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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Sub floor
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doglvr
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:38 - Edited by: doglvr
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I see advantech flooring is selling pretty cheap in my area right now. Thought about buying it now. What would be the advice if I decided to do the subfloor this year and built the cabin next year. (I am using a pier foundation using poured 2x2 footers and cement blocks for a 2-3 foot crawl space). I have too much land prep to start to build the cabin this year but would have time to build the foundation and sub floor. I know advantech is pretty weather resistant. I live in the North so a lot of snow and cold. Obviously I would cover.

ICC
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 10:15
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Yeah Advantech is great subflooring. I don't know that I would want to leave it for a year though. As far as covering it I don't think it is worth the effort unless you "tent" the tarp. Laid flat on the floor there are inevitable pin prick size leaks. Then the tarp keeps the water that leaked through from evaporating. Some cover materials will degrade when left exposed for months on end.

Maybe build the concrete parts of the foundation.

If advantech is priced very low right now and IF you have a barn or garage where it can be stored flat for a year do that. ???

doglvr
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 11:56 - Edited by: doglvr
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Yes I though about that option but really don't have a place to store. I just remember a salesman showing me a piece of submerged advantech flooring in a bucket of water. He had said it had been there for over a year. Took it out and looked like it was placed there that morning....maybe was?? But, I have heard that stuff can last a long time exposed to the elements....not sure about a year though. That is why I thought I could cover it come winter.

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 17:34
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Why not do he girters and floor joists and leave the plywood off until your ready to build? Screwing and gluing down a bunch of plywood goes pretty quick once your setup.

If the question is storage why not sticker and stack it like drying lumber and make a tarp shelter over it so the tarp dosnt touch the ply.

NorthRick
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 17:36
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The subfloor on our new cabin is plywood. It is coming up on 18 months of exposure. I'll let you know how it looks once the ice melts out.
Walls in snow
Walls in snow


Irrigation Guy
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 19:17
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Would be a lot easier to store and cover plywood stacked than cover a whole cabin floor. But how much savings will you get from buying now? Is it really worth the effort to store and or protect a constructed cabin deck or a pile of wood?

doglvr
Member
# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 20:41 - Edited by: doglvr
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It's about $15 a sheet cheaper right now. I need 28 sheets. So that is over $400 savings. I was hoping that it would be worth the risk being that it is so weather resistant. North Rick let me know how your floor makes out. I have a tree house that I built 15 years ago made out of 7/16 osb on the roof. I can stick my hand through it now but for the first 5 years it was pretty solid. Brettny, I was going to use PT 2x10 and make beams for the girters and KD for the joists. Was worried that the KD joists wouldn't hold up very well. Could they handle a winter?

doglvr
Member
# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 06:39 - Edited by: doglvr
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As pointed out in my previous posts, I have several Hemlock trees that need felling. Brettny, I like your suggestion of doing the girters and joists and putting the plywood down next year. I was going to use PT and kiln dried for ease of use. But those big Hemlock I am thinking would be great for a subfloor. Would it be ok to mill up the Hemlock for girders and joists and put down green this year? I know Hemlock weathers well but wasn't sure how big the shrinkage would be for a subfloor. Also not sure if Hemlock beams would last as long as PT beams?

ICC
Member
# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 09:00
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Girder, not girter. sigh....

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 09:09
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If your going to use green lumber I would not put the plywood down until next year. This will allow for any adjustments prior to subfloor.

normal KD lumber will survive a winter no problem. I have deck boards on a trailer that are normal 2x6 KD that are 8yrs old and solid.

PT tends to be very wet and when drys can twist really bad so once you get that lumber make the girters and screw/bolt them together fast.

doglvr
Member
# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 09:23 - Edited by: doglvr
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Anyone have any experience using hemlock as GIRDERS and floor joists and letting them set for a year? I have read that dry hemlock is almost impenetrable once it dries. Worried that plywood would be really difficult to put down over hemlock.

NorthRick
Member
# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 13:08
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Quoting: doglvr
North Rick let me know how your floor makes out. I have a tree house that I built 15 years ago made out of 7/16 osb on the roof. I can stick my hand through it now but for the first 5 years it was pretty solid.


I went with plywood vs OSB because I knew it was going to be exposed for a while. I hope to have a roof over it this summer.

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