Q: I want to install hard wood flooring in my kitchen. I have a railing and a step into my family room, with a piece of wood at top (that’s in the kitchen). How do you deal with this? A: It sounds like you are saying that the ballister system is anchored into a sole [...]
Installation
Q&A
Apr 172013
Q: Our house was hit by Hurricane Ike in Galveston this past month and took in about a foot of water. It was built in 1955 with 80% wood floors on planks. We tore out the old floor and there was a black tar type substance under them. The foundation is in a bowl of [...]
Wood flooring changes in procedure and products in the last 50 years?
February 20, 2013
Installation Comments Off
Jan 232013
Q: I am about do up my 14*11 penthouse room, and I want a wooden floor. I am definitely not going for a laminate. Should I go for softwood or hardwood, and how should I lay it? Considering I am a musician, it would be nice if it helps in the acoustics of the room. [...]
Jun 202012
Q: I’m installing a cherry bamboo floor. Should the baseboards match the floor? A: Not necessarily. I would paint the base and possible quarter round. It gives a nice contrast and doesn’t look like the floor is climbing the walls. Webmaster’s note re should baseboards match floor: You can compare the somewhat old fashioned look [...]
Q: We recently were in a home while house hunting that had very interesting “wood” floors and I am interested in finding out what they were. I want to have this installed in our new home. I am assuming that they were a manufactured product as they had a raised grain appearance. That really does [...]
What type of wood floor is it that has this wavy, raised texture sort of look?
June 4, 2012
Wood Grades and Species Comments Off
Q: I have read and been told sand on site maple is more unstable than oak. We are renovating our house which, will have spray foam insulation, and a new furnace with HRV unit. Should we be concerned we installing maple floors? Which is okay re: maple vs oak wood flooring? A: No, I wouldn’t [...]
Q: If the joists in a new home are running different in each room, which way is best to install and what are the problems with this? A: ¾ Thick flooring is to be installed across the joists. For any of the thinner floor types such as 3/8 strip and laminates it doesn’t matter. Follow-up [...]
Jul 212011
What is the name for hardwood flooring consisting of various widths and lengths?
I have two under cabinet appliances with no room to install the hardwood floor beneath to allow the appliances to still fit under the cabinets afterward. Any suggestions on what to do?
Kitchen appliances have no available space to install hardwood underneath them
June 30, 2011
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Jun 022011
I want to install a 3/4 X 3.25 red oak hardwood floor (nailed).
Q: We retrieved maple flooring, tongue and groove, from a neighbor’s dumpster (with permission) and want to reinstall it our home. It rained a bit but the wood does not appear to have warped. Until we can install it, we are keeping it in our garage which is not attached to the house and has [...]
Q: Can we install a prefinished hardwood floor and then put a coat of polyurethane over it, to seal all the cracks? Will it adhere to the prefinished hardwood? A: No. If you don’t like the bevelled edges get square edge site finished which is what I generally recommend. Pre-finished floors will end up costing [...]
Q: I recently moved into a two-storey home built in 1936. Two of the joists under my living room floor deflected upward at some point in the past, resulting in a hump in the living room floor. Using a long level, I’ve determined the hump is about an 3/4″ to 1″ above the normal floor [...]
Can hump(s) in joists be dealt with when replacing the original hardwood floor?
May 26, 2011
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Q: I have 60 yr. old wood floors that are totally shot. What is the best way to cover the existing floor (since I do not have sub flooring/ no subfloor under wood floor) with a new wood floor? A: It sounds like the floor you are walking on may be a softwood that has [...]
Q: I have a very good customer of mine that is adamant about installing unfinished oak strip 4′ x 3/4′ in a basement. I have advised him to use laminate in this situation, however he wants real wood. What is the best method to install a plywood sub-floor for real strip hardwood? A: I’m with [...]
Q: Our installer says that only 3/4 inch quarter round molding can be used on wood flooring. The rest of our house has 1/2 inch quarter round and the larger quarter round does not look good. Is it true that only 3/4 inch can be used? A: I don’t think I could agree with that [...]
Our installer says that only 3/4 inch quarter round can be used on wood flooring
May 26, 2011
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Q: We installed a 100 year old salvaged floor that is heart pine. Although it is in pretty good shape, we want to clean it up a bit and fill the scratches and gouges. Everyone we have talked to wants to sand and refinish, but we don’t want to lose the ‘old’ look of the [...]
Don’t want to lose the ‘old’ look of the floor by sanding
May 26, 2011
Installing Used Wood Comments Off
Q: We are installing hickory pecan, micro grooved, planked flooring in our entire house. We’re located near the ocean. Our finisher/installer is planning on creating and finishing the wood in his workshop and installing it pre-finished, finish before installation. I am surprised at that decision because I thought custom installed and finished hardwood floors would [...]
Finishing the wood in his workshop and installing it pre-finished?
May 26, 2011
Pre Finished Vs Unfinished Comments Off
May 262011
Q: Our kitchen and family room share a wall. We installed stone flooring in the kitchen and pergo flooring in the family room. As a result, the kitchen floors are slightly higher. We placed a transition on the ground to cover up the difference in height, but now we are unsure how to put up [...]
May 262011
Q: We are installing wood floors and we’ll use quarter round. Should we match the quarter round to the baseboards (which are white) or to the wood flooring, which is hickory? Should quarter round match floor or baseboard? A: Opinions vary on this question. I’ve now come to the conclusion that if the baseboards are [...]
Should we match the quarter round to the baseboards (which are white) or to the wood flooring?
May 26, 2011
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