Progress

Posted on May 11, 2009

Well it hasn’t been that long since I’ve posted so woot for me.  I thought a progress update was due for our residential undertakings.

What a long ordeal the flooring has been- certainly not a bad thing just a learning experience.  I’ll try and put together a guide.

The decision process was pretty simple- we wanted really nice but cheap.  We also have a 65lb chocolate lab (Zoe) so that ruled out any natural wood product.  Lots of the cheap stuff was so terrible- just wasn’t an option.  Being the research fanatic I am (thank you interwebs) I decided on whole plank looks instead of the multiple plank click together. That way seams were up to me and looked much more natural.  As usual, this apparently is more of a premium option that was quite a bit more expensive in just about every brand I found.  Discouraging.

Colors- man is there a crazy wide range.  This wasn’t much of a surprise since I’ve been close to forestry and furniture my entire life, but the options are seemingly endless.  From Oak to Bamboo- you can do almost anything- not helpful.  But being the level-headed transitionalist (more than traditional and not quite contemporary) I had to find something that was hip that wouldn’t date the home.  After all I won’t be here forever. Oh, and I hate oak.  The real stuff is so nasty grainy and I have a bad history with it from the days of wood shop.  Let’s get on with it shall we?

The flooring purchased was from Costco- Harmonics-flooring branded but really Quick-Step.  This has an amazing warranty and you couldn’t beat the price.  I won’t go into too much detail as to tricks or tips to put it down, but I will offer some things that I would’ve appreciated.

First row.  Always work from left to right- that is the design and can be done differently, but this is far and away easiest.

Second row.  Hey the first row moves a lot- annoying.  OK, what to do?  Have your wife/friend/dog step on row one? /fail.  Put down a permanent fixed strip down so you have a rigid reference point.  I made a simple plywood bar (straight, of course, to the room(s)) and screwed it in every 8″ or so.  That way using the block and hammer it wasn’t going anywhere- and you don’t have to worry about moving boards out of square.

The rest- Measure, Measure, Measure.  You have to leave some significant gaps if you’re room length is over 20′ or so.  The entry and the hallway is over 35′ so on each end I had to have a pretty good gap to allow for expansion.

Buy lots of blades- at least two.  I burned through some pretty expensive 12″ chop saw blades that I’m planning on having resharpened.  The laminate flooring is incredibly tough- and your blade won’t last long.  I also went through a 10″ blade on my radial arm saw which I used to rip boards. Side note, my radial arm saw was a gift from my grandfather and I couldn’t have done without it. I’d like a table saw eventually (Sawstop cough cough) but I am so thankful to have the RASaw.

I’m not sure how people do this without loads of tools- they’re required, not optional.  The short list:

Chop saw
Saber saw (jig saw)
Table saw (radial arm saw)
Hammer
Pry bar/wonder bar for trim and such
3-5 tape measures- they are never around for me but technically you’re supposed to use the same on for measuring and cutting to maintain accuracy.
Safety- Ears (I use my Shure in ear phones with my iPod), eyes, helmet, hazmat suit, parachute, umbrella, mouth guard… ok, maybe not all that.
Squares, chalk line, hairspray (so your chalk line doesn’t go away)
Patience
Nail gun, matching wood putty. For stair noses.
Drill and flat head wood screws for thresholds.
Utility knife for underlayment
Staple gun for underlayment
Dremel for shaping and adjustments
There are more things I know I’m forgetting, oh well. 

As with any project, you’ll quickly learn that complications quickly arise.  The trick is to be flexible and hop on the Internets and try and learn from others. If they’re speculating- not useful, if they’ve done it- pick their brain. I’m trying not to go into any more detail as to my exact experience. The product is fantastic and I enjoyed seeing it finished. I don’t, however want to do this for a living.

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