Solid Hardwood Flooring

Crowbob · 10-23-2019, 04:07 PM

Kichen floor is ceramic tile; adjacent living room will soon be 3/4" T&G prefinished oak.

Issue 1: The wood flooring will run longitudinally up against the existing tile for about 5 feet. How do I do this? I've read that one could 1) leave an expansion gap and fill it with caulk that matches the tile or 2) butt it right up against the tile or 3) use a "T" transition piece that overlaps the tile and the wood (I'd rather not use a transition piece).

Issue 2: The tile is about 1/16" taller then the future wood flooring which is just enough to trip over. How do I raise the wood floor to match the height of the tile. I was thinking of laying 2 or 3 or 5 or whatever layers of felt to gradually upward slope the flooring at the transition only.

Any advise from the board's big brains would be appreciated.

look 171 · 10-23-2019, 04:16 PM

Kitchen floor already in place?

Onelayer of felt will do the trick if its only 1/16. Not sure if I like that too much but will do i there's isn't any other way. There is no way you will get that absolutely flat. The lumber may swell up in the wet month and shrink in the dry. That itself will be as much as 1/16.

Run it up against the tile and allow 1/16" -1/8" for fill

Sooner or later · 10-23-2019, 04:16 PM

If it is a floating floor don't butt it up. It will expand and buckle. I used transition pieces.

KFC911 · 10-23-2019, 04:45 PM

I have tile and 3/4" Hickory (nailed) all over my house....I left a wide gap and used hardwood transitional pieces. Melikes it....the dawg don't care

wilnj · 10-23-2019, 04:53 PM

How old is the grout? You could get a color matched caulk to run along the wood.

I find it hard to believe it’s only 1/16”. It wouldn’t surprise me if you had a variation of 1/16” in level over 5 feet with tile.

Even if it is only a 1/16” difference, it’s not a tripping hazard but there is some possibility of damage or chipping to the tile if the edge of the tile isn’t captured.

At a minimum, I would use a schluter strip against the tile with the anchoring leg turned under the wood and screwed to the subfloor. Route out the underside of the floor to accommodate the thickness of the schluter strip. Using felt paper for shimming is the way to do adjust the elevation.

There’s a ton of profiles in varying finishes that you could choose from including reducers. Go to a tile store, not a big box for a full selection.

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KFC911 · 10-23-2019, 05:04 PM

Puppy moved so I snapped another shot

p911dad · p911dad's Garage

The old Victorian house we had in Upstate NY had been built in 3 distinct phases long ago. We had a new oak floor put down and had 2 transitions to deal with, plus the kitchen floor. The flooring contractor used a sanding machine to take the subfloor down slightly to match each section. It was laid at a right angle to the transitions and you couldn't tell that there was ever an issue. This guy was a real craftsman.

look 171 · 10-23-2019, 05:25 PM

Op is installation pre finished floor where no sanding is required so the drum sander is left back in the truck or the shop. his is the complete opposite.

1/16 is really no big but it you want it gone, just use the felt paper and move on with the job.

Crowbob · 10-23-2019, 05:25 PM

Well there you go! Asked and answered! Thank you, gentlemen.

It’s closer to 1/8” but varies. Schluter strip is the answer, I think. The strip will be fastened to the subfloor as will suggested. But do I have to leave a gap for expansion of the wood? Up here in N. Michigan we have wide seasonal variations in humidity.

Here’s a pic of the project:

Sooner or later · 10-23-2019, 05:28 PM

The manufacturer were have a spec for the gap required. It can vary..

Sooner or later · 10-23-2019, 05:41 PM

One other small thing. Before installation make sure the flooring material is stored inside the home so it is at interior temp.

ben parrish · 10-23-2019, 05:53 PM

You are concerned too early. If this is over a crawl space, there should be a vapor barrier put down..typically 30# felt.. that alone will raise the height of the floor up to about flush. If it is still a little low, you can simply lay another layer down for the first run out to 3’ and then go to a single layer. You will never detect the difference. I have laid a lot of hardwood floors and this is common. Are you hiring it out or DIY.

ben parrish · 10-23-2019, 06:00 PM

Don’t do a transition..use sanded caulk in a tube to match the grout of the tile. Transitions trap dirt and are not necessary for what you are doing. The expansion of the wood floor is a little of a concern but the sanded caulk will stretch enough to keep things sealed. Set the wood floor against the tile with a “nickel gap” and let it straighten itself out over the first few boards.

Crowbob · 06:14 PM

DIY. It's over a dry, insulated and finished basement. I'm planning on 15# felt which apparently minimizes squeaks. Double layer to level up the transition. Gonna use 2" 'L' cleats.

The living room is 12' wide. I'm told the joints between T&G (2.5" wide) will usually accommodate any shinkage and expansion if not installed too tightly. The base moldings are 1 1/2" wide at the bottom so there's plenty of room for expansion around the rest of the room. Would I regret actually butting the floor right up against the tile?

The plan is to finish the stairs (risers and treads) with the same flooring stock (glued) which will be a challenge. I got time to do it right.

Thanks Ben!

ben parrish · 06:38 PM

Good plan... I would butt it with a small gap for the caulk/grout. On the stairs, you can use a pneumatic finish nailer to help hold things till the glue dries. Simply nail in the tounge but make sure the pressure is high enough on your compressor to fully set the nail. You’ll pay hell trying to use a nail set to drive the 15 gauge finish nail in if it sits too proud. On the risers, you can simply face nail and use the colored putty that you can get from the floor manufacturer to match the finish. You will need this putty anyway as you get to the last few rows of flooring and cannot get the stapler any closer to the wall. You will have to face nail the last few runs of flooring and the putty will fill the nail holes and you will never see them.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

Dog likes the tile because it is cooler maybe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

One more possibility is to use a strip of marble or similar, that goes with the tile, as a transition. Install at the angle needed and the you have a nice one piece header strip.

nice

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

One other small thing. Before installation make sure the flooring material is stored inside the home so it is at interior temp.

this is not a small thing, it also will probably be drier in the house

A930Rocket · 10-23-2019, 06:55 PM

If you think 1/16” is a trip hazard, wait until you install a transition strip. I avoid them like the plague.

KFC911 · 10-23-2019, 07:56 PM

I've never tripped (no one has) over my transition pieces. Though I may be a rank amateur when it comes to installing tile and floors, I must have professional coordination skillz when walking...once I even chewed gum

.

look 171 · 10-23-2019, 08:01 PM

Install that the way it is. Rub some grout in there and that will make the transition smooth the 1/16 difference will go away. make the grout dry so it doesn't shrink much. If you are still really anal, rub some color matching caulking to fill the tiny hair line cracks.

Crowbob · 10-23-2019, 08:39 PM

These internets are great, ain’t they!

Thanks for the tips, Ben. I was thinking of assembling risers and treads by glueing flooring pieces together to make planks then using a Collins template to size them. Strategically face nailing them for the glue to set seems like it would work.

This isn’t my first rodeo for floors. I’ve never done stairs: