Hardwood flooring install- no end tongue and groove

[bjorn773]

I recently purchased a home with badly damaged floors. Long story short, they all need to be replaced down to the joists. I am about half done with this project using 3/4 T&G OSB, lots of glue and ring shank nails. Above that I am installing oak plank flooring. I have a rather large pile that came with the house. It was removed by my brother in law (a contractor) from a job site and all the staples have been removed. Most of it is about 5 inch wide boards, some 2 1/2. My question is related to the wide boards do not have tongue and groove milled into the ends. Or, if they did, it has been cut off. I understand it may cup with fluctuations in humidity. Should I buy a tongue and groove bit set for my router table and mill every board? Could I get away with a biscuit on each end? Can they be butted together and glued or is that a recipe for disaster?

 

[HeatsTwice]

Not sure I fully understand but I've run into situations which may be similar. The way I dealt with it is to get a piece of thin metal flashing which overlaps the under sides the joint by about 6", spread PL premium adhesive on it and slip it under the joint so that each side is "bound" by the 6" of glued overlap. (Don't glue near the seam). Of course I've only done short sections in this way (door way threasholds) as all of my planks have been tongue and groove or engineered flooring. I wouldn't do this on longer sections much less a whole room. If it is a whole room, my vote is to mill every board on the router table.

I live in California so humidity has never been a problem. I've laid down over 3000 square feet of wood floor (in two houses) in the past so I have "some" experience although I am not a pro.

 

[Dune]

If you are set up for biscuits use them, they are stronger than endgrain T+G. May need 2 in a wide piece. Remember to leave at least 1/4" gaps at the wall/floor interface if possible. This alone can prevent buckling sometimes. Cover the gaps with regular moulding.

 

[Jonathan70]

Buy a groove cutting router bit with a guide Bearing and buy some pieces of loose spline... Very easy to do, not too costly Either.... Do it all the time whe I re weave new into old and such.

 

[johneh]

Is your flooring solid oak 3/4 in thick or engineered flooring?
If it is 3/4 hardwood do not glue spline or T/G ends .
Real wood needs space to swell and contract with moisture
Securing ends cause to much stress on the length of the board
2 boards different stress factors . each board has to be able to
move at it's own rate . If you tie them mechanically you are just
about assured a twisted floor .

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

No end t&g is totally normal. Just cut to lengths an install. K.I.S.S.

 

[gzecc]

I would biscuit the 5" boards.

 

[Warm_in_NH]

The 5" boards would benefit greatly from really any of the above mentioned ways. Maybe only glue one side of a biscuit or spline piece to allow them to move a little, although they don't move much in that direction.

 

[BlackGreyhounds]

I put in 6" solid red oak several years ago with nothing special on the ends. We have major humidity swings throughout the year. No problems. Don't make more work for yourself.