FLOOR FIXING METHODS EXPLAINED

Modern floors are tongue and grooved for ease of application, this allows for the boards to interlock on all four edges, but there is still the need for a secure fixing type. These fall into three main categories. Here you will find a brief outline of each method to help you understand what is involved.

The adhesives we recommend are Easylay Tape which is supplied on a roll. Laybond16, a solvent based adhesive and Proflex, which is a polymer based adhesive.

Firstly, there is glue fixing. This is used when circumstances wont allow for battens or plywood to be fitted due to the extra height requirements needed on top of an existing screed floor. There are two types of adhesive. There are tubs of liquid adhesive that you spread onto the screed and then place the boards onto. Also there is tape fixing that is fitted to the screed at 90 degrees to the run of the floor boards and then the boards are placed onto the tape.

Using the easylay tape method and solvent based adhesive will only allow for boards of up to 1.5 metres in length and 130mm in width. Using the newer polymer based adhesive will allow boards up to 2.5 metres and 190mm in width. Remember NEVER glue the tongues as this will not allow for natural movement of the boards.

Secondly, there is secret nail fixing, which requires either a batten, plywood or weyrock subfloor. Also this method can be used for fixing directly onto joists.

The boards are secured to the subfloor or joists using a flooring nailgun such as the Primatech or Portaniler gun which nails the boards diagonally through the tongue of the board at a 45 degree angle using serrated edged nails. Nails of 38mm are used for plywood and weyrock subfloors and 50mm when nailing into battens or joists. These nailguns also clamp the boards together during the fixing. We do not recommend the use of ordinary commercial nailguns as they do not use the correct style of nails for floor fixing. Boards up to 150mm in width can be fixed using this method.

The final fixing method is secret screw fixing, or "screw and plug" as it is more commonly known.

This method is more labour intensive but allows for much wider boards to be securely fixed without the worry of cupping of the boards. This method can be used on a batten, plywood, weyrock or joist fixing. The boards are countersunk and brass or stainless steel screws used to fix the floor to the subfloor then wooden plugs are fitted and sanded off to finish flush.

You must remember to leave a 15mm expansion gap all the way around your floor. This can then be hidden by refitting your skirting which will cover the expansion gap. If refitting the skirting is not an option then either cork strip or scotia moulding can be fitted to finish off the floor.

Please remember these are guidelines and each need to be judged on it's own merits.

Mick Jones Timber Ltd. are a supply only company, but we do have a number of recommended floor fitters that we can put in contact with you should you wish to have a floor professionally fitted. They offer a full fitting and finishing service should you so require.