Pardon my ignorance.
We’re getting to finishing up phase II of the addition/remodel at my own place which consists of the remodel/gut of the first floor layout. I need to pick up the hardwood flooring where it left off in the old hallway and carry it down the hallway and into the open traffic area at the base of the new stairs/entrance to FR.
The last course I need to tie into is groove side out, with the tongue side facing towards the old work which we’re keeping. In other words I need to pick up and install in the opposite direction of the original installation.
In case you can’t tell, I’ve never installed hardwood flooring before. LOL. So do I just face nail the first course with tongue facing forward, and then proceed from there with the flooring nailer? Or should I rip a course of double tongued pieces? The thing I have going for me is that where I pick up the flooring is right in a hallway, so the first course of new work is under 4′, so I won’t have to make my transition course across a whole room.
Probably a dumb question, but I’ve never been confused with a rocket surgeon either. 😉
Replies
I just tore up a 70-year old oak floor last weekend and was surprised to find they changed the orientation about 2' away from a wall, apparently just so it would be easier to install. The way they did it was to butt two groove sides together with a slip tongue.
BTW, here's something that puzzles me. Every single piece of that oak had a penciled mark on the back -- an arch kind of like an eyebrow, with the high side of the arch facing the tongue. I can't for the life of me figure out why. The only thing I can come up with is it was to either grade the pieces as usable or, maybe pre-milling to indicate which side of the board was to be the tongue side -- neither of which I'm buyin'. Any thoughts?
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Edited 3/22/2006 8:04 am ET by MikeHennessy
Instead ripping a extra tongue on the board you could use a spline where the two grooves meet. I have seen this done before. This will keep both boards flush and they will move together. This way you can also nail your board thru the tongue then.
A slip tongue or spline sounds like the perfect solution.
Thanks gents!View Image
Any good hardwood flooring supplier should be able to sell you spline tongue in the same hardwood for just that purpose, no need to 'invent' your own.Let's not confuse the issue with facts!
Now I'm learning something. Thanks GD.
(I always think "Grateful Dead Carpenter" when I see your name. Makes me smile)View Image
Glue the spline into the groove at one side....but not both.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
I thought it was gosh darn carpenter, something like that.
I think it is, either that or his initials, but when I see "GD", I think Grateful Dead.... and it makes me smile some.View Image
I went to a Gratefull Dead concert once, it was very surreal. Very non violent for a concert, and laid back, but obvious drug usage all over. Quite an experience.
I went to 20 or 30 shows in college. Every September they'd come to the Boston Garden and play seven nights. That was always an unbelievable week. The shows are long gone for me.... but we fill our house with the music every Sunday morning and I keep a few CD's in the truck too. It's just good music.View Image
I saw them once, in '95 or '96, they played a big stadium show. It was great because a local band Rusted Root opened for them. Pretty good band http://www.rustedroot.com/
It poured down rain the entire time. I had an extra ticket, and traded it to some dead head for a small hemp bracelet.
That's all I really remember, some strange girl dropped some liquid acid in my eye, and that was the end of my memory for a couple days.Speak the truth, or make your peace some other way.
I love Rusted Root. Forgot they were from Pittsburgh. Rusted Root is really good summer time tunes. I like the older stuff from 'Cruel Sun' and 'When I Woke' better than the newer stuff, but they still play out live really well.View Image
I remember the windowpane gel squares going in the eye but knew a not too smart aquaintence back then that took a tablet of a blue microdot in the eye once. The next day he woke up and had blue sand in the corner of the eye.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
the gd does stand for the most likely first thought you had. After all, you can never find a gdcarpenter when you need one!Let's not confuse the issue with facts!