3/4" Hardwood over OSB subfloor?

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midnightbluel81

midnightbluel81

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Joined
Dec 9, 2007
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Location
Garner NC
I'm planning on putting down 3/4" solid hickory in my 88 Holiday Rambler.  It has an OSB sub floor that doesn't look to be 3/4" (have to measure this)  The floor is solid no problems there but my question is should I add another 1/2" to the subfloor if it's not 3/4" OSB.  I'm planning on nailing it down using a finish nailer, I don't think I'd get 2 rows down with a flooring nailer.

Any hints or tips will be appreciated.
 
I am thinking on a similar plan using a floating floor. I haven't liked the carpeting and tile in the old Elandan since I bought it. Thinking on using Bamboo for the entire coach. I'll be interested in your outcome. Good flooring.
 
midnightbluel81 said:
I'm planning on putting down 3/4" solid hickory in my 88 Holiday Rambler.  It has an OSB sub floor that doesn't look to be 3/4" (have to measure this)  The floor is solid no problems there but my question is should I add another 1/2" to the subfloor if it's not 3/4" OSB.  I'm planning on nailing it down using a finish nailer, I don't think I'd get 2 rows down with a flooring nailer.

Any hints or tips will be appreciated.
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I think a lot depends on how you plan on nailing it Chuck. A flooring nailer nails it down through the tongue edge on an angle. If you can maintain an angled nailing pattern, I don't see where there would be a problem nailing into 1/2" osb. If it is being nailed straight down, then I would think you might want something a little thicker....JMHO.  3/4" Hickory should look amazing...pictures please.
 
Thanks for the replies.  I do plan on nailing it at an angle thru the tongue and face nailing it only around the perimiter or where I can't get the nailer in at an angle.  It's 5" wide plank, rustic grade with a lot of color changes and knots.  I keep going back and fourth on the subfloor.  I should just put the extra sub in and start doing it.  I'll be sure to take pictures and post them as I get going.

Thanks again.
 
midnightbluel81 said:
Thanks for the replies.  I do plan on nailing it at an angle thru the tongue and face nailing it only around the perimiter or where I can't get the nailer in at an angle.  It's 5" wide plank, rustic grade with a lot of color changes and knots.  I keep going back and fourth on the subfloor.  I should just put the extra sub in and start doing it.  I'll be sure to take pictures and post them as I get going.

Thanks again.
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If you have slides, even 3/4" hardwood could be too thick for the slides to clear. Adding additional subflooring would make matters worse, even if the hardwood alone would still clear. Rather than adding additional subflooring, look into securing it with a mastic so you don't have to worry about nail hold.

A bigger problem has to do with weight. Enough 3/4" hickory to cover the floor of an RV is going to be cottonpickin' heavy. Adding additional subflooring will make it even heavier.

While I agree real hickory will look awesome, you might be better off looking into one of the laminate or engineered hardwood floors. They come with a factory finish that will outlast anything you could apply, can be installed without nailing, and will be much lighter. Icemaker's idea for using bamboo engineered flooring is a good one. It looks nice, is lighter than 3/4" hardwood, and wears like iron even without a finish (although it normally has a rock hard finish already applied).
 
I can't say I agree. I really doubt that an "88" Holiday Rambler is going to have slides, and the weight difference between real hardwood and laminate is negligible, especially given the small amount of square footage being covered.
 
3/4" flooring will look fantastic in that RV.  I would air on the side of caution and use 1/4" to 1/2" subfloor to lay down first, this way you can ensure a level floor for the install.  One thing I would like to point out from previous expereince with installing hardwood for a client, in RV's, hardwood will expand and contract more so than in a home.  Avoid mastic glues as they will not allow the floor to move at ALL!  Nailing them is going to limit expansion and contraction as well, but certainly a better option than the glue.

Although I really like the look of the real hardwood, I try to point customers in the direction of the engineered, just solely on the basis that engineered flooring can be layed as "floating" floors, meaning, no nails, no glue. 

In your case with an older RV, you should be fine to use the real thing, but adding that extra layer of subflooring will assist in keeping the floor from over expansion or contraction!

Good luck and be sure to take lots of pics for us!
 
I've already taken a lot of stuff out of the RV and planning to remove another door and half a wall.  The residential fridge I replaced the original with weighs half what the Dometic weighs so I'm not real concerned about weight.  No slides in the 88 and the only doors are the folding ones and I think they are already high enough. Other than my head being another 1 1/4 inches closer to the ceiling I should be good.  I got the wood at a great price, prefinished, they had 115 sqft left and sold it for 200, I couldn't pass it up.

I'll be sure to take pics and post.

Thanks!
 
OSB doesn't have the holding capabities as plywood. Glue it down. I would switch to an engineered flooring- will not cup om edges
 
Well I already have the wood and it didn't cost me very much.  I can get 1/2" plywood to put on top of the OSB?  Glue and screw down the plywood and nail the floor down.  It's really only going to have to last seven years anyway.  It's got new tires on it and I don't think I'm gonna put new ones on it again, I mean, it's an 88, I take care of it but I know one of these days something will probably give up in the drivetrain that I'm not going to fix and that'l be it for it.

I'll just give it a try and see how it turns out.

Thanks!
 
I agree with the others.  Definitely add a layer of plywood, glued and screwed.  In that way, you cannot go wrong.  I would not trust the o.s.b. of that time period for any holding power.  That is all you need to have happen is to install that lovely floor to the o.s.b. and then have to rip it up to install a sub floor later.
 
Ok, sorry for the delay, moving a little slow but here it is so far, got most of the old carpet out and cut a test fit the 1st piece so far.

So far so good, I've got my girl friends son helping me with it and he's only available on Saturdays so we'll see how far we get next weekend.

 

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Are you planning on getting longer bolts after you install the 3/4 material? Those original bolts may be welded to frame support.
 
I'm planning on on putting the flooring around them, the seats will bolt to the sub floor, I figure I can deal with the seat being 3/4" lower.  In a different plan I had thought about moving one of the chairs to the other side.  I was all under the motorhome trying to find where those bolts come thru with no luck.  So you're probably right about them being welded to the frame.  I know it doesn't look like much bolt left but there is plenty left to bolt the chairs down.
 
The coach I'm working on has 5/8 underlayment in kitchen thru the bath. Under the cabinets, etc. This was to support the tile. Tile is gone and client wants luxury vinyl tile installed from stem to stern. I'll be adding underlayment and leaving the area where the chair base bolts to the original location. Lots of cutting.
 
If the studs are too short, you may be able to drill the mounting holes a little larger in the seat base and shop around for the right size shoulder nuts like these.
 
Ok, finally making some progress on the floor, had to change jobs and have had a bit of a learning curve to deal with.  I'm finally getting back to the flooring project.  Good thing I'm not in a hurry, hopefully I'll be moving a little faster in the future.

 

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Chuck, my flooring project was not nearly as ambitious or difficult as yours, but I hope my post was of some inspiration to you.  Good luck and God speed on the remainder of you project.
 
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