DR

"Dave Rathnow"

04/05/2005 10:13 PM

Hardwood flooring with tile insert questions

I would like to put in a new floor into my house that is a combination
of hardwood and with tile inserts. Each tile is framed by 3-4 inch strips
of flooring. I saw this in a couple of show homes and really liked.

Unfortunately, I can't find any information on doing this. I've laid
hardwood
and tile separately but never done anything like this.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to start? I'm not sure if I need
to use regular flooring (i.e. tounge and groove) or go with straight planks?
When should the finish to the wood be applied?

If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.


This topic has 6 replies

DR

"Dave Rathnow"

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

05/05/2005 3:56 PM

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

"Patriarch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Dave Rathnow" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:jWpee.68897$3V3.30089@edtnps89:
> <snip>
> > All the problems you pointed out are things I'm already aware of.
> > That's why I posted. I'm looking for solutions, not a restatement of
> > problems I already know.
> >
> > Never-the-less, thanks for your reply.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Dave.
>
> Since you are aware of the potential gotchas, then knock yourself out. I
> didn't accurately sense your level of craftsmanship in your original post.
>
> We get a lot of newbies through here. Some of them are in over their
head.
>
> If you're not getting the responses you need here, you might want to ask
in
> alt.home.repair
>
> Good luck with your project.
>
> Patriarch

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

04/05/2005 5:33 PM

"Dave Rathnow" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:3Obee.34342$vN2.20658@clgrps13:

> I would like to put in a new floor into my house that is a combination
> of hardwood and with tile inserts. Each tile is framed by 3-4 inch
> strips of flooring. I saw this in a couple of show homes and really
> liked.
>
> Unfortunately, I can't find any information on doing this. I've laid
> hardwood
> and tile separately but never done anything like this.
>
> Can anyone give me some advice on how to start? I'm not sure if I
> need to use regular flooring (i.e. tounge and groove) or go with
> straight planks? When should the finish to the wood be applied?
>
> If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.
>

This seems like one of those processes better suited to showing off than to
everyday living. Maintenance seems like it would be a problem.

Expansion rates differ. Rigidity differs. Surface tolerance for abrasion
differs. Adhesives _may_ differ.

I suggest that, if you are serious about the project, that you find whoever
did the show homes, and ask for a reference from someone for whom they did
a similar project 2 to 3 years ago, and go talk to that person, and see how
the project stood up.

A lot of show homes just aren't practical, IMO.

Patriarch

Pg

Patriarch

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

05/05/2005 9:50 AM

"Dave Rathnow" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:jWpee.68897$3V3.30089@edtnps89:
<snip>
> All the problems you pointed out are things I'm already aware of.
> That's why I posted. I'm looking for solutions, not a restatement of
> problems I already know.
>
> Never-the-less, thanks for your reply.
>
> Cheers,
> Dave.

Since you are aware of the potential gotchas, then knock yourself out. I
didn't accurately sense your level of craftsmanship in your original post.

We get a lot of newbies through here. Some of them are in over their head.

If you're not getting the responses you need here, you might want to ask in
alt.home.repair

Good luck with your project.

Patriarch

r

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

05/05/2005 5:56 PM

Dave Rathnow <[email protected]> wrote:

> Can anyone give me some advice on how to start? I'm not sure if I need
> to use regular flooring (i.e. tounge and groove) or go with straight planks?
> When should the finish to the wood be applied?

> If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

I have absolutely no experience with this, but that never
stopped me from having an opinion. So with that caveat I
think I would use whatever is most convenient to form the
frame (probably cut down tounge and groove, but maybe some
other trim) then install the tile after finishing the floor.

My reasoning is that you will want some sort of flexible
calk in place of grout surrounding the tile, thus allowing
for wood movement around the tile, and you can clean the
calk/grout off poly easier than off raw wood. Tile would
be glued to the subfloor with more or less standard tile
cement. Maybe get a tube of cement meant for tile repair
becuase you probably won't need more than that. The flexible
calk will be the tricky part, finding something that is
both hard enough for a floor yet has enough flex to prevent
the wood from cracking the tile in high humidity. I would
spend a lot of time reading up on calk and grout properties.

Good luck.


Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.


CS

"Charles Spitzer"

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

05/05/2005 11:32 AM


"Dave Rathnow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:3Obee.34342$vN2.20658@clgrps13...
>I would like to put in a new floor into my house that is a combination
> of hardwood and with tile inserts. Each tile is framed by 3-4 inch strips
> of flooring. I saw this in a couple of show homes and really liked.
>
> Unfortunately, I can't find any information on doing this. I've laid
> hardwood
> and tile separately but never done anything like this.
>
> Can anyone give me some advice on how to start? I'm not sure if I need
> to use regular flooring (i.e. tounge and groove) or go with straight
> planks?
> When should the finish to the wood be applied?
>
> If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

i've done it with t&g. you'd have to take off the tongue if they abut the
tile. prefinish the wood. if you're using saltillo tile, prefinish the tile
before laying it. if possible use an epoxy or silicone grout line abutting
the wood, as the wood will pull the water out of the grout and it will be
very weak there, or use a wood transition strip.

it's a pain keeping the wetmop from slopping on the wood when cleaning the
tile.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

DR

"Dave Rathnow"

in reply to "Dave Rathnow" on 04/05/2005 10:13 PM

05/05/2005 2:17 PM

And a layer of high density foam sandwiched between two sheets of
plywood would be more practical for an exterior door than one made
out of quarter sawn fir with leaded glass inserts.

I think you're missing the point of my post and probably this newsgroup
in general. I speak for myself but this probably applies to others in the
group as well: we take on these types of challenging projects because
they are interesting and they show craftsmanship. Whether for ourselves
or for others, they are satisfying. There are a lot of things we do to our
homes that are not neccessarily "practical" but are satisfying.

All the problems you pointed out are things I'm already aware of. That's
why I posted. I'm looking for solutions, not a restatement of problems
I already know.

Never-the-less, thanks for your reply.

Cheers,
Dave.

"Patriarch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Dave Rathnow" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:3Obee.34342$vN2.20658@clgrps13:
>
> > I would like to put in a new floor into my house that is a combination
> > of hardwood and with tile inserts. Each tile is framed by 3-4 inch
> > strips of flooring. I saw this in a couple of show homes and really
> > liked.
> >
> > Unfortunately, I can't find any information on doing this. I've laid
> > hardwood
> > and tile separately but never done anything like this.
> >
> > Can anyone give me some advice on how to start? I'm not sure if I
> > need to use regular flooring (i.e. tounge and groove) or go with
> > straight planks? When should the finish to the wood be applied?
> >
> > If anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.
> >
>
> This seems like one of those processes better suited to showing off than
to
> everyday living. Maintenance seems like it would be a problem.
>
> Expansion rates differ. Rigidity differs. Surface tolerance for abrasion
> differs. Adhesives _may_ differ.
>
> I suggest that, if you are serious about the project, that you find
whoever
> did the show homes, and ask for a reference from someone for whom they did
> a similar project 2 to 3 years ago, and go talk to that person, and see
how
> the project stood up.
>
> A lot of show homes just aren't practical, IMO.
>
> Patriarch


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