The golf ball technique: Like all persepctive home buyers, you have a housing inspector go through to “certify” the house. I watch him use a golf ball on the concrete sidewalk and driveway, checking to see if the concrete and pavement was still solid. I figured the theory should be the same with the sub-flooring.

I can imagine that after 40-50 shots with the ramset, you would be quite tired! Did you think of the golf ball technique on your own or did you find that on a site? Its a very nifty idea.

Everyone Else-

Check out 4KM’s new slate tile floor in their kitchen. It looks great.

To answer your question: We had to lay plywood sheathing on the floor in order to raise the floor approximately 3/4″. Because we are on a slab foundation, I had to devise a plan to run power to the island and island cooktop. Short of chiseling a channel in the foundation, it was much easier to simply lay plywood directly on the floor. I was able to leave a 1″ channel space that allowed me enough room for one 12/2 and one 8/3 cable.
I purchased a Ramset RS22 and it made the job a breeze. I used yellow charges with 1 1/2″ nails. My only complaint was after about 40-50 charges, my hands became sore from the recoil. And, yes, I wore gloves :).
After applying heavy duty construction adhesive (PL375) to each board, I placed nails about 12-14 inches apart. I gave the glue about 2-3 days to drive and then walked around bouncing a golf ball on the sub-floor looking for hallow spots. I did find a few and added nails as needed.
Overall, I loved the Ramset and would recommend one. A must have for the DIYer!

Also, thanks for stopping by The Box House