Where to start/lay first row, upstairs and downstairs...

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

They are all back in the UK, i moved here to the USA exactly 2 years ago today!

I have a lot of friends in the US but they are all spread over the country.

Yeah have knee pads:) i'll get them back off the wife!

,lol

JIMMIEM · **Joined:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:05 pm **Posts:** 675

fcat wrote:

They are all back in the UK, i moved here to the USA exactly 2 years ago today!

I have a lot of friends in the US but they are all spread over the country.

Yeah have knee pads:) i'll get them back off the wife!

,lol

Happy 2 year anniversary and a belated welcome to the USA.
If the friends knew what you needed help with they probably would have been busy anyway.

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

Question, the details with the flooring say to open the boxes in the room to let it acclimatize, is there any reason i can rack it all ready on the floor and let it acclimatize that way before laying it ?

JIMMIEM · **Joined:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:05 pm **Posts:** 675

fcat wrote:

Question, the details with the flooring say to open the boxes in the room to let it acclimatize, is there any reason i can rack it all ready on the floor and let it acclimatize that way before laying it ?

The idea is to let the wood be exposed to the climate in the area where it will spend the rest of its life. The more air circulation the better so what you want to do will be fine. But not on a concrete floor.

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

JIMMIEM wrote:

fcat wrote:

Question, the details with the flooring say to open the boxes in the room to let it acclimatize, is there any reason i can rack it all ready on the floor and let it acclimatize that way before laying it ?

The idea is to let the wood be exposed to the climate in the area where it will spend the rest of its life. The more air circulation the better so what you want to do will be fine. But not on a concrete floor.

Great thanks, at the moment its stacked 4 pieces high in the open boxes as you can see in the picture so racking it out on the floor is definitely going to get more air around each piece!

Pete A. · **Joined:** Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:02 am **Posts:** 1732

Be sure to check to see how flat the sub-floor is. Your warrantee may depend on it.There are few floors that start out flat enough for laying hardwood.

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

Will do thanks, I'm gonna take the wood out of the room today to start racking it all and will check for level when the floors clear.

Question, on my first row which buts up/is part of the door threshold, i realize it doesn't really matter if its a single piece or two pieces that scans the threshold, however where i finish at the doorway on the opposite side of the hall way is it best to have a single piece that scans the entire threshold or do it in two pieces ? (i realized i may be governed slightly by where i put the join on the row before) i was just wondering for ease of getting two pieces in and butted together or one piece in. Im starting my first row on the right wall and working to the left, tongue facing the left will change direction in the threshold on the right (see pic below)

Been trying to plan it out this morning and will be chalking a line 12" away from the wall then measuring back to the wall and chalking again.

JIMMIEM · **Joined:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:05 pm **Posts:** 675

fcat wrote:

Will do thanks, I'm gonna take the wood out of the room today to start racking it all and will check for level when the floors clear.

Question, on my first row which buts up/is part of the door threshold, i realize it doesn't really matter if its a single piece or two pieces that scans the threshold, however where i finish at the doorway on the opposite side of the hall way is it best to have a single piece that scans the entire threshold or do it in two pieces ? (i realized i may be governed slightly by where i put the join on the row before) i was just wondering for ease of getting two pieces in and butted together or one piece in. Im starting my first row on the right wall and working to the left, tongue facing the left will change direction in the threshold on the right (see pic below)

Been trying to plan it out this morning and will be chalking a line 12" away from the wall then measuring back to the wall and chalking again.

I assume you are going to undercut the door jambs and door trim and slide the flooring under. I would try and span both doorways, if possible. End butt joints are a potential squeak source if tongue and groove milling is not spot on. I think it looks better with no joints in the doorways and a minimal number in the area of doors, which are high traffic areas.
Hallway 36" wide? I see 7 boards (4 3/4" wide). I'd put in 8 boards. Let them flow into the doorway and notch to leave expansion gap against walls and under the door trim.

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

JIMMIEM wrote:

fcat wrote:

Will do thanks, I'm gonna take the wood out of the room today to start racking it all and will check for level when the floors clear.

Question, on my first row which buts up/is part of the door threshold, i realize it doesn't really matter if its a single piece or two pieces that scans the threshold, however where i finish at the doorway on the opposite side of the hall way is it best to have a single piece that scans the entire threshold or do it in two pieces ? (i realized i may be governed slightly by where i put the join on the row before) i was just wondering for ease of getting two pieces in and butted together or one piece in. Im starting my first row on the right wall and working to the left, tongue facing the left will change direction in the threshold on the right (see pic below)

Been trying to plan it out this morning and will be chalking a line 12" away from the wall then measuring back to the wall and chalking again.

I assume you are going to undercut the door jambs and door trim and slide the flooring under. I would try and span both doorways, if possible. End butt joints are a potential squeak source if tongue and groove milling is not spot on. I think it looks better with no joints in the doorways and a minimal number in the area of doors, which are high traffic areas.
Hallway 36" wide? I see 7 boards (4 3/4" wide). I'd put in 8 boards. Let them flow into the doorway and notch to leave expansion gap against walls and under the door trim.

I am indeed going to cut the jambs, most are actually already done.

Yup 36" hallway and 4 3/4 boards, i was looking at it again and thought of maybe starting with a full board on the right hand side and that would leave me with about a 2" board along the left that i will have to rip down. Doing it the way i have set it out in the picture while each end board will be equal (bout 4") i am creating a lot more work for myself by having to rip the boards for each side of the hallway. I don think the 2" down the left hand side will look bad at all. Thoughts ?

JIMMIEM · **Joined:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:05 pm **Posts:** 675

fcat wrote:

JIMMIEM wrote:

fcat wrote:

Will do thanks, I'm gonna take the wood out of the room today to start racking it all and will check for level when the floors clear.

Question, on my first row which buts up/is part of the door threshold, i realize it doesn't really matter if its a single piece or two pieces that scans the threshold, however where i finish at the doorway on the opposite side of the hall way is it best to have a single piece that scans the entire threshold or do it in two pieces ? (i realized i may be governed slightly by where i put the join on the row before) i was just wondering for ease of getting two pieces in and butted together or one piece in. Im starting my first row on the right wall and working to the left, tongue facing the left will change direction in the threshold on the right (see pic below)

Been trying to plan it out this morning and will be chalking a line 12" away from the wall then measuring back to the wall and chalking again.

I assume you are going to undercut the door jambs and door trim and slide the flooring under. I would try and span both doorways, if possible. End butt joints are a potential squeak source if tongue and groove milling is not spot on. I think it looks better with no joints in the doorways and a minimal number in the area of doors, which are high traffic areas.
Hallway 36" wide? I see 7 boards (4 3/4" wide). I'd put in 8 boards. Let them flow into the doorway and notch to leave expansion gap against walls and under the door trim.

I am indeed going to cut the jambs, most are actually already done.

Yup 36" hallway and 4 3/4 boards, i was looking at it again and thought of maybe starting with a full board on the right hand side and that would leave me with about a 2" board along the left that i will have to rip down. Doing it the way i have set it out in the picture while each end board will be equal (bout 4") i am creating a lot more work for myself by having to rip the boards for each side of the hallway. I don think the 2" down the left hand side will look bad at all. Thoughts ?

That'll work. Can you rip the left side board to 2" but notch the section that spans the door opening so that you get the full 4 3/4" in the doorway?

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

Yup looks like i can rip the boards 2" and doe the threshold in one piece

Have just done my first racking, it will all be pushed up to the right hand wall and then the ripped pieces down the left. its not an easy wood to do due to it being a very short leaf wood.

Looks like the strip will be dead on 2" will be saving a 4ft long one to notch and put in the threshold.

This s the first time I've racked any wood, Id love for people to be critical if it doesn't look right:) i want it right:) I've tried and stuck to 10" between joins

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

I re racked it, got rid of the ladder look in a couple of places.

Gonna start nailing it down tomorrow:)

JIMMIEM · **Joined:** Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:05 pm **Posts:** 675

fcat wrote:

I re racked it, got rid of the ladder look in a couple of places.

Gonna start nailing it down tomorrow:)

Ladder look i.e. 'H' joints?
Watch the stair step/lightening bolts too....or is that what you called the ladder look?
Watch out for boards that have a color that does not match.

fcat · **Joined:** Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:23 am **Posts:** 30

JIMMIEM wrote:

fcat wrote:

I re racked it, got rid of the ladder look in a couple of places.

Gonna start nailing it down tomorrow:)

Ladder look i.e. 'H' joints?
Watch the stair step/lightening bolts too....or is that what you called the ladder look?
Watch out for boards that have a color that does not match.

Yeah sorry thats what i meant, step/lightening bolts!

Will keep an eye on the colors

thanks again

Ken Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:31 am

This may help further...

Surprised your didn't find it earlier. Harder to do with the shorter pieces you have

http://www.uptownfloors.com/installation/racking.htm

Where to start/lay first row, upstairs and downstairs...

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