A Bold Look

5569 Views 41 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Tom R, Jul 29, 2009

Tom R

Discussion Starter · Jul 20, 2009 (Edited)

Here's a Mirage White Ash Engineered Floor I just installed.

Decided on the 45-look because of the curved Kitchen tile floor design, - - running them straight in either direction would have left long cuts almost resembling splinters.

I'll do the trim tomorrow or Tuesday and then later, - - maybe next weekend, - - make the custom curved strip where the wood meets the tile (more than likely out of matching White Ash).

They're happy enough with it they already want the two adjoining rooms done in it now (well, soon as they save up some more bucko's) . . .

See less See more

4

1 - 20 of 42 Posts

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #2 · Jul 20, 2009 (Edited)

Here's a look into the hallway, - - I have a header (turn-board) at each end to be symmetrical and so I can have a starter to run that room at the end of the hallway diagonal again (same direction), - - the other room off to the side will more than likely get run parallel with the hallway, - - the slowest part was fitting the last lengths running to the turnboard at the end of the hallway, - - you had to cut them to exact size and cut in new end-grooves . . .

See less See more

Leo G

· #3 · Jul 20, 2009

Guess you don't need my help, you got the hallway image up. These people into post modern looking stuff Tom? Not what I see out of you us the usual...

leakygoose

· #4 · Jul 20, 2009

Nice Job Tom ,so ya gonna rabbit out the curved trim ,oh boy .

It's to bad you couldn't have put down more underlayment to bring the flooring just a touch below the tile ,I hate putting a trim pc. to cover the transition.

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 20, 2009

Leo G said:
Guess you don't need my help, you got the hallway image up. These people into post modern looking stuff Tom? Not what I see out of you us the usual...

Yeah, I always get it up when I'm layin' white ash . . . :laughing:

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 20, 2009 (Edited)

leakygoose said:
Nice Job Tom ,so ya gonna rabbit out the curved trim ,oh boy .

It's to bad you couldn't have put down more underlayment to bring the flooring just a touch below the tile ,I hate putting a trim pc. to cover the transition.

Well, - - the tile was already there (and it has slight highs and lows), - - some spots the wood is higher and some spots the tile is higher (just a 1/16" or so at most either way). I ripped out 3/4" particle board that was under their existing carpeting and installed 5/8" plywood to get the floors to fairly even heights. There's (the original) diagonal 1 X 6's under my new plywood (opposite direction as my finish flooring).

With the slight variation in floor heights, - - I'll make the bottom of the curved strip with a very slight 'inverted-V', - - so as the screws (which will attach though the tile) can pull it tight in each respective area no matter what the floor variation.

I'd have liked to make a 'flush' curved transition strip (that the rest of the floor would lay up to), - - but the tile wasn't cut perfect enough, - - but even more importantly that method wouldn't leave any room for movement.

See less See more

neolitic

· #7 · Jul 20, 2009

Elegant solution for the curves. :thumbsup:

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 20, 2009

Thanks.

They had several people in there before me, - - every one of them told them they would have to 'square off' the tile if they were going to do the job . . .

stp57

· #9 · Jul 20, 2009

Great job Tom,
Lookin' forward to photos of the trim. So, did you have to dado the end of each 45 leading to the hallway?
Steve

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 20, 2009

stp57 said:
Great job Tom,
Lookin' forward to photos of the trim. So, did you have to dado the end of each 45 leading to the hallway?
Steve

Thanks, yes, I put a groove in each 45-end, - - but I pre-made differing lengths of them in my shop ahead of time and then just started right there in that hall-corner of the main room (starting with the hall turn-board).

My cabinet saw-blade was the exact same thickness as the grooves so I just cut my 45's first, and then ran them along the fence in the (halfway) upright position.

Then when doing the hallway, - - I started on that same turn-board (tongues into groove), - - and then with the other end's turnboard already installed (tongue facing hallway), - - I cut the necessary lengths exact and then cut the grooves on my job-site table saw, and then 'slid' each one into place as I went. Where the last one wouldn't have had room to slide I figured it to be a long enough piece where I could 'flex' it into place.

Normally I would have just used a slot-cutter on a portable router table, - - but I didn't happen to have one as thin as 1/8", - - and it was only a few cuts, - - not really worth running out and getting one.

See less See more

flyjaysun

· #11 · Jul 21, 2009

very nice job. if i understand correctly. you are going to add a curved piece of floor in between tile and wood? please do tell and show a pic of it. thank you.

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 21, 2009

Thanks, yeah, I'll show a pic of it hopefully after this weekend. I'm not even sure yet if my local wood shop has some white ash in stock right now. I'll be checking tomorrow. If not, oak might be an option, - - I'll have to see what the customer wants to do, - - same process to me no matter which kind of wood they want to go with.

J F

· #13 · Jul 21, 2009

Very interesting floor, nice job. :thumbsup: Look forward to the trim pics.

MikeNeufeld

· #14 · Jul 22, 2009

Nice Work, very interesting way of doing things

PA woodbutcher

· #15 · Jul 22, 2009

Looks great Tom. Not sure I'm crazy about going to straight runs in the hallway though...did you lay them out at the 45 to see if it made you "feel" out of plumb before you layed them out:laughing:

Also great job with the curve....it makes the room. Don't think I would have squared it off either. Making the transition piece shouldn't be too bad. Does the ash flooring split any worse than the oak?

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 22, 2009 (Edited)

Thanks, guys.

PA woodbutcher said:
Looks great Tom. Not sure I'm crazy about going to straight runs in the hallway though...

All a matter of personal taste, I guess, - - I like that 'turned' look, - - they asked for something bold and different, - - and that's what I tried to give them.

I'm usually not that big on running wood flooring diagonal, - - but this particular job was begging for it. :thumbsup:

Anyway, I did up the combination and shoe trim yesterday (the homeowner's suppose to paint it).

I made flush transitions to the 2 carpeted rooms with one of the left-over pieces of flooring. I had (pre-figured) left the 5/8" plywood underneath running 1/2" extra into each room (and also cut back their existing 3/4" carpet underlayment back another 7/8"), and then (later) I cut 2 - 3/4" wide strips out of the same 30" piece of flooring (a tongue-rip for one room and a groove-rip for the other), - - and then slid them and place and temporarily face-nailed them to the plywood below (I also routed a slight quarter-round on the outside edges). The 1/4" remaining over-lap allowed a slot to neatly tuck the padding and carpet (which is a good 1/2" higher) from the next rooms into. These serve not only as flush transition strips, - - but also protect the outside edges of the last pieces of flooring.

Keep in mind, - - they want to continue the wood into the next two rooms at a (sooner than) later date, - - so all I have to do is punch the nails through, - - remove the temporary transition strips, - - and continue fresh with the matching flooring.

Anyway, - - I just picked up the ash today between a few other small jobs, - - I'm hopin' to find some time on (Sunday??) to make the 3 curved transition pieces (2 seams), - - but I am working over at my (self-declared :laughing

bedbug cousin's house on Saturday, - - so not sure if that might run into Sunday . . .

See less See more

Jason Whipple

· #17 · Jul 22, 2009

Nice job Tom. How do you plan on bending the wood? Water, steam, or do you think it will bend dry? Radius doesn't look to sharp maybe you can do it dry.

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 22, 2009

Jason W said:
Nice job Tom. How do you plan on bending the wood? Water, steam, or do you think it will bend dry? Radius doesn't look to sharp maybe you can do it dry.

Thanks, Jason, - - no, I'm not going to bend it at all (not sure if I even could) because I will probably make it about 2 1/2" wide.

I'll use 3 - 4' long X 12" wide strips (picture them butted end-to-end at angles) and cut the curve shape right out of them.

It'll end up having 2 (symmetrically-placed) seams across it's (approximate) 12' length.

I would usually cut it all out of one 12' long board (minus the angles) to be able to match up the grain and color real nice, - - but with this floor, a mis-match might work even better anyway.

I couldn't find anyone with an ash 12'er, - - but I got a 9'er and and a 4'er that match up pretty good.

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jul 28, 2009

OK, - - got the piece(s) in over the weekend. They decided on coloring the strip to match the kitchen cabs rather than leaving it natural like the rest of the floor. That's fine, I gave it two coats of Minwax polyshades honey pine and another clear coat of polyurethane over that.

Here's a few pics . . .

See less See more

3

Tom R

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jul 28, 2009

And for this pic I set my camera on 'romantic' . . . :laughing:

See less See more

1 - 20 of 42 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.