Transition and height difference
Q: I’m installing some 3/4″ pre-finished Brazilian Teak flooring in to a room that previously had carpeting and is adjacent to a room that currently has 3/4 oak flooring (with roughly a five foot doorway between the two rooms). The carpeted room seems to have 5/8 plywood over the 3/4″ floor sheathing. (with the carpet out, there is a 1/8″ difference in height between the two rooms).
The flooring we are installing doesn’t offer a reducer, so I’m trying to plan how to treat the transition. One idea is to pull up the sub floor and install so both floors are flush (and use T-Moulding). Would I be stupid to attempt this especially since the 5/8 seems to run under some built-ins, so I’d be looking at how to flush cut it? Or should I look at machining my own reducer out of the flooring stock,and try to figure how to make one to cover the 5/8″ difference between the two floors?
A: If you are OK with the height difference (which I also have in my house, and never tripped over the doorway) I would not take out the plywood. It is bound to give you a more stable floor by being there. Just make sure it is well screwed down. Reducers are fairly easy to make on a table saw with a good fence. Remove the tongue. Place the board on edge and set the fence fairly close to the blade. Tilt blade to around 20 degrees and run it through. Be careful with you fingers. Smooth it of with a random orbital sander and you are ready to apply finish. It is that easy.
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