Solid Oak Floor

[carlt]

I'm surprised Carlt doesn't seem to understand the difference between an engineered floor and a laminated floor. Just go and get a couple of samples from your SPECIALIST flooring supplier. .

 

Unless you pay an arm and 3 legs for 1/4 sawn well seasoned oak it will cup in a boat. I don't care what anyone says, no boat has totally dry bilges, so there is bound to be a difference in humidity between the top and bottom of the boards.

 

In a household situation, engineered flooring is the only grade guaranteed not to cup by commercial suppliers if used with underfloor heating where you have the opposite effect to a boat, ie bone dry underneath and cooler and humid on top.

 

I think the only way you stand a chance with a solid oak floor is to seal the underside, lay it on hardwood battons,at 16" centres, screwed and plugged twice each board width, with SS or marine brass screws, using no more than 5" wide T&G boards. I'd be tempted to place a layer of DP membrane over the ballast, and put Kingspan or Celotex between the battons (see seconds and co on the internet.)

 

As a guide , I've been paying £20m² for reclaimed oak flooring. (reclaimed as in sawn from big old beams, not actually secondhand boards). I've been using it for doors and wainscotting, no problems yet.

 

As a matter of interest I've left a piece of Clik Lok laminated flooring in the garden for the last 2 years, to my amazement it's still in good condition, and it wasn't even bathroom rated.

Can we all agree that any wood (engineered, laminate or solid) is better than Karndean though? Wood photocopied onto vinyl .

 

But my floor is not cupped and there is (deliberately) a constant flow of water from stem to stern to keep the tops of my bottoms (if you see what I mean) wet.

Edited April 20, 2007 by carlt

[Big Steve]

Carlt, glad you took that comment the way it was meant, I was half expecting a rant in reply. Wish I was lucky enough to have a pile of 1/4 sawn oak.

 

I wonder about the ability to restrain oak from cupping. It's a much stronger wood than larch, and I should think the forces involved in keeping it flat would be extreme, hence my suggestion to screw it down. What do you think?

 

I'll be using WBP ply ( probably shuttering ply in fact!) topped with industrial carpet tile myself. Non slip, easy to clean, easy to fit, easy to replace the worn bits.

[carlt]

Carlt, glad you took that comment the way it was meant, I was half expecting a rant in reply. Wish I was lucky enough to have a pile of 1/4 sawn oak.

 

I wonder about the ability to restrain oak from cupping. It's a much stronger wood than larch, and I should think the forces involved in keeping it flat would be extreme, hence my suggestion to screw it down. What do you think?

 

I'll be using WBP ply ( probably shuttering ply in fact!) topped with industrial carpet tile myself. Non slip, easy to clean, easy to fit, easy to replace the worn bits.

 

Me rant? Never! My stash of 1/4 sawn was found in an old brewery yard that shut in the 50's. It was going to be barrel tops (hence the need for stability) I rescued them from a guy who was going to turn them into 'rustic' garden furniture for car boot sales. We worked out how many benches he could knock together and I paid him for them, saving him the bother. It worked out about £3 a cube! They are destined to become an Edward Barnsley, arts and crafts replica dresser base one day, though I keep picking at the pile for boat windows and bits. I've already got the dresser top.

 

I would certainly screw oak down rather than use nails. I used lost heads for the larch and I do admit to being surprised that not one of the boards has cupped, though they had doubled as a bed for a few months before machining, to acclimatise (loft board floor while I was waiting, cheap and cheerful if you don't mind walking in papier mache). I suppose the wooden boat stream in the bilges helps with the humidity in the boat so there was less 'shock' when the planks came indoors.

[Chris J W]

But my floor is not cupped and there is (deliberately) a constant flow of water from stem to stern to keep the tops of my bottoms (if you see what I mean) wet.

 

Ok, as a relative a newbie I normaly feel confident to work out what things mean via their context, but must admit you've utterly lost me there? I *think* it means you've designed the floor to slope down from the bow to the stern that any accidental spills or condesation/moisture effects runs down to your wet bilge? Am I close?

[carlt]

Ok, as a relative a newbie I normaly feel confident to work out what things mean via their context, but must admit you've utterly lost me there? I *think* it means you've designed the floor to slope down from the bow to the stern that any accidental spills or condesation/moisture effects runs down to your wet bilge? Am I close?

Not really. Wooden narrow boats are built using oak sides and elm bottoms. Elm is extremely stable and rot resistant when it is immersed in water but hates being wet then dry. If the bottoms dry out at the top, whilst being constantly wet underneath, the tops of the bottoms start to crumble (so many tops and bottoms in this tale that I'm getting confused ) so you need to have constantly wet bilges . Usk has a tiny leak at the front which I could fix, but then I'd have to keep chucking water in anyway, so the leak stays. Once every couple of months the water reaches the engine sump so I pump her out.

Because of the hog (the bend in the middle) the bilges at the front are always wet, though, because she's a tar boat, the bows are stanked off so I pump them periodically to relieve the weight on the hog. When I next dock her I've got two 40' planks to go in so the hog should go, and I can replace the burnt plank at the back so I can put a back cabin back on (hooray).

Edited April 21, 2007 by carlt

[Chris J W]

Not really. Wooden narrow boats are built using oak sides and elm bottoms. Elm is extremely stable and rot resistant when it is immersed in water but hates being wet then dry. If the bottoms dry out at the top, whilst being constantly wet underneath, the tops of the bottoms start to crumble (so many tops and bottoms in this tale that I'm getting confused ) so you need to have constantly wet bilges . Usk has a tiny leak at the front which I could fix, but then I'd have to keep chucking water in anyway, so the leak stays. Once every couple of months the water reaches the engine sump so I pump her out.

Because of the hog (the bend in the middle) the bilges at the front are always wet, though, because she's a tar boat, the bows are stanked off so I pump them periodically to relieve the weight on the hog. When I next dock her I've got two 40' planks to go in so the hog should go, and I can replace the burnt plank at the back so I can put a back cabin back on (hooray).

 

Yep! See what you mean about too many tops and bottoms! Seriously, though, I see what you mean now. Thanks for that, very interesting and informative.

 

Ta!

[carlt]

Yep! See what you mean about too many tops and bottoms! Seriously, though, I see what you mean now. Thanks for that, very interesting and informative.

 

Ta!

Education and entertainment....My work here is done.

 

To the batmobile Robin!

[GUCCC150]

MY MOTOR BOAT MONARCH HAS RECLAIM FLOORING THAT IS OVER 150 YEARS OLD FROM A MILL IN BOLLINGTON AND ITS JUST FINE NO MOVEMENT AT ALL IN FACT MOST OF THE FURNITURE HAS BEEN MADE THE SAME WAY IN HER ALL OUT OF RECLAIM SOME OF IT FROM A ELM BOTTOM FROM A OLD BOAT OUT OF CAGGY YARD IS MY KITCHEN WORK SURFACES . PINE FROM THE POT BANKS IN STOKE ARE MY CUPBOARD DOORS .

[Lesd]

In your area measurements have you taken account of all the places where you may not need expensive flooring?

 

Under cupboards, bathroom, under the bed?

 

Hi Stuart,

I must admit I hadn't given that much thought, I'd just calculated the whole internal surface area !

Rgds

Les

[Tortoise]

maybe attached to the underside of the wood with a gap between hull and insulation. If it touches the hull you'd get wicking of any water on the metal.

 

OK... interesting point. Only the case with flat bottoms?

 

In my boat with a shallow v bottom, I've just put in ply flooring, with fibreglass insulation between that & the metal hull, in the sloping outer thirds of the floor (pictures in my 'build blog')

 

Unless I get a LOT of water in the bilge, those sides should stay dry. Any advice for me on potential condensation problems under the floor? One of the reasons I went for that kind of insulation was that I was that expanded polystyrene would hold any moisture against the hull. I was also planning to use a similar system for the sides...

[IdealStandard]

I am resurrecting this thread because it is great and because I would like some more information.

 

I want to put down some relcaimed timber in part of my boat, I was thinking of having the timber running width ways to make the boat feel wider and am also trying to do it on the cheap.

 

I was hoping that this might mean I could use offcuts/cheaper bits which others might not want. How and where might I get hold of some?

 

Edit: I am near Bristol

Edited September 3, 2012 by IdealStandard

[Grace and Favour]

I am resurrecting this thread because it is great and because I would like some more information.

 

I want to put down some relcaimed timber in part of my boat, I was thinking of having the timber running width ways to make the boat feel wider and am also trying to do it on the cheap.

 

I was hoping that this might mean I could use offcuts/cheaper bits which others might not want. How and where might I get hold of some?

 

Edit: I am near Bristol

 

Have you tried calling all your local timberyards?

[IdealStandard]

Have you tried calling all your local timberyards?

 

I wouldn't have thought timberyards would have nice aged wood of the sort I am looking for.

 

My local reclamation yard only sells nice long (and expensive) planks.

[Grace and Favour]

I wouldn't have thought timberyards would have nice aged wood of the sort I am looking for.

 

My local reclamation yard only sells nice long (and expensive) planks.

 

Fleabay?

[mrsmelly]

[quote name='Lesd' timestamp='1177011568' post='123408']
Does anyone know how much a solid wood floor (oak ?) would cost as an addition on a widebeam build ?
I'm estimating the materials would cost approx £1350 retail (50m2 at £27 per meter) but how much is reasonable for the builder to fit ?
Any views much appreciated !
Rgds
Les
[/quote]

Cannot help you with price im afraid but our boat has a proper tree wood solid planked floor and looks fantastic. I dont know what type of wood it is but could be pine it has knots etc and is the biz. The planks are in english measurements 9 inches wide and are 2 inches thick, I think thats about 50 mm thick. They look way far and above better than that click together stuff and will probably outlast the rest of the boat.

Tim

[IdealStandard]

[quote name='mrsmelly' timestamp='1346762283' post='933591']
Cannot help you with price im afraid but our boat has a proper tree wood solid planked floor and looks fantastic. I dont know what type of wood it is but could be pine it has knots etc and is the biz. The planks are in english measurements 9 inches wide and are 2 inches thick, I think thats about 50 mm thick. They look way far and above better than that click together stuff and will probably outlast the rest of the boat.

Tim
[/quote]

I'm not a man who needs convincing, I am already set on the idea too!

The 50mm thickness sounds quite hefty, do you not have issues with headroom? Also how have you fited them?

I am currently thinking that in order to reduce costs, I will only use reclaimed timber for 1/2 of the boat closest to the bow. I am hoping that I will be able to install sufficient inspection hatches in the stern half allowing me to attach the boards directly to the ply layer.

I was considering 18mm planks and probably screwing them to the plywood, leaving space at the edges to allow for movement.

[mrsmelly]

[quote name='IdealStandard' timestamp='1346766041' post='933631']
I'm not a man who needs convincing, I am already set on the idea too!

The 50mm thickness sounds quite hefty, do you not have issues with headroom? Also how have you fited them?

I am currently thinking that in order to reduce costs, I will only use reclaimed timber for 1/2 of the boat closest to the bow. I am hoping that I will be able to install sufficient inspection hatches in the stern half allowing me to attach the boards directly to the ply layer.

I was considering 18mm planks and probably screwing them to the plywood, leaving space at the edges to allow for movement.
[/quote]

Hi

Previous owner had the floor done. It is reclaimed timber and laid on to a network of steel bearers and screwed down with hefty screws then holes dowelled. Looks absolutely the biz. I am left with 6ft 6 inches or 2 meters of headroom, it is a widebeam which generaly gives a greater tolerance in all measurements than on say a narrowboat.

Tim

[Lesd]

Five years since I asked the original question. We took everyone's sage advice and had solid oak flooring fitted, expensive but worthwhile, still looks great. Im not sure I can help in terms of a cheap supplier though, I never found any 5 years ago but good luck and if you can afford it Im sure you wont regret it. Oh and ours in laid length ways along the boat.

Les