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Floating floor

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elewis33

New member
We are finally getting to the point of raising our yurt after some permitting struggles. At this point we have a 30' by 32' platform with our 24' round yurt platform built on top of that.



I'm struggling with the question of putting in our floating floor before or after we raise the yurt. I'll break it down as I see it and would like some feedback from anyone that's dealt with this.



Option 1: install floating floor before raising
Pros:


  • floor goes all the way to the edge of the platform
  • edges of flooring can be cut to diameter without obstruction
  • lattice will hold down edges of flooring
Cons:


  • cutting edges can be imprecise causing bender board to "wander"
  • studs for wind kit mount through ends of flooring and might cause lifting and cracking elsewhere
  • floor will take construction wear while raising the rest of the yurt
Option 2: install floating floor after the yurt is raised
Pros:

  • raise the yurt without worrying about the floor
Cons:

  • flooring doesn't go to the edges
  • lattice doesn't hold down floor edges
  • floor needs to be cut around studs for wind kit
  • or studs could be mounted on top of floor
Has anyone done floating floor? It seems most logical to do it after you raise the yurt but I'm worried about the the edges not being held down everywhere. Thoughts? Ideas?






Cons:
 
I have not done a floating floor, but I would NOT put the floor under the lattice. There is a lot of weight to consider there and the floor needs to expand and contract. It will not be able to do that with the weight of the roof sitting on the flooring. The same goes with screwing the studs to the flooring. I think the best way would be to either floor up to the studs, leaving a space there (some people paint that space or put stone in there, etc), or cut around each stud. That may be a lot of work in which you may just be better off putting in a standard floor first.
 
Jafo said:
I have not done a floating floor, but I would NOT put the floor under the lattice.
Click to expand...


That's what I was thinking ...


... or cut around each stud. That may be a lot of work in which you may just be better off putting in a standard floor first.
Click to expand...
What do you consider to be a "standard floor"?



Whichever flooring I use it just seems to make more sense to raise the yurt before flooring. The only reason I guess this is coming up is because the Colorado Yurt guide shows lattice attached to the floor, but they're also showing 2x6 T&G for flooring.
 
We used car decking for our yurt platform (2x6 T&G). Then we raised the yurt and then we used a sanding machine to finish the wood before putting on several coats of tung oil. Inexpensive, environmental, and beautiful! Let me know if you want pix.
 
OK here's a 'what for' comment. These 'nu skewl' floating floors flat out suck. No way I put that in any yurt, let alone a traditional house. They are in 95% of houses I work on now. The entire reason why is because of speed of install and cost, plus most people (not me) wants what everyone else has. How long they last and how tough they are doesn't enter the equation. They look great initially if protected carefully from construction abuse but 'no chance' they will last like even carpet in real world family environment with kids pets and shoes worn inside the house. No way. Absolute joke of a product imo.

My yurt floor is 2x6 caulked seams and painted. I broom it clean once a year. lol
 
Bob Rowlands said:
OK here's a 'what for' comment. These 'nu skewl' floating floors flat out suck. No way I put that in any yurt, let alone a traditional house.
My yurt floor is 2x6 caulked seams and painted. I broom it clean once a year. lol
Click to expand...


Good feedback. I'm rethinking my floor based on the feedback from you guys. But trying to find 2x6 T&G seems next to impossible in my area.
 
I used 2x6 common construction lumber for the platform floor in my rustic yurt. I butted the boards tight no gap. Kiln dry is good, but using 2X for flooring you can expect shrinkage, especially in an arid climate like front range CO. As a result I had to caulk the snot out of it a month later because it gapped an eighth to a quarter inch. If I was building the platform for a high quality permanent yurt home, I would buy the 2x t@g a month or so before installation, and sticker it to let it acclimate and dry out. But for my rustic yurt just having a caulked and painted wood floor has been planty good enough. It is tough and I could care less how it looks. I sweep or hose it off when it gets really bad.
 
If you really have your heart set on the click together flooring, at least get the product that is 3/8ths inch thick, that has the plywood core, and can have cabs set on it. Be aware the top veneer on these click floorings are about a fiftieth of an inch thick. No I kid you not. I can take a piece of any of them and scratch it with my chisel.

To be fair, the poly coating on old school strip flooring is a WHOLE lot softer than the top of high tech click flooring. If you want it looking like new, an additional coat of finish should be applied every few years. I guess the thinking now is just remove baseboard, pull it out easy and fast,(no fasteners at all) and install the new click stuff real quick like. VOILA!! new floor no mess no fuss.
 
OK yet more comments. The laminate 'click' flooring I see installed here on every job is truly free floating. No glue, no fasteners. It simply lays atop the subfloor like a rug. Some gets laid atop a pad on concrete to soften the feel. Some of these floorings are 1/4" thick and some is 3/8ths thick. My gut tells me these are builder grade, the cheapest stuff that installs real fast and gets the clients in the door.

However I just looked up engineered flooring online. They are extremely popular floorings nowadays. Apparently besides the 'click' variety I see0e all the time, their are versions can be glued down and some that are nailed down. There are also versions that are 1/2" and 5/8ths inches thick. These are engineered plywood flooring, not a solid wood floor, like a strip floor. Supposedly some surfaces are 25 year longevity, as opposed to 10 years for three coat polt on a strip floor. I am not familiar with that type so have no comment about them. What I see on job site are the products I described. The cheap stuff has no plywood core, it looks like plastic core with a thin flexible backing on the bottom. And higher grade, 3/8ths with plywood core, backed and unbacked.

At any rate you might consider spend some time online looking up 'engineered floors' and get not only the manufacturers description but user ratings and reviews. OK I'm really off on this it is out of my field. Good luck.
 
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