I am installing pre-finished 3/4 inch X 2 1/4 inch red oak flooring. The room is 14X14 with a 6 foot long entrance hall coming off one side. The entrance hall is 3 to 4 feet wide.
The wood flooring runs length-wise (end on end) from the back of the room to the entrance hall, and will continue running length-wise through the entrance hall.
I have laid the wood from the side of the room and I am now up to the hall. I need to run the first course into the hall, and have no guide for keeping the course straight.
My question is how to lay the first course so that it runs straight through the hall to the door. I am defining straight as in one line from the courses already laid in the room. The laid courses are pretty square to the room (1/8 error from my imperfect measurements)
My first option is to project a line using my 6 foot straight edge. The line would be projected off of the tongue end of the course. I would have to walk the line in 2 or three foot increments to keep the straight edge lined up. Even this method might have error as the line projected is based on the last 3 feet of the room courses, and not the full 14 feet. Also, there could be error every time I move the straight edge.
My other option might be with a chalk line. Not sure how to do it though. Any great tips would help immensely.
Thanks,
Ted
ps
I will also have to strip the first course an inch thinner due to the the lay of that course against the hallway wall. I think I can manage this.
Replies
Measure off the edge of the already laid flooring.
Start at the room end and make a mark-say an inch away.
Go to the opening and make another mark an inch (the same as the first mark) away from the edge.
Take your chalk line and fasten to a nail at the first mark, project through the second mark and pluck it at the end of the hall.
You'll need two people to do it right. (unless adept at sighting and moving the mark up the hall).
The other person will tell you to move left or right till the line ends up exactly over your second mark.
Make sure the line doesn't get hung up on the floor. You might have to elevate it a bit to keep it from draging.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
I was able to do this, but it took everyone in the house. Wife at the one end of the chalk line, daughter at the other, I eyeballed the middle mark, and had son snap the line.It looks good. Everything measures within 1/16, probably half that. I laid my wood and cut out around the wall, and undercut the door jamb to the height of this wood strip. the next piece spans across a door way from hinge side to latch side. the doorway leads to the bathroom. tile is 1/2 inch high. hard wood is 3/4. I can pick up an L shaped transition piece that will but up against the tile, and rise above the hardwood, overlapping it. some questions. do I undercut the door jamb in order to slide the transition piece under the jamb? or do I just cut out the door stop that is on the door jamb? If the former, I have to cut the jamb in multiple angles to match the transition piece, else a hole is created. The latter seems the right way to go. Does this make sense?I have the same issue where I will use a T transition piece to span from the hardwood to a same height floor.
Edited 10/8/2009 7:40 pm ET by yelkenli
Glad it worked out for you.
Yes, cut the stop, butt to the jamb with the transition.
Nicely figgered out.
Come back with a picture or two-thought you'd fallen off the earth after my first response.
Best of luck.
I'm used to doing things like the straight-lining myself, I work alone. But, nothing like a family doing it together to get that good feeling going.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/