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		Making of Floors - Course: Timberwork techniques. Instruction examples for practical vocational training (Institut für Berufliche Entwicklung, 21 p.)
			(introduction...)
			Preliminary Remarks
			Instruction Example 6.1.: Checking and Levelling of the Beams
			Instruction Example 6.2.: Laying of Mated Surfaced Deals
			Instruction Example 6.3.: Laying of Matched Surfaced Deals
			Instruction Example 6.4.: Fixing of Skirting Boards

Instruction Example 6.3.: Laying of Matched Surfaced Deals

This instruction example is a practising exercise of laying matched surfaced deals.

Material

- Surfaced deals, matched
Thickness: 24 mm
Width: 120 mm
Length: 4000 mm
- Countersunk head nails
Thickness: 3.1 mm
Length: 70 mm

Figure

Tools

Hand saw with a tooth form suitable for cross cuts, hammer, axe, plane, chisel, nail punch

Measuring and testing means

Folding rule, flat or try square

Auxiliary accessories

Trestles approximately 600 mm high, deal cramps or steel cramps, wooden wedges and pieces of planks

Sequence of operations

Comments

1. Preparing the workshop place.

Check materials and tools for completeness, trestles for supporting the boards.

2. Measuring the room at several points.

Find out whether or not the length is the same over all distances measured.

3. Transmitting the determined length to the deals less 10-15 mm for an edge strip.

If the length of the deals is the same as that of the room, 10 to 15 mm for edge strips are deducted left and right.

4. Applying a square to the marking of the length, scribing and sawing the boards off accordingly with a hand saw.

If a number of deals of equal length are required, they may be put one upon the other and sawn at a time. A square is applied to the pile of boards and an additional vertical marking is made.

5. With open nailing, removing the tongue from the first deal. With covered nailing removing the rabbet from the first deal by sawing, chopping or planing.

Rabbet is not so easily damaged when the deals are driven together. With covered nailing the nails are driven obliquely into the tongue.

6. Laying the first deal 10 - 15 mm distant from the wall - edge strip - and nailing it with two nails on each beam.

With covered nailing fix the first deal with one nail driven in vertically and one nail driven obliquely into the tongue.

7. Putting five to six deals loosely in front of the fixed deal and driving them together one by one.

In doing so, use a piece of a board or plank to protect the deals against damages.

8. Driving a steel cramp in two to three beams -according to the length of the deals - at a distance of 100 - 150 mm and putting a piece of a plank and two wooden wedges between the deal and each cramp.
Tightening the wooden wedges evenly and alternately with the hammer.

The wooden wedges are put one above the other only by their tips (20 - 30 mm).

9. Drawing with the pencil a thin nailing line on the deals - middle of the beams - nailing the deals from the front - cramps - to the rear.

The working steps of point 7 to point 9 are repeated.

10. With covered nailing, pressing the deals together one by one and fixing them on each beam with a nail which is driven in the tongue obliquely.

By the oblique nailing the deals are drawn together once again.

11. Putting the last deals in - open nailing - laying two to three deals starting from the wall and nailing them.

In doing so, the exact width of two, better four, deals must remain free between these deals and those already fixed.
The clearance must be given short measure, so that the boards are closely together.

12. Inserting the deals from above in an inclined way, putting a board across them and pressing them down.

13. With covered nailing driving wooden wedges between the last deal and the wall and pressing the deals tightly together.

Put a piece of a plank between the wooden wedges and the wall, in order to prevent the wall plaster from being damaged.

14. With open as well as with covered nailing let the nails project 1-2 mm, put the nail punch on each nail and drive it in completely, so that it is driven in 1 - 3 mm in the surface of the board.

The nail punch is used so that the surface and front edge of the tongue are not damaged. Then the holes over the nails are puttied up.

15. Cleaning the floor and removing with a plane superfluous wood that might be projecting at butts and joints.

Once again make sure that all nails are driven in correctly.

16. Final checking.

Matched surfaced deals

Sequence of operations	Comments
1. Preparing the workshop place.	Check materials and tools for completeness, trestles for supporting the boards.
2. Measuring the room at several points.	Find out whether or not the length is the same over all distances measured.
3. Transmitting the determined length to the deals less 10-15 mm for an edge strip.	If the length of the deals is the same as that of the room, 10 to 15 mm for edge strips are deducted left and right.
4. Applying a square to the marking of the length, scribing and sawing the boards off accordingly with a hand saw.	If a number of deals of equal length are required, they may be put one upon the other and sawn at a time. A square is applied to the pile of boards and an additional vertical marking is made.
5. With open nailing, removing the tongue from the first deal. With covered nailing removing the rabbet from the first deal by sawing, chopping or planing.	Rabbet is not so easily damaged when the deals are driven together. With covered nailing the nails are driven obliquely into the tongue.
6. Laying the first deal 10 - 15 mm distant from the wall - edge strip - and nailing it with two nails on each beam.	With covered nailing fix the first deal with one nail driven in vertically and one nail driven obliquely into the tongue.
7. Putting five to six deals loosely in front of the fixed deal and driving them together one by one.	In doing so, use a piece of a board or plank to protect the deals against damages.
8. Driving a steel cramp in two to three beams -according to the length of the deals - at a distance of 100 - 150 mm and putting a piece of a plank and two wooden wedges between the deal and each cramp. Tightening the wooden wedges evenly and alternately with the hammer.	The wooden wedges are put one above the other only by their tips (20 - 30 mm).
9. Drawing with the pencil a thin nailing line on the deals - middle of the beams - nailing the deals from the front - cramps - to the rear.	The working steps of point 7 to point 9 are repeated.
10. With covered nailing, pressing the deals together one by one and fixing them on each beam with a nail which is driven in the tongue obliquely.	By the oblique nailing the deals are drawn together once again.
11. Putting the last deals in - open nailing - laying two to three deals starting from the wall and nailing them.	In doing so, the exact width of two, better four, deals must remain free between these deals and those already fixed. The clearance must be given short measure, so that the boards are closely together.
12. Inserting the deals from above in an inclined way, putting a board across them and pressing them down.
13. With covered nailing driving wooden wedges between the last deal and the wall and pressing the deals tightly together.	Put a piece of a plank between the wooden wedges and the wall, in order to prevent the wall plaster from being damaged.
14. With open as well as with covered nailing let the nails project 1-2 mm, put the nail punch on each nail and drive it in completely, so that it is driven in 1 - 3 mm in the surface of the board.	The nail punch is used so that the surface and front edge of the tongue are not damaged. Then the holes over the nails are puttied up.
15. Cleaning the floor and removing with a plane superfluous wood that might be projecting at butts and joints.	Once again make sure that all nails are driven in correctly.
16. Final checking.