Expert: Terry Bruns - 3/29/2004

Question
Hi Terry,
Hope you can help!
Live in Scotland and have bought reclaimed teak flooring - I reckon about 1" thick or so.
Trying to cut down costs and fit ourselves - dad has worked a lot with wood and I think we can cope but need a few pointers.
Can you give us a few tips?
Someone suggested lifting the chipboard and fixing the teak onto the joists to prevent us having to take a bit off all the doors.  Also only laying in the hall and lounge so need to prevent a step betweem rooms as much as possible.
I have ordered the correct tool from HSS - floor nailer.
I take it we start from a wall - one joiner said we would start from the focal point of the room which would be the bay window - i.e the centre of the room, not the wall.
How due we mask the gap from hardwood to carpet/tyles.
Please give any other tips.
Look forward to your response.  Getting wood on Tuesday need so it would be great if you could respond quickly.
Many thanks
Gaynor

Answer
Gaynor, thank you for your question.
It looks like you will have lots of fun ahead of you.

Taking up the sub floor will give you some additional height to work with but I think you are asking for a lot of work. In the States we use transition piece at the doorways and cut off a door, is not too bad.

I think you got good advice of where to start and it should work out well for you. You will enjoy using the floor nailer and it will save you time. Make sure that you leave a gap all around the out side of the floor, I have seen expansion push walls off foundation, I like to leave about 5/8-3/4"  (17-19 mm, I think that is the right conversion) from the wall. We then use base and shoe molding.

I have not heard you say anything about sanding or finishing the new floor. To me this is the hardest and messes part of using reclaimed material.

Hope that I have been some help, good luck.
Terry.