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Montanan
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:11pm
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I am sure there have been discussions on this topic before, but I didn't run across one in my search. We're trying to decide on flooring for our log cabin. The cabin is pine and the loft is constructed of 2x6 planks of pine. We want to put something over the plywood subfloor on the main floor and we want it to match the cabin.
On our visits to flooring stores, we have been advised that we ought to use an engineered wood floor since our cabin will not be our primary home and will have big temperature fluctuations. Apparently, solid wood (either tongue and groove or planks) are likely to warp, shrink, twist, etc.
What is your experience with this? To get the best "rustic" look with wide planks that are hand scraped, we'd be paying more than $10/sf for an engineered product. That is WAY out of our budget. We could get a pretty generic looking 4" oak or hickory for about $4.39/sf. We were aiming to spend $2/sf or less. We could do this with either 1x6" planks or with 2x6" tongue and groove from our local building supply store. But we don't want to scrimp now and end up with a crappy, uneven floor that results in stubbed toes and has to be replaced in just a couple of years.
Thoughts? Thanks!
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 14 Jul 2011 07:28pm
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i like wide" long leaf heart pine boards" here in the south flooring from reclaimed building beams--band sawed and planed down to a finished side-- but it's high $$$$$..... any other pine seems so soft for floors. I am still undecided what flooring i am going to use in my camp, i want heart pine---but i have to find a deal on it, it's beautiful flooring....
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VToffgrid
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:08am
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We have a cabin which is also unoccupied/unheated for long stretches in VT. It was unfinished when we bought it and a year ago we finally chose after much debate to put down a prefinished floor of ash in narrow boards (2"). We went with the narrow boards in the hope that the fllor will be stable (lots of nails!) with temp fluctuations. It was approx $4/sf and was time consuming to put down but so far it looks great and no problems all last winter. It seems like it will be a very stable floor for the cabin. Good luck.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:44am - Edited by: MtnDon
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Temperature fluctuations do not bother wood flooring nearly as much as humidity fluctuations. Narrow strip is better than wide plank. That is because the shrinkage is split between more pieces; more pieces spreads the shrinkage out between more spaces. And hardwood is more stable than softwood. If the wood is properly dried and properly nailed down there should not be any twisting, warping, etc, if narrow strips are used. Personally I do not like the appearance of most engineered "wood" flooring. They also do not take kindly to scraping and scuffing; can not be refinished in many/most cases.
I know it does not fit into many peoples vision of what a cabin floor should be but we love the porcelain tile flooring we have everywhere in the cabin. It's an earthy tone. It is so simple to clean with a broom or damp mop when necessary. Hard to beat for low maintenance.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 11:08am
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Thanks for the input. I think we're leaning away from the engineered stuff simply because of price. That's good info on the humidity vs. temperature fluctuations. We're pretty much high desert here, so almost NO humidity. When you say "narrow strips," how narrow would you advise? We love the look of wide planks (6"+) but would go smaller if it would make a big difference. Do you think we'd need to go with 2" or would 4" be ok?
I can definitely see the advantage of the porcelain tile and I am sure it looks nice, but I think we're pretty committed to wood, except for maybe the bathroom.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:34pm
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2 to 3" is common. We have some that's 2 1/4" in one room at home.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 06:57pm
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You can disregard what you were told. Imagine all the wood floors from hundreds of years ago, before homes were insulated or climate controlled...
Here's what I'm planning on using:
http://www.agedwoods.com/detail_rescmap.html
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 07:46pm
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a pic of hear pine flooring for sale on CL
http://charleston.craigslist.org/mat/2493020801.html
just found this so you would have a pic of it.
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jkycia
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# Posted: 15 Jul 2011 10:47pm
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I am also wondering about what floor to put in. Same concern. Warping due to cold winters. I have 60 SQFT of unfinished 4" wide cherry left over as scrap from a relatives home flooring. That would not cover the 100 sqft floor. I could put tile in the front of the door way (door on side not centre of wall) and have the wood on the side.
Cherry seems too fancy. I am wondering about 12" wide barn board (I think that is pine and unfinished. A friend bought some and I recall it was very cheap. I have a planer to clean it up. I would then screw it down every 2 feet.
See:
http://canadiancottage.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-diy-barnboard-floors.html
Here it does not look like they have tongue ad groove.
I would probably put a step in each side of the boards so they overlap.
I would screw the boards down and then plug them up like they shown in the picture.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 16 Jul 2011 12:53am
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LOVE the links! Thank you so much!! The reclaimed wood is fabulous for so many reasons. I hope we can get a good deal on it, otherwise it's out of the budget. I got a line on a good lumber source today- going to check it out tomorrow.
jkycia~ that barnwood is spectacular!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 04:01pm
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Have you considered slate??? I like the darker colors, looks like a stone floor.
http://www.builddirect.com/Slate-Tile/-Black-Rust/ProductDisplay_6947_p1_10067090.asp x?bdps=6947fpp9
Price is in your budget also.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 07:31pm
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Oh- that's gorgeous! Thank you! I love the natural stone look. But I worry that any kind of tile would be too cold, given that we'll have long stretches of -0 F temps...though I guess with this kind of floor, we could try some kind of underfloor radiant heat.
Anyone have experience with tile in cold climates?
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jkycia
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 08:54pm
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I was first thinking of slate but then I thought it would be to expensive but the price is reasonable. My idea is that my floor space is 8' x 12'.
I would have 4'x8' of slate or tile for the entry where things can get dirty (muddy, snowy boots) and then wood for the rest, defining the clean area.
Tile will be very cold in the winter.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 10:38pm
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Quoting: Montanan Oh- that's gorgeous! Thank you! I love the natural stone look. But I worry that any kind of tile would be too cold, given that we'll have long stretches of -0 F temps...though I guess with this kind of floor, we could try some kind of underfloor radiant heat.
A few throw rugs would cure that problem. But yes, under floor heating. No expansion. Use a hardi backer under it, I think its only about 1/4 or 5/16" thick. So it wont make the floor too high.
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Just
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 10:48pm
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our cabin at the lake has red pine t & g 1 by 5 an 6 in. radom been there since 1949 no heet ever . not one cuped or bad spot in the whole place . been refinished once buy me and verathan
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 10:50pm
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Just, I love that dark aged wood look. Looks real nice!
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 17 Jul 2011 11:04pm
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only time and love makes things look that way, money won't do it !!
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larry
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# Posted: 19 Jul 2011 09:49pm
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lumber liquidaters... salem oak pergo style floor. $.68 per sq.ft. because i know i will trash it and i would not feel bad about it.
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Montanan
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# Posted: 20 Jul 2011 01:47am
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Thanks for all the tips. We decided we'll do the flooring last...and what we choose will be based on what's left in the budget!
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stephensaugnier
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# Posted: 9 Aug 2016 09:41am
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Hi Turkeyhunter,
How much does antique pine flooring actually cost per square feet with installation costs included?
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 9 Aug 2016 05:30pm - Edited by: bldginsp
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I saw southern yellow pine flooring on one or the other website recently- cost less than the hardwoods, has a unique, rustic look, is fairly stable, and is pretty hard stuff, but not like oak. I may use it. $2/ft.
Lumber Liquidators shows white pine flooring at less than $1.50/ft. Probably pretty soft stuff.
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