Yurt: 2X6 Tongue and Groove Flooring

[Jafo]

This picture is it I believe:

Yurt Forum - A Yurt Community - HawaiiYurts's Album: Finished projects: Interiors - Picture

[Janti Family]

Originally Posted by HawaiiYurts

Some people will, do that, but doing a ply subfloor basically adds the extra step of having to then lay down additional flooring if you want it to be a nice, finished floor. So it adds cost and time. Using treated SPF t&g with girders spaced no more than 4' apart gives a solid floor that looks good and will stand up to wear with proper varnish, for a fraction of the time and cost.

Great idea on the treated T&G. I like the idea of not having to put a sub-flooring down. What concerns me is the 'treated' part of the boards. I have children. Isn't that toxic in so many levels? Could we use non-treated boards over a tiny sheet of aspenite?

[Bob Rowlands]

I used common 2x6 pine construction lumber from Lowe's for the floor in my 16'er. I butted the boards tight knowing they would shrink as they dried. TA couple months have passed since screwing down the decking, and air infiltation through the widening gaps has resulted in a cold drafty floor, and a yurt that hardly holds heat. The floor is uninsulated since it isn't a full time residence, and I'm cheap.

I caulked all the deck seams over the holiday. Took 7 tubes. The yurt is holding heat alot better with no drafts. I still need a larger wood stove though.

If you can afford it, T&G decking is the best way to go, for a rustic floor that takes a beating. It can be sanded to whatever degree of finish you prefer. I'd wait until it is thoroughly dry before doing so.

[Bob Rowlands]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add I wouldn't have any natuarl flooring material treated for rot resistance exposed to where little kids can get to it. Also sanding out such a product would require a decent cartridge mask to avoid inhaling the debris, and a VERY thorough clean up of the resultant dust. I've been making sanding dust for thirty years and it gets EVERYWHERE. I don't care whether the MSDS book says it's OK or not. Don't use MDF either. Just my opinion. Good luck.

[microage97]

I am thinking that the cheaper option here in HI is to buy 2x6x20' boards and T&g them myself with a router table and T&G bit. Thoughts?

[Bob Rowlands]

Pro mill shops use battleship grade machinery to make 2x6 t&g flooring. Making a yurts worth of 2x6-20 t&g flooring by a non pro simply isn't worth the hassle with the typical homeowner grade lightweight router table set up.

20' 2x6 stock is VERY unwieldy, and rarely dead straight. Infeed and outfeed support tables are absolutely necessary to keep the 2x in constant contact with the bit. With a typical infeed guide attached to the fence at the cutterhead to keep the stock in place, binding is going to happen with one man feeding 20' stock. Any bit/fence shift while forcing warped/twisted/bowed stock through the guide will throw the alignment off. Nah, I wouldn't suggest messing with a router table set up.

[microage97]

I never thought of that Bob, Thanks for the education before I did something stupid. I guess a hand held router might work. What are 2x6x20' t&g going for in the lower 48? 21.00 each here at home depot.

[Bob Rowlands]

I'd buy the T&G. Have it dropped on site and you're ready to rock and roll, instead of messing around.

That said, if you have alot of free time on your hands, and I mean ALOT of free time, and are stubborn to boot, a 1/4" x 1/2" slot cutting bit (requires a heavy duty 1/2" router) would work, but getting everything sized properly is gonna be a trip. MANY repeated passes. Don't expect pretty cuts on the tongue side unless you clamp a guide where edge knots have popped out, or there is otherwise irregularity where the bearing passes.

Really, you are in for a heck of a lot of work. You're better off biting the bullet and just buying the flooring. Or, just install 2x6 butted tight. That's what I did on my 16' yurt. Then caulk it down the road. It's a yurt. BTW I've been a carpenter since 1973.

Have fun! lol

[Jafo]

Bob, what about a router table and then running the board through that? Might that make it easier?

[microage97]

Hey Bob, not that stuborn. I guess I would rather get to nailing the floor. :-) Sorry I was being silly.