5 inch vs 3 1/4 inch floor boards
I am putting in new hardwood (oak) flooring. I am deciding between 3 1/4 inch and 5 inch widths. I love how wider floor boards look, but I am concerned about cupping etc when the humidity changes. I know there are things you can do to avoid it, but I believe its not 100% avoidable…
I am putting in new hardwood (oak) flooring. I am deciding between 3 1/4 inch and 5 inch widths.
I love how wider floor boards look, but I am concerned about cupping etc when the humidity changes. I know there are things you can do to avoid it, but I believe its not 100% avoidable and the chance of a problem is greater the wider the boards are.
The house is well insulated and attached on both sides so I think temp/humidity fluctuations would be more controlled.
Any experience or opinions?
Thanks!
One thing I all ways mentioned to clients is the size of the room. Wider boards make the room look and feel smaller.
In terms of cupping, 5 inch does lend to more problems but either size are a problem if you introduce water. Proper installation and proper sub flooring materials will help greatly.
LV flooring on 20th street in Manhattan have great wide boards products. I am all ways impressed with the new things they are doing with finishes. Siberian flooring on Hudson has wide boards and pricing is slightly better.
If you want reclaimed parquet flooring – we are a great source.
Enjoy life
Brewse
http://www.summitsurfaces.com
You’re biggest problem isn’t going to be from the sides, but from underneath. How long has the subfloor been down, and what is it over (crawlspace, wet basement, etc.)? If the subfloor has only been down for a short time, make sure the moisture level in the flooring and in the subfloor are the same (your installer should have a moisture meter, if not, you might want to consider a new installer). Assuming that you are not over a very damp area like a crawl space with no vapor barrier, and the moisture content in both the subfloor and flooring are acceptable when you install, you shouldn’t have a problem with 5″ boards.
I had a floor installed where the boards were up to 14″ wide. If they are properly installed, there’s no cupping.