Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Thanks --

Alex

Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.


The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet clamp
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks, they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside: cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.

On Aug 12, 7:13*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. *Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? *I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks, they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside: cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..

Alex

My experience in reno, is at minimum, double your estimate time. Installing
floor is all stoop and kneeling work, hard to do for a many hours in a row
if you are not used to it. You will be slow moving and stiff as a board the
next morning. Problems always show up when you are not expecting them, so
take them in stride. Don't rush, do it right the first time.

"Alex" wrote in message
...
On Aug 12, 7:13 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet
clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks,
they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside: cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..

Alex

"EXT" wrote in message
anews.com...
My experience in reno, is at minimum, double your estimate time.
Installing floor is all stoop and kneeling work, hard to do for a many
hours in a row if you are not used to it. You will be slow moving and
stiff as a board the next morning. Problems always show up when you are
not expecting them, so take them in stride. Don't rush, do it right the
first time.

in my house, it's always a factor of three (both cost and time), and i'm
pleasantly surprised when it's under that.

"Alex" wrote in message
...
On Aug 12, 7:13 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet
clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks,
they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside:
cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..

Alex

I used to do job estimating for a production operation, the math is simple.
He has 750 square feet. Laminate comes in many sizes, but if you estimate
that each are about 4 square feet, you will have 187 boards to lay. If that
takes 5 minutes (real optimistic for a non-pro) per board, you need 935
minutes non stop. That is 15.5 hours. He is not going to get it done in a
day and a bit because you need to move furniture, remove and reinstall
baseboards and trim door jambs as well as install underlay. Probably 3 to 4
days.

"charlie" wrote in message
...

"EXT" wrote in message
anews.com...
My experience in reno, is at minimum, double your estimate time.
Installing floor is all stoop and kneeling work, hard to do for a many
hours in a row if you are not used to it. You will be slow moving and
stiff as a board the next morning. Problems always show up when you are
not expecting them, so take them in stride. Don't rush, do it right the
first time.

in my house, it's always a factor of three (both cost and time), and i'm
pleasantly surprised when it's under that.

"Alex" wrote in message
...
On Aug 12, 7:13 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd use
a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet
clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks,
they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside:
cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH easier
to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..

Alex

Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Thanks --



Alex,

Do follow manufacturers installation procedures. I know some off brands,
do not include any type of instructions. If this is the case, grab basic
101 installation instructions from a brand name on-line.

I'm certified 3x over, with different manufacturers. You will find you
will need a transition strip at all doorways. There are several reasons
for this, one being your rooms have different humidity in them, or the
hallway humidity is different than the rooms, etc.

Floating floors don't move per say, they do expand & contract. Having a
"solid" sheet of flooring wanting to contract or expand, and part of it
not wanting to, can result in some gaps or buckle points. Once dust/dirt
get in a gap, it will never close back to where it should be. Buckles
speak for them self.

Good luck on your project.

On Aug 12, 6:39 pm, Toffee Monday wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Thanks --
I am no expert by any means. I have installed laminate about 5 times
so far.
One way to keep the cutting to a minimum is to block off the area you
want to cover into
rectangles using the room dividers. Then lay each rectangle
individually. My first job was
about 600 square feet with a long hallway and shaped like an L TI was
using Pergo
which required clamping and gluing. I had several small but noticeable
gaps. The next job
after partitioning did not have any gaps.
Richard

"HeyBub" wrote in message
m...
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Think ahead. In five, ten or thirty years you'll want to change or repair
one room. A transition strip makes that much easier than if the entire
house in interconnected. The boards may run in opposite directions also.

In addition to other tips mentioned, get a pair of knee pads. They make the
job much easier on the body.

I also recommend doing this while younger. I did my family room and hallway
five years ago. I'm converting a bedroom to a sewing room for my wife and I
started the floor last weekend. This time around I'm taking more and longer
breaks. The getting up and down is a real PITA. This 100 ft is taking
twice what 350 feet did back then

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms),
there's no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.


The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd
use a transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation
easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet clamp
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks,
they just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside:
cut them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the
baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll
be tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH
easier to keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.



Get a pull bar or make one if you have the resources. Not sure if the HF
ones are any good. Lip may bend from hammering on it if gauge is light.
One I got from the Borg was good. Part of a kit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=97751
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96447

1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.

I lived without using that. Just used a jig saw. I would think you need a
taper jig if you use a table saw for ripping since walls are not going to
be straight, Heck, at some corners, the wall may even bow out from a
taper..

What I could not have lived without was the chop saw. Lesson I learned is
MAKE SURE you use a carbide tipped blade otherwise the saw blade will
blue smoke after about 10 cuts. Laminate I used had aluminum oxide used
in it's surface (better wear). Keep in mind Al Oxide is what's automotive
sandpaper used for metal.

Red Green wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms),
there's no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.


The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd
use a transition only if I had to do so or if it made the
installation easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet clamp
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some
planks, they just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the
backside: cut them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the
baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll
be tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH
easier to keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch
- they're virtually waterproof.



Get a pull bar or make one if you have the resources. Not sure if the
HF ones are any good. Lip may bend from hammering on it if gauge is
light. One I got from the Borg was good. Part of a kit.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=97751
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96447

1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.

I lived without using that. Just used a jig saw. I would think you
need a taper jig if you use a table saw for ripping since walls are
not going to be straight, Heck, at some corners, the wall may even
bow out from a taper..

What I could not have lived without was the chop saw. Lesson I
learned is MAKE SURE you use a carbide tipped blade otherwise the saw
blade will blue smoke after about 10 cuts. Laminate I used had
aluminum oxide used in it's surface (better wear). Keep in mind Al
Oxide is what's automotive sandpaper used for metal.

Yeah. I used a miter saw to begin with which wasn't quite enough depth (cut,
flip, cut) and used my radial arm saw for the rips. After one room, I said
"screw this!" and got a cheap table saw. Worth it.

Your point about a taper jig is a good one, but inasmuch as the planks
shouldn't contact the wall anyway, minor wobbles of the wall are
insignificant.

One other observation about knee-pads. I didn't use them. I scooted around
on my butt (the laminate is really slickery). My not-inconsiderable weight
also help hold the stuff in place. The only thing to keep in mind, as you
use the rubber mallet between your legs, is to hit what you're aiming at.

Alex wrote:
On Aug 12, 7:13 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms),
there's no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd
use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation
easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet
clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some
planks, they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the
backside: cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the
baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll
be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH
easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch
-
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Laminate flooring is supposed to simulate wooden decking. Imagine what
happens in a house with oak flooring as you move from one room to another
and the floor rotates 90°.

Vertigo.

I'd try to keep the orientation the same, reserving transition pieces to
transition from one floor type to that of a different type (i.e.: laminate
to carpet or tile).



Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..


"One [person] cutting" may be unnecessary as a full time job.

A technique I found goes like this: Lay one course and cut the last plank to
fit. The cut-off piece is the starter piece for the next course (the planks
have to overlap, like laying bricks). This cut-off piece may not be suitable
as a starter - it may be too short (less than about ten inches), so you
start the next course with a full plank. So, then, the job is: a) lay a row
(some minutes), b) cut to fit, c) lay another row, d) repeat.

I'd remove the trim and put one person to reconditioning it. Fill in holes,
sand, paint, sand, paint. Couple coats of enamel. That'll take a day in
itself.

You will have to undercut the door frames. This is straight-forward, but
non-trivial. You've got what, five doors? Each will take up to a half-hour
unless you have an expensive power tool. A Dremel won't do it. A jig-saw,
circular saw, angle grinder, or other common thing won't work. You've got to
cut the frame; you can't cut the laminate to fit. At a minimum, you'll need
something similar to this:

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11101

Even then, if you get frustrated you end up with busted knuckles! You'll
also use a Dremel for the intricate massaging and L-shaped cuts. A wood rasp
comes in handy.

Have fun!

Alex wrote:

Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Thanks --

Alex

Read the instructions of the laminate manufacturer. Some require
transitions between doorways. My personal experience is that if you
need transitions to plan for them before you bring the plank to the
doorway. Installing the transition has space and connecting
requirements. You will be highly upset when you find out there isn't
enough space or too much space for the gap. Another benefit of the
transition is when one of the planks gets damaged for some reason later
you will be able to slide adjoining planks around a bit to get the old
one out and new one in. The transition will also allow you to work in
different rooms and meet up at the doorway.

A scroll saw will be invaluable for cutting odd shapes to fit around
fireplaces or radiators, etc. A square will be handy also for marking
straight lines. Decent kneepads are a must. The moisture barrier below
the laminate must be installed properly. Above all patience and
planning are what will make the job done right.

HeyBub wrote:

You will have to undercut the door frames. This is straight-forward,
but non-trivial. You've got what, five doors? Each will take up to a
half-hour unless you have an expensive power tool. A Dremel won't do
it. A jig-saw, circular saw, angle grinder, or other common thing
won't work. You've got to cut the frame; you can't cut the laminate
to fit. At a minimum, you'll need something similar to this:

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11101

I have one of those. I got too dull to use after the third door -- dang
cheap Chinese metal. :-(

Now I use a standard crosscut hand saw:
* Lay a scrap of the flooring material upsidedown on the bare floor
next to the door frame.
* Lay the saw flat on the scrap.
* Saw away. Finish in three minutes. Use the specialty tool in case
there's an odd corner.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

In article ,
"SteveBell" wrote:

HeyBub wrote:

You will have to undercut the door frames. This is straight-forward,
but non-trivial. You've got what, five doors? Each will take up to a
half-hour unless you have an expensive power tool. A Dremel won't do
it. A jig-saw, circular saw, angle grinder, or other common thing
won't work. You've got to cut the frame; you can't cut the laminate
to fit. At a minimum, you'll need something similar to this:

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11101

I have one of those. I got too dull to use after the third door -- dang
cheap Chinese metal. :-(

Now I use a standard crosscut hand saw:
* Lay a scrap of the flooring material upsidedown on the bare floor
next to the door frame.
* Lay the saw flat on the scrap.
* Saw away. Finish in three minutes. Use the specialty tool in case
there's an odd corner.

I didn't realize it was possible to cut wood without electricity. What
do professional installers use?

On Aug 12, 2:36*am, Alex wrote:
We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. *Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? *I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The only way to have the floors be seamless throughout the house is to
pick a room and start there. When you hit a doorway, just keep going
as if it's all just one large odd-shaped room, which is really all it
is.

If you ever want to re-do one room, simply saw through the laminate at
the transition and pull up the flooring in that room. Simple.

You could also put simulated thresholds in at each doorway transition,
but if the boards don't line up on either side of the transition, it's
going to look junky and half-assed. If you turn the flooring 90
degrees from one room to the next, you better put a barf bucket next
to the doorway so people with sensitive equilibriums can divest
themselves of their lunch as they go from one room to the next.

Alex wrote:

Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms), there's
no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

Read the instructions that come with your material, and check the
company's web site. You might get lucky.

It's likely that your materials will have a maximum distance you can go
before being _required_ to put in a transition. Since this will be a
floating floor, it can expand a good bit. You definitely *don't* want
that expansion to go from a bedroom, across the hall, and into another
bedroom, binding against the door frames (assuming the distance would
exceed the specs).

I usually lay the boards parallel to the longest wall of the room. I
also try *not* to lay the boards so you're looking the length of them
from the main view into the room. Also consider the direction the
supporting beams run under the floor, if it's not concrete.

Other people have mentioned that changing the orientation from room to
room is disorienting. It's never bothered me, but you should consider
your own family. I've seen plenty of old houses where the floor guy got
really creative, making a mitered frame around the edge with patterns
in the middle.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

Smitty Two wrote:

In article ,
"SteveBell" wrote:

HeyBub wrote:

You will have to undercut the door frames. This is
straight-forward, but non-trivial. You've got what, five doors?
Each will take up to a half-hour unless you have an expensive
power tool. A Dremel won't do it. A jig-saw, circular saw, angle
grinder, or other common thing won't work. You've got to cut the
frame; you can't cut the laminate to fit. At a minimum, you'll
need something similar to this:

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11101

I have one of those. I got too dull to use after the third door --
dang cheap Chinese metal. :-(

Now I use a standard crosscut hand saw:
* Lay a scrap of the flooring material upsidedown on the bare floor
next to the door frame.
* Lay the saw flat on the scrap.
* Saw away. Finish in three minutes. Use the specialty tool in case
there's an odd corner.

I didn't realize it was possible to cut wood without electricity.
What do professional installers use?

Well, *this* professional installer obviously uses a hand saw. ;-)

I've seen other guys who've invested in a Fein Multimaster or an
electric jamb saw. I just haven't had a job yet that was big enough to
invest a couple of hundred dollars in tools.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Alex wrote:
On Aug 12, 7:13 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms),
there's no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.

The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd
use a
transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation
easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet
clamphttp://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber
=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some
planks, they
just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity
to recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the
backside: cut
them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the
baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll
be
tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH
easier to
keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch
-
they're virtually waterproof.

Thanks for the reply and tips. I might just have to pick-up the
ratchet clamp from the local Harbor Freight, so great idea!

Ideally I'd love to make the floors seamless, but with the way our
house is laid-out, I just don't see how we can do so since we'll have
to start a new row of planks in a couple of places... and given
they'll be coming from different directions, I just don't know how we
can make them seamlessly blend together without transition pieces.

Laminate flooring is supposed to simulate wooden decking. Imagine what
happens in a house with oak flooring as you move from one room to
another and the floor rotates 90°.

Vertigo.

I'd try to keep the orientation the same, reserving transition pieces
to transition from one floor type to that of a different type (i.e.:
laminate to carpet or tile).



Also, just curious to anyone why's laid a floating laminate floor, we
plan on having three of us working on it with one cutting and two
laying, and at about 750 square feet I'm guessing we can get done in
either one day or maybe one day plus a few hours into a second one.
It's basically a living room, kitchen/dining room, hallway, small
entry hallway, and one bedroom. We might hold-off on the trim until
the next day, but that I wouldn't think should take too long.

Thanks for the advice..


"One [person] cutting" may be unnecessary as a full time job.

A technique I found goes like this: Lay one course and cut the last
plank to fit. The cut-off piece is the starter piece for the next
course (the planks have to overlap, like laying bricks). This cut-off
piece may not be suitable as a starter - it may be too short (less
than about ten inches), so you start the next course with a full
plank. So, then, the job is: a) lay a row (some minutes), b) cut to
fit, c) lay another row, d) repeat.

I'd remove the trim and put one person to reconditioning it. Fill in
holes, sand, paint, sand, paint. Couple coats of enamel. That'll take
a day in itself.

You will have to undercut the door frames. This is straight-forward,
but non-trivial. You've got what, five doors? Each will take up to a
half-hour unless you have an expensive power tool. A Dremel won't do
it. A jig-saw, circular saw, angle grinder, or other common thing
won't work. You've got to cut the frame; you can't cut the laminate to
fit. At a minimum, you'll need something similar to this:

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11101

Even then, if you get frustrated you end up with busted knuckles!
You'll also use a Dremel for the intricate massaging and L-shaped
cuts. A wood rasp comes in handy.

Have fun!



Another consideration is, with the laminate I had, it was recommended to
lay them lengthwise into the light of a room like brightest wall with
windows, patio door, etc. In other words, the end of the boards are at
the light source and you would be looking down the length of each piece.

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Alex wrote:
Hi...

We're about to lay laminate floating flooring throughout our house,
but given we'll be doing almost every room (except bathrooms),
there's no way we'll be able to have a single starting point. Is it
recommended to start a new row in each room then use a transition
piece at the door where the floors meet (for example hallway and
bedroom or kitchen and living room) or is there anyway to have the
floors move seamlessly throughout the house? I'm not sure what the
standard process is for this.


The standard process OUGHT to be that which minimizes the work. I'd
use a transition only if I had to do so or if it made the installation
easier.

There are four tools you'll need that you may not have considered:
1. A cheap table saw - there will be ripping.
2. A rubber mallet.
3. Ratchet clamp
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90416

The last is useful because no matter how much you beat on some planks,
they just refuse to snap together!

I presume you'll be removing the baseboards (excellent opportunity to
recondition them). (Hint: Don't drive the nails out from the backside:
cut them off instead.) If so, you'll also need:
4. Tool for undercutting door jambs.

A pneumatic brad-nailer is a god-send when re-installing the
baseboards.

Good luck on your project: Laminate flooring is kinda fun and you'll
be tickled with the results. Downstream, laminate flooring is MUCH
easier to keep clean than carpeting and a lot more durable.

P.S.
The plastic-impregnated laminates are okay for the kitchen and batch -
they're virtually waterproof.



Oh, one other tool that may be helpful but not necessary is a contour
gauge: http://www.johnsonlevel.com//jl/spccontour.php

It can be very handy to have around for many things. One of those tools
you never justify buying for one particular project but you end up using
it on many.

Red Green wrote:

Another consideration is, with the laminate I had, it was recommended
to lay them lengthwise into the light of a room like brightest wall
with windows, patio door, etc. In other words, the end of the boards
are at the light source and you would be looking down the length of
each piece.

Maybe. I think the artsy-fartsy crowd would champion orienting the planks in
the same direction as the longest wall.

It all depends, I suspect, on the unique characteristics of each individual
room. But if you lay perpendicular to the longest wall, you will die of
Chastic Fibrosis (a disease usually found in foxes).

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

Red Green wrote:

Another consideration is, with the laminate I had, it was recommended
to lay them lengthwise into the light of a room like brightest wall
with windows, patio door, etc. In other words, the end of the boards
are at the light source and you would be looking down the length of
each piece.

Maybe. I think the artsy-fartsy crowd would champion orienting the
planks in the same direction as the longest wall.

It all depends, I suspect, on the unique characteristics of each
individual room. But if you lay perpendicular to the longest wall, you
will die of Chastic Fibrosis (a disease usually found in foxes).




Real artsy-fartsy's probably don't buy it at HD and install themself.
BTW, I call them La-dee-Da types. The etymology of either goes back to
those with their nose up their ass.


I suspect you don't mean Foxes as in Two Wild & Crazy Guys :-)

replying to HeyBub, mdriesen wrote:
NO Way! Use an oscillating saw. They work great and will not take you 30
minutes, more like 3 minutes per frame.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ng-324663-.htm

On 7/6/2017 8:44 AM, mdriesen wrote:
replying to HeyBub, mdriesen wrote:
NO Way! Use an oscillating saw. They work great and will not take you 30
minutes, more like 3 minutes per frame.


Thank for the suggestion, but it is no longer needed. In the 9 years
since the question was asked, the door frame was eaten by termites. That
cause the structure to collapse. The homeowner is living in a tent on
the property where just the foundation is left.

Ed Pawlowski posted for all of us...



On 7/6/2017 8:44 AM, mdriesen wrote:
replying to HeyBub, mdriesen wrote:
NO Way! Use an oscillating saw. They work great and will not take you 30
minutes, more like 3 minutes per frame.


Thank for the suggestion, but it is no longer needed. In the 9 years
since the question was asked, the door frame was eaten by termites. That
cause the structure to collapse. The homeowner is living in a tent on
the property where just the foundation is left.

What about the gerbils? Did the termites make particle board? (termite spit)

--
Tekkie