Finishing our house in Zhongshan

[chilton747]

Actually, she did this in 3 weeks and the cost was approx 4 grand USD. She is one smart woman and she knows how to get things done (in China of course).

 

She had some very good ideas about our fixer upper that saved me from having to replumb the entire house.

 

Atlanta ain't no purdy country. But a couple of hours north is almost heaven on earth.

 

Dang! We're spending $4000USD just for the floor tiles!

 

 

OUCH!! I reckon them some mitey fancy floor tiles.

[Randy W]

Actually, she did this in 3 weeks and the cost was approx 4 grand USD. She is one smart woman and she knows how to get things done (in China of course).

 

She had some very good ideas about our fixer upper that saved me from having to replumb the entire house.

 

Atlanta ain't no purdy country. But a couple of hours north is almost heaven on earth.

 

Dang! We're spending $4000USD just for the floor tiles!

 

 

 

 

OUCH!! I reckon them some mitey fancy floor tiles.

They're around 200-300RMB per sq meter - seems to be a typical rate here

Edited June 20, 2010 by Randy W (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Actually, she did this in 3 weeks and the cost was approx 4 grand USD. She is one smart woman and she knows how to get things done (in China of course).

 

She had some very good ideas about our fixer upper that saved me from having to replumb the entire house.

 

Atlanta ain't no purdy country. But a couple of hours north is almost heaven on earth.

 

Dang! We're spending $4000USD just for the floor tiles!

 

 

OUCH!! I reckon them some mitey fancy floor tiles.

 

Dang!!! Randy, I hope none of them wood floor tiles warp from the humidity down yonder. I'd be runnin' a couple of dehumidifiers 24/7.

 

Jes kiddin', I know you will be fine. What are you going with? When you say wooden floor tiles, I think of those one foot square tiles we used to see a lot in America. What type wood are you using and how thick?

 

I used to be an IICRC senior certified flooring inspector in another life...oh man, did I ever see wood floor problems, and law suits. Typically the installer didn't give the flooring time to acclimate, installed it with too high of a moisture content (or too low), or, I'd go into the complaining homeowners home, take moisture readings on the interior air, do a few penetrating (and non-penetrating) moisture detection samples on the flooring and just shake my head. Some of those cupped and warped floors might as well have been underwater they we so moisture laden, just from the humidity in the interior air...lots of wood sucks up moisture like a sponge...well, more slowly but likewise.

 

Being an inspector, I had to be careful what I said to the homeowner...feared for my life with some folks...just told them I had to do some "AP" additional processing or "AR" additional review (like some blue slipping visa officer ) before I could make my report.

 

Rare was it the product's fault, often it was interior moisture of the homes structure, or an acclimation problem before installation.

 

My wife went with "engineered" wood flooring (say Pergo) for our living areas. I was amazed when I saw it and lived with it...for some reason the Chinese version doesn't have the bounce and movement of what I saw of Pergo, Shaw, and the midrid others who manufacture engineered flooring. And it doesn't show the seams like the others...I was quite pleasantly suprised...not that we have much of moisture problem in our area...3 or 4 months of relatively mild to high humidity a year.

 

Good luck to ya.

 

tsap seui

[Randy W]

Actually, she did this in 3 weeks and the cost was approx 4 grand USD. She is one smart woman and she knows how to get things done (in China of course).

 

She had some very good ideas about our fixer upper that saved me from having to replumb the entire house.

 

Atlanta ain't no purdy country. But a couple of hours north is almost heaven on earth.

 

Dang! We're spending $4000USD just for the floor tiles!

 

OUCH!! I reckon them some mitey fancy floor tiles.

 

Dang!!! Randy, I hope none of them wood floor tiles warp from the humidity down yonder. I'd be runnin' a couple of dehumidifiers 24/7.

 

Jes kiddin', I know you will be fine. What are you going with? When you say wooden floor tiles, I think of those one foot square tiles we used to see a lot in America. What type wood are you using and how thick?

 

I used to be an IICRC senior certified flooring inspector in another life...oh man, did I ever see wood floor problems, and law suits. Typically the installer didn't give the flooring time to acclimate, installed it with too high of a moisture content (or too low), or, I'd go into the complaining homeowners home, take moisture readings on the interior air, do a few penetrating (and non-penetrating) moisture detection samples on the flooring and just shake my head. Some of those cupped and warped floors might as well have been underwater they we so moisture laden, just from the humidity in the interior air...lots of wood sucks up moisture like a sponge...well, more slowly but likewise.

 

Being an inspector, I had to be careful what I said to the homeowner...feared for my life with some folks...just told them I had to do some "AP" additional processing or "AR" additional review (like some blue slipping visa officer ) before I could make my report.

 

Rare was it the product's fault, often it was interior moisture of the homes structure, or an acclimation problem before installation.

 

My wife went with "engineered" wood flooring (say Pergo) for our living areas. I was amazed when I saw it and lived with it...for some reason the Chinese version doesn't have the bounce and movement of what I saw of Pergo, Shaw, and the midrid others who manufacture engineered flooring. And it doesn't show the seams like the others...I was quite pleasantly suprised...not that we have much of moisture problem in our area...3 or 4 months of relatively mild to high humidity a year.

 

Good luck to ya.

 

tsap seui

 

 

Thanky there, tsapper!

 

The tiles are about an inch thick in ~3 inch wide strips. I've heard the horror stories in the US, but I haven't seen any. The ones I've seen here all look good, including some commercial establishments.

 

Chinese people tend to think of the A/C as being either ON (16C and EXPENSIVE) or OFF (30C), so the outside humidity is definitely a factor. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Jiaying knows what she's doing, since I can't fully participate. I did weigh in on the plywood construction vs. solid wood, though. Which wood would be better with regards to the humidity?

[tsap seui]

 

Thanky there, tsapper!

 

The tiles are about an inch thick in ~3 inch wide strips. I've heard the horror stories in the US, but I haven't seen any. The ones I've seen here all look good, including some commercial establishments.

 

Chinese people tend to think of the A/C as being either ON (16C and EXPENSIVE) or OFF (30C), so the outside humidity is definitely a factor. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Jiaying knows what she's doing, since I can't fully participate. I did weigh in on the plywood construction vs. solid wood, though. Which wood would be better with regards to the humidity?

 

http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/woodwater6.html

 

Randy, here is a link to one site wood flooring. I hope you can get it as it will give you in a matter of minutes what it would take me a year to write. It is loaded with questions and answers.

 

You've got a right tidy investment going into your floors. You say tiles, and that confuses me...are they random lenght planks that are roughly 3" wide by 7/8" tall? Or are they actual tiles maybe 12X12 inch wide?

 

I'll try to briefly explain some basics. Real wood is gonna swell and contract by it's width....not by it's length. All real wood is gonna swell and contract with the relative humidity in your home...it's the nature of the beast and it's the way it was grown in mother nature...it still has the capillaries in it that it had when it was part of a tree, there is no way to stop it from absorbing moisture, and losing it. It is a hydroscopic material, which is only a fancy word for "water loving"....if there is moisture in the air, it's gonna slowly suck it up.

 

If what you have is the planks they need to be left in your home 2 weeks to fully acclimate to your home, before installation.

 

Your home is brand new and the moisture content in green concrete is WAY up there. A good moisture barrier needs to be installed...like 15 pound felt paper.

 

If you can keep your home in the 30-45% humidity level it would be best, and, at around the same temperature that you are comfortable with, as the temp greatly affects the effects of humidity.

 

I wish I could tell you the best type of wood to use, there may be one specific type that someone more intelligent than me could tell you...it's been 7 years since I was in the inspection industry.

 

I can tell you that an engineered wood flooring has 4 levels of wood and is constructed with each level put together at 90 degrees to each other in an attempt to let the different angles help the flooring to fight itself from swelling and contracting.

 

Randy, my purpose isn't to scare you, but sometimes, the more you know, the scarier it can be. If you are seeing products that have been installed for awhile and look good on sustained humidity days with no dehu's to help keep the humidity down, then I'd go with what they used, and not lose any sleep over it.

 

In america, they don't even recommend putting wood flooring in humid areas like basements and over concrete unless the concrete has had a moisture content test. I was astounded at the amount of moisture concrete puts off.

 

As I said before, you should be okay, yore in China, go with a dealer and his installers your wife trusts. Try and talk to someone who has what you're looking for installed in their business or home, where you can see what they used, and can look at it on sustained high humidity days. I know lil' rabbit asked many questions and demanded to see finished work and products that the dealer had installed in folks homes before she used them, I'll bet your wife is the same.

 

Good luck buddy.

 

Now, let me axe you a bafflin' question from a check writin' dummy....should I send in two checks with the name of lil' rabbit on one and bubba, J.R. on the other, when I send this CR-1 and CR-2 app in tomorrow morning, or will just one check with both their names on it suffice?

 

 

tsap seui

 

All those times I was in Vegas, I never gambled or had the time to goof off, I was head over heels in schools with gurus in my industry.

[warpedbored]

The most stable wood as far as expansion and contraction across the grain is quartersawn. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-quartersawn-wood.htm The more straight up and down the grain is on the end of the board the more stable it is. Tsap, what about bamboo flooring? Since it isn't real wood instead of capillaries it has almost round tubes. There isn't any real grain to expand and contract and the since it's put together much like plywood it should be fairly stable.

[chilton747]

 

 

I'll try to briefly explain some basics. Real wood is gonna swell and contract by it's width....not by it's length.

 

If what you have is the planks they need to be left in your home 2 weeks to fully acclimate to your home, before installation.

 

 

 

 

 

I can tell you that an engineered wood flooring has 4 levels of wood and is constructed with each level put together at 90 degrees to each other in an attempt to let the different angles help the flooring to fight itself from swelling and contracting.

 

 

It's all in the grain direction. Wood fibers grow fatter width wise than length wise, sorta like rice does. Perhaps a short grain plank will help if you can find one. The 90 degree thing would be best.

[Randy W]

 

Thanky there, tsapper!

 

The tiles are about an inch thick in ~3 inch wide strips. I've heard the horror stories in the US, but I haven't seen any. The ones I've seen here all look good, including some commercial establishments.

 

Chinese people tend to think of the A/C as being either ON (16C and EXPENSIVE) or OFF (30C), so the outside humidity is definitely a factor. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Jiaying knows what she's doing, since I can't fully participate. I did weigh in on the plywood construction vs. solid wood, though. Which wood would be better with regards to the humidity?

 

http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/woodwater6.html

 

Randy, here is a link to one site wood flooring. I hope you can get it as it will give you in a matter of minutes what it would take me a year to write. It is loaded with questions and answers.

 

You've got a right tidy investment going into your floors. You say tiles, and that confuses me...are they random lenght planks that are roughly 3" wide by 7/8" tall? Or are they actual tiles maybe 12X12 inch wide?

 

I'll try to briefly explain some basics. Real wood is gonna swell and contract by it's width....not by it's length. All real wood is gonna swell and contract with the relative humidity in your home...it's the nature of the beast and it's the way it was grown in mother nature...it still has the capillaries in it that it had when it was part of a tree, there is no way to stop it from absorbing moisture, and losing it. It is a hydroscopic material, which is only a fancy word for "water loving"....if there is moisture in the air, it's gonna slowly suck it up.

 

If what you have is the planks they need to be left in your home 2 weeks to fully acclimate to your home, before installation.

 

Your home is brand new and the moisture content in green concrete is WAY up there. A good moisture barrier needs to be installed...like 15 pound felt paper.

 

If you can keep your home in the 30-45% humidity level it would be best, and, at around the same temperature that you are comfortable with, as the temp greatly affects the effects of humidity.

 

I wish I could tell you the best type of wood to use, there may be one specific type that someone more intelligent than me could tell you...it's been 7 years since I was in the inspection industry.

 

I can tell you that an engineered wood flooring has 4 levels of wood and is constructed with each level put together at 90 degrees to each other in an attempt to let the different angles help the flooring to fight itself from swelling and contracting.

 

Randy, my purpose isn't to scare you, but sometimes, the more you know, the scarier it can be. If you are seeing products that have been installed for awhile and look good on sustained humidity days with no dehu's to help keep the humidity down, then I'd go with what they used, and not lose any sleep over it.

 

In america, they don't even recommend putting wood flooring in humid areas like basements and over concrete unless the concrete has had a moisture content test. I was astounded at the amount of moisture concrete puts off.

 

As I said before, you should be okay, yore in China, go with a dealer and his installers your wife trusts. Try and talk to someone who has what you're looking for installed in their business or home, where you can see what they used, and can look at it on sustained high humidity days. I know lil' rabbit asked many questions and demanded to see finished work and products that the dealer had installed in folks homes before she used them, I'll bet your wife is the same.

 

Good luck buddy.

 

Now, let me axe you a bafflin' question from a check writin' dummy....should I send in two checks with the name of lil' rabbit on one and bubba, J.R. on the other, when I send this CR-1 and CR-2 app in tomorrow morning, or will just one check with both their names on it suffice?

 

 

tsap seui

 

All those times I was in Vegas, I never gambled or had the time to goof off, I was head over heels in schools with gurus in my industry.

 

 

They are the 3" wide things, with tongue and groove joints. The kitchen and bathroom will have ceramic tiles. She says people here are VERY helpful and will steer you in the right direction - that does seem to be the case.

 

We had hardwood floors when I lived near Galveston Bay - year-round humidity was right at 90%, and we generally didn't use the A/C. No problems.

 

 

 

It's always safest to send two, but I figured someone who's been there would have chimed in by now.

[chilton747]

 

Thanky there, tsapper!

 

The tiles are about an inch thick in ~3 inch wide strips. I've heard the horror stories in the US, but I haven't seen any. The ones I've seen here all look good, including some commercial establishments.

 

Chinese people tend to think of the A/C as being either ON (16C and EXPENSIVE) or OFF (30C), so the outside humidity is definitely a factor. Keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Jiaying knows what she's doing, since I can't fully participate. I did weigh in on the plywood construction vs. solid wood, though. Which wood would be better with regards to the humidity?

 

http://www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/woodwater6.html

 

Randy, here is a link to one site wood flooring. I hope you can get it as it will give you in a matter of minutes what it would take me a year to write. It is loaded with questions and answers.

 

You've got a right tidy investment going into your floors. You say tiles, and that confuses me...are they random lenght planks that are roughly 3" wide by 7/8" tall? Or are they actual tiles maybe 12X12 inch wide?

 

I'll try to briefly explain some basics. Real wood is gonna swell and contract by it's width....not by it's length. All real wood is gonna swell and contract with the relative humidity in your home...it's the nature of the beast and it's the way it was grown in mother nature...it still has the capillaries in it that it had when it was part of a tree, there is no way to stop it from absorbing moisture, and losing it. It is a hydroscopic material, which is only a fancy word for "water loving"....if there is moisture in the air, it's gonna slowly suck it up.

 

If what you have is the planks they need to be left in your home 2 weeks to fully acclimate to your home, before installation.

 

Your home is brand new and the moisture content in green concrete is WAY up there. A good moisture barrier needs to be installed...like 15 pound felt paper.

 

If you can keep your home in the 30-45% humidity level it would be best, and, at around the same temperature that you are comfortable with, as the temp greatly affects the effects of humidity.

 

I wish I could tell you the best type of wood to use, there may be one specific type that someone more intelligent than me could tell you...it's been 7 years since I was in the inspection industry.

 

I can tell you that an engineered wood flooring has 4 levels of wood and is constructed with each level put together at 90 degrees to each other in an attempt to let the different angles help the flooring to fight itself from swelling and contracting.

 

Randy, my purpose isn't to scare you, but sometimes, the more you know, the scarier it can be. If you are seeing products that have been installed for awhile and look good on sustained humidity days with no dehu's to help keep the humidity down, then I'd go with what they used, and not lose any sleep over it.

 

In america, they don't even recommend putting wood flooring in humid areas like basements and over concrete unless the concrete has had a moisture content test. I was astounded at the amount of moisture concrete puts off.

 

As I said before, you should be okay, yore in China, go with a dealer and his installers your wife trusts. Try and talk to someone who has what you're looking for installed in their business or home, where you can see what they used, and can look at it on sustained high humidity days. I know lil' rabbit asked many questions and demanded to see finished work and products that the dealer had installed in folks homes before she used them, I'll bet your wife is the same.

 

Good luck buddy.

 

Now, let me axe you a bafflin' question from a check writin' dummy....should I send in two checks with the name of lil' rabbit on one and bubba, J.R. on the other, when I send this CR-1 and CR-2 app in tomorrow morning, or will just one check with both their names on it suffice?

 

 

tsap seui

 

All those times I was in Vegas, I never gambled or had the time to goof off, I was head over heels in schools with gurus in my industry.

 

 

They are the 3" wide things, with tongue and groove joints. The kitchen and bathroom will have ceramic tiles. She says people here are VERY helpful and will steer you in the right direction - that does seem to be the case.

 

We had hardwood floors when I lived near Galveston Bay - year-round humidity was right at 90%, and we generally didn't use the A/C. No problems.

 

 

 

It's always safest to send two, but I figured someone who's been there would have chimed in by now.

 

Do you know what wood the 3" wide things are made of?

[Randy W]

Do you know what wood the 3" wide things are made of?

 

Nope!

[chilton747]

Do you know what wood the 3" wide things are made of?

 

Nope!

 

If you find out then let us know. I am very curious about this.

[tsap seui]

 

 

They are the 3" wide things, with tongue and groove joints. The kitchen and bathroom will have ceramic tiles. She says people here are VERY helpful and will steer you in the right direction - that does seem to be the case.

 

We had hardwood floors when I lived near Galveston Bay - year-round humidity was right at 90%, and we generally didn't use the A/C. No problems.

 

 

 

It's always safest to send two, but I figured someone who's been there would have chimed in by now.

 

Thanks, that was what my partner in hillbilly life told me on the phone. I'll send them two checks.

 

I agree, you aren't going to have a problem. And I gotta admit, you are a better man than me, I can't stand that type of humidity...and with no A/C...my ol' floppy Aussie hat is off to ya.

 

tsap seui

[Randy W]

 

 

They are the 3" wide things, with tongue and groove joints. The kitchen and bathroom will have ceramic tiles. She says people here are VERY helpful and will steer you in the right direction - that does seem to be the case.

 

We had hardwood floors when I lived near Galveston Bay - year-round humidity was right at 90%, and we generally didn't use the A/C. No problems.

 

 

 

It's always safest to send two, but I figured someone who's been there would have chimed in by now.

 

Thanks, that was what my partner in hillbilly life told me on the phone. I'll send them two checks.

 

I agree, you aren't going to have a problem. And I gotta admit, you are a better man than me, I can't stand that type of humidity...and with no A/C...my ol' floppy Aussie hat is off to ya.

 

tsap seui

 

 

Being near the bay, it was about 10 deg. cooler than in Houston. We had an attic fan which was able to draw a cool 30 mph breeze through each of the windows (and a bedroom A/C at night)

 

But, yeah, the wood doesn't seem to translate. I'll have to do some more research (prodding) there