Floating Hardwood floor (Tips?)

Depends how many guys were working on your friend's floor. I had 340 sq
ft engineered flooring installed (nail down) by one very good
installer, he took 2 1/2 days and did a great job. I put down new
baseboard myself, as I don't like the look of regular base plus 1/4
round, or shoe. Looks like someone added the shoe moulding rather than
use thicker base. My installer kept the gap at the walls at 3/8 max, so
I bought "1x2" (5/8 x 1 5/8) poplar, ripped it with the blade at an
angle and the wood run on edge and routed a 1/8 roundover on it to make
my own moulding. Only took a day to make and install, and looks much
cleaner IMHO.
Around floor registers, the lip at the edge of the register cover will
cover your cuts. BTW, if you can get matching solid wood, and really
want a nice cover, you can make your own. I had some stairs done in the
same wood, and made my own cover out of the scraps from that, makes it
blend right in with the floor.
Good luck.

"Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> "Amy L." <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I know some of those are basic questions and that putting in a floating
>> floor is not rocket science, but with putting in my own (first) floor I
>> just
>> want to do the best job I can.
>
> Sounds like you're doing things right. Take your time. I tend to use a
> jigsaw and a Johnson 12" SpeedSquare a lot. That combinations follows me
> around the room. And as Mr. Confused mentioned, most end-cuts will be
> covered.

You _are_ cutting good-side down, aren't you? puts the splinters on the bad
side. Since no one else has mentioned it, I'll remind you.

I just made new shoe moldings for my floating floor installations. The tiny
ones installed initially wouldn't reach far enough. Of course, I'm cheap,
and made all my thresholds and transitions rather than pay the horribly
inflated prices at the store. Red oak is pretty cheap by the BF. Much
cheaper than moldings.

"Amy L." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I am laying (floating) an engineered hardwood floor and so far its been
>pretty fun. Does anyone have any good tips on making things easier.

Knee pads



.
>
> [1] Glue - when the excess glue pops out between the joints what do you
> use to clean it up? I am using a damp cloth and it works well, but I feel
> like I am spending too much time ensuring there is no glue showing between
> the boards. The flooring has beveled edges so I usually run my nail along
> the edge making sure it is absolutely clean.


Use less glue. You realy need very little for a good bond so practic on
justhow muc of a bead to lay donw on the edge.


> [2] Any tips on cutting around door edges or vents in the floor for
> heat/ac?

When you say door edges, do you mean the trim? Did you cut the bottom fo
the trim with an offset saw? Makes life much easier.


> [3] Any tips on momentum - I would love to pick up some speed but it just
> seems like a slow process.

One person glues, the other sets the strip in place.


> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering to a
> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and going
> slow and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of a
> rough edge.

There should be about zero splintering with a good sharp blade. Maybe yours
is not as sharp as you think. I bought a DeWalt CMS just to do the floor
and the stock blade did a good job.

>
> I know some of those are basic questions and that putting in a floating
> floor is not rocket science, but with putting in my own (first) floor I
> just want to do the best job I can.

Take your time with the details and it will look good and you'll get a lot
of satisfaction from a job well done.

Upscale wrote:
> "Unquestionably Confused" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
>>How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
>>going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
>>transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?
>
>
> That won't help in the centre of the floor. It's not like all sections that
> run the entire length of the room, there's bound to be quite a few end cuts
> spaced all over the place.
>
> Only things I can think of are for him to experiment with some scrap pieces
> and adjust his technique to see if he can improve the quality of the end
> cuts. If that doesn't help, next I'd have the blade sharpened. Other
> alternatives include a piece of masking tape on top of the cut line or a
> scrap of wood on top of the cut line to prevent tear-out.

The OP is installing MANUFACTURED flooring. I'm thinking Pergo, et al.

Are not all the ends machined to interlock? Mine were. The only "raw"
ends I had were at the walls (and the island) where the cut ends were
concealed by the base molding.

> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering to a
> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and going slow
> and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of a rough
> edge.

If you can, remove what would be called a 'throat plate' if you were using a
table saw. I'm not sure if it is called the same thing on a (S)CMS. Then
replace it with a block of wood or MDF that just fits in the void. An there
you go... a zero-clearance insert that will minimize splintering.

-John

Amy L. wrote:
> I am laying (floating) an engineered hardwood floor and so far its been

> [1] Glue - when the excess glue pops out between the joints what do you use
> to clean it up? I am using a damp cloth and it works well, but I feel like
> I am spending too much time ensuring there is no glue showing between the
> boards. The flooring has beveled edges so I usually run my nail along the
> edge making sure it is absolutely clean.

Small block of wood? Run a corner of it wrapped with a single layer of
wet t-shirt or old cotton shirt along the beveled joint.

> [3] Any tips on momentum - I would love to pick up some speed but it just
> seems like a slow process.

Install it the way you want to install it - a quality job. It takes as
long as it takes. Haste makes waste.

> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering to a
> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and going slow
> and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of a rough
> edge.

How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?

> I know some of those are basic questions and that putting in a floating
> floor is not rocket science, but with putting in my own (first) floor I just
> want to do the best job I can.

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Take your time and by the time
you're done, you'll have a good floor and the knowledge to take any
shortcuts on the NEXT floor you install<g>

>> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering to a
>> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and going
>> slow and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of a
>> rough edge.
>
> How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
> going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
> transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?

100% of it is covered so far. I am not sure if any of it will be exposed.
However, I know this will sound dumb, but even though it is hidden I still
would like to keep it hidden. I guess one of my concerns is that maybe the
splintering could cause cracks down the surface of the board with the
changes in season.

Amy

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 23:58:24 -0400, "Amy L." <[email protected]>
wrote:

>>> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering to a
>>> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and going
>>> slow and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of a
>>> rough edge.
>>
>> How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
>> going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
>> transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?
>
>100% of it is covered so far. I am not sure if any of it will be exposed.
>However, I know this will sound dumb, but even though it is hidden I still
>would like to keep it hidden. I guess one of my concerns is that maybe the
>splintering could cause cracks down the surface of the board with the
>changes in season.

Engineered flooring (or most any floating flooring) is like a plywood.
There is some sort of substrate involved in addition to the money
layer. That means cracks shouldn't be a problem, and in any event, any
splintering you might get is going to be superficial, and in most
cases extremely fragile. It can't "cause" anything.

--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

In article <[email protected]>, "George" <George@least>
wrote:

> "Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > "Amy L." <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> I know some of those are basic questions and that putting in a floating
> >> floor is not rocket science, but with putting in my own (first) floor I
> >> just
> >> want to do the best job I can.
> >
> > Sounds like you're doing things right. Take your time. I tend to use a
> > jigsaw and a Johnson 12" SpeedSquare a lot. That combinations follows me
> > around the room. And as Mr. Confused mentioned, most end-cuts will be
> > covered.
>
> You _are_ cutting good-side down, aren't you? puts the splinters on the bad
> side. Since no one else has mentioned it, I'll remind you.
>
Nope. I use a 'laminate' jigsaw blade. The teeth point downward. It's a
bit hard to use at first, because the saw want to jump away from the
work, but with a SpeedSquare held 'just so' on the edge of a 12" box..it
is quite doable. I turn off the orbital function of the saw and run it
at about 1/2 speed.

> I just made new shoe moldings for my floating floor installations. The tiny
> ones installed initially wouldn't reach far enough. Of course, I'm cheap,
> and made all my thresholds and transitions rather than pay the horribly
> inflated prices at the store. Red oak is pretty cheap by the BF. Much
> cheaper than moldings.

That's not a matter of being cheap.. that's being smart. First of all,
those 'special' mouldings are 'stupid money' and secondly, the ones I
make are much nicer and better suited for the particular requirements.
I almost always have enough scrap from countertop edges lying around to
make the trim I need.

Oh, and another thing, pre-finished floors look like ....ermmm..
pre-finished? Many of them are 'balanced' by semi-transparent stains
showing normal wear and tear in an ugly way. Maybe that's just me.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Amy L." <[email protected]> wrote:

> I know some of those are basic questions and that putting in a floating
> floor is not rocket science, but with putting in my own (first) floor I just
> want to do the best job I can.

Sounds like you're doing things right. Take your time. I tend to use a
jigsaw and a Johnson 12" SpeedSquare a lot. That combinations follows me
around the room. And as Mr. Confused mentioned, most end-cuts will be
covered.
"Steady as she goes and damn the torpedoes"

On 16/10/2005 10:27 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

> The OP is installing MANUFACTURED flooring. I'm thinking Pergo, et al.
> Are not all the ends machined to interlock?

Actually he said "engineered" flooring which is not the same thing. But
it does have tongue-and-groove ends as well as sides, just like solid
hardwood and the 'manufactured' stuff.

On Sun, 16 Oct 2005 00:50:02 -0400, "Upscale" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>"Unquestionably Confused" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
>> going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
>> transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?
>
>That won't help in the centre of the floor. It's not like all sections that
>run the entire length of the room, there's bound to be quite a few end cuts
>spaced all over the place.

Uh, the ends of the boards in engineered flooring have the same joints
as the long edges. There is absolutely no reason to have end cuts
anywhere but at the edges, at a doorway, or around a register. In all
cases, the end cuts, splintered or otherwise, will be covered by
something--trim, transition strip, register.

--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

on 10/17/2005 7:37 AM Doug Payne said the following:
> On 16/10/2005 10:27 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
>
>> The OP is installing MANUFACTURED flooring. I'm thinking Pergo, et al.
>> Are not all the ends machined to interlock?
>
>
> Actually he said "engineered" flooring which is not the same thing. But
> it does have tongue-and-groove ends as well as sides, just like solid
> hardwood and the 'manufactured' stuff.

My mistake. Advise remains the same, however. No butt joints in the
flooring system - all tongue and groove so there should be no need for
any end cuts in the field.

Amy L. Wrote:
>
>
> [4] Any tips on when cutting end pieces to fit keep the splintering t
> a
> minimum? I have been using a pretty good blade (100T 12inch) and goin
> slow
> and this has been working good, but occasionally I do get a bit of
> rough
> edge.
>
> Amy

Which side are you cutting from? IIRC you should normally cut undersid
face up when using a powersaw or a tenon saw. You cut finish face u
when using a panel saw or a reverse cut jigsaw blade

--
tricky

"LRod" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Uh, the ends of the boards in engineered flooring have the same joints
> as the long edges. There is absolutely no reason to have end cuts
> anywhere but at the edges, at a doorway, or around a register. In all
> cases, the end cuts, splintered or otherwise, will be covered by
> something--trim, transition strip, register.

Ok my mistake, obviously my knowledge of engineered flooring is limited. I'd
have to agree then that quarter round or baseboard of some type would be
amply sufficient to cover any minor tearout.

> Use less glue. You realy need very little for a good bond so practic on
> justhow muc of a bead to lay donw on the edge.

This will def. take practice - as I have no real idea on how much is too
much or too little. I would hate to not use enough and have issues with
that..

>> [2] Any tips on cutting around door edges or vents in the floor for
>> heat/ac?
>
> When you say door edges, do you mean the trim? Did you cut the bottom fo
> the trim with an offset saw? Makes life much easier.

I removed the molding in the whole room and bought a dovetail saw to cut off
the bottom of the wood that trims the inside threshold between the rooms so
the floor would fit nicely under it. So I take it I am on the right track
here.

> Take your time with the details and it will look good and you'll get a lot
> of satisfaction from a job well done.

One of my friends had an installer do there install. It took the installers
probably 3-4 hours to slam in 250sq feet. That's just amazing... In 4
hours I had 4 rows of 3 1/2" flooring with only 30 more rows to go...

Amy

"Unquestionably Confused" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> How is this a problem with end cuts? Just how much splintering are you
> going to get that won't be hidden by the base and quarter round or
> transitional T-pieces or nosing at the perimeter of the job?

That won't help in the centre of the floor. It's not like all sections that
run the entire length of the room, there's bound to be quite a few end cuts
spaced all over the place.

Only things I can think of are for him to experiment with some scrap pieces
and adjust his technique to see if he can improve the quality of the end
cuts. If that doesn't help, next I'd have the blade sharpened. Other
alternatives include a piece of masking tape on top of the cut line or a
scrap of wood on top of the cut line to prevent tear-out.