Question:

On Bob Villa's show "Home Again" that aired during the 'tips' section, Bob told about a wood floor that was made up of 4" slices of pine (about 3 1/2" square and about 3/4" thick) and were installed much like ceramic tiles, with mastic and grouted. I'm interested in installing that type of floor in a remodelling project and would like to know more about the process. Can you help me?

Thanks!

Answer:

Dear Lynn

I really hate to say this but I have watched Bob for years, and any time he gets into the wood floor work, his products and methods have always been less than sound. I think I remember seeing this episode and know of the floor contractor who did it. The grout he used was a finish added to sawdust. I'm quite sure this stuff will dry out and crack out over time. I wouldn't try it, unless you find someone who has had the floor down for at least 5 years. I knew something was wrong when I saw he was using only an oil finish to seal this type of floor. If these pieces move around seasonally, due to the poor finish, they will further crack the grout.

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