Hey all: moltenmetal here, after a long absence. Finally got rid of the building inspector and down to finishing touches on my addition. Thanks all for your help so far!
I’ve just completed installing prefinished hardwood in the dining room and I’m not totally satisfied with the fit of the perimeter border, and wondering if there’s a better way. It’s a pretty basic border: two rows of the main flooring (red oak) around the whole perimiter, followed by a contrasting border strip of jatoba. The main flooring boards run the length of the room. In the DR I installed the border across the width of the room at one end, ripping the tongue off the detail strip. Then I installed the flooring with groove end tight against the border at that end. I installed the flooring in one direction, measured and cut the tongue end of the last piece of each row, and drove the last piece in against the installed border piece (ie. making a running butt joint between the end grain of the main flooring against the edge grain of the border strip). But regardless how carefully I measured and cut, I ended up with more gap in the running butt joint than I was satisfied with. Invariably I’d cut one board 1/32″ too long and it would force the border strip back a hair, opening up a gap against boards already installed.
This time I was thinking it would be better to install the flooring, leaving the last board uncut (except for the first few rows), then do a guided circular saw cut along the whole joint- then install the border strip tight against the cut end.
I guess another option would be to router a rabbet at one end (again using a guide) and make a lap joint with the border piece. I guess if I did that and didn’t like it, I could just revert to my circ saw cut afterward.
Any suggestions?!
Thanks- moltenmetal
Replies
When installing hardwood in hallways, I come across the dilema of having thresholds at each end of a row. To make things even more interesting, sometimes the hallways, or thresholds are angled. I fit factory ends if possible on the ends and fit a piece in the center of a row.
With pre-finished I rabbett the cut end to fit over the tounge of the next board, file the top edge to mimic a factory end and wipe stain and varnish to match.
By fitting a board in the center of the run, its easier to get a tight fit.
"Perfect is the enemy of Good." Morrison