!
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Slugster
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Cotswolds

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:19 pm Post subject:

So doing it as the sketch above is OK?

Cheers

ultimatehandyman
Site Admin

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9740
Location: Darwen, Lancashire

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 1:23 pm Post subject:

It looks good to me, not sure what some of the pro's might say though Embarassed

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Fats
Senior Member

Joined: 03 Dec 2006
Posts: 418
Location: Stockport

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject:

We have this T&G chip board on our kitchen floor(the green stuff), fitted by the previous owner. over the last couple of yars its began to dip and sag all over the place, they didnt put noggins in. Bang Head

IMO i would definatly put noggins in. Just to be on the safe side.

Slugster
Senior Member

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 965
Location: Cotswolds

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:44 am Post subject:

Right, the new flooring is kicking off in the next few days so its time for last minute checks Wink

Big-all said to glue the T&G. I can understand this will stop all squeaks, but a while back somebody told me T&G was also to allow for expansion.

But he was talking about real wood not chip board. Do I need to worry about this?

Cheers

leebwk
Senior Member

Joined: 01 Dec 2006
Posts: 847
Location: Oxford

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:07 am Post subject:

Hi Slugster,

As big-all said glueing the chipboard as well as screwing it is far better and increases the overall strength of it, as with any material in your home it will eventually react with the atmosphere (ie humidity, heat and cold) and will invariably move a bit, no matter what you do.
Although cutting out the tongues will reduce the strength and it will start to squeak eventually.
I would lay as normal (glue and screw) and maybe build/cut in access hatches where i would essentially need them.

Hope this helps
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Richie
Junior Member

Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 13
Location: South London

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:14 am Post subject:

Is chipboard really the best stuff to put down in the first place?

Couldnt he use ply directly on the joists and cut it so that none of the joins hang over the joists?
If every join sits centre on each joist then there shouldnt be any flexing and the ply would never crumble should it ever get wet?
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Last edited by Richie on Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

bstyle
Senior Member

Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 115

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:00 am Post subject:

Yep, I would use 8' x 4' ply sheeting, 2" x 2" studs at the board edges. It depends on the room though.

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