-
2nd floor bedroom and hallway project
Good Morning Joe,
Thank you for all of the valuable information you share with us. My wife and I were going to have this large job done professionally, but with the costs of insulation we would have had to spend less on the vinyl planking. We felt that a quality product was more beneficial, but we would have to spend a bit more. With that it was decided that I do the install and we would put that money saved from the installation into the product.
We researched several brands, but settled on the Mannington Adura Max. I seen that the Mannington product was one you felt was an excellent choice of flooring. My wife also looked at the Flooret products, but could not find a color to her liking. I believe the Adura Max is a drop and lock locking system.
I am replacing the carpet in all of the second-floor rooms, and was going to replace the carpet on the stairs as well with a vinyl plank. After researching what needed to be done to place vinyl planking on the stairs, we decided to have someone come in after and install carpet back on the stairs.
That actually brings me to my first question, should I have the carpet placed on the stairs first before I place the planks? My thought was walking up and down the stairs with work boots on new carpet might not be a good idea, but if the job will go better having the carpet done first, I’ll get someone in right away to do that. As long as I am talking about the stairs, I have two more questions first how do I proceed with the landing between the two stair flights? I want that to be the planking from the second floor. Is there anything I need to pay attention to here? Second how do I do the transition at the top of the stairway? How close do I come to the stairs at the top?
I have removed the carpet from two of the four bedrooms as well as the hallway and stairs. I can remove the carpet from the other rooms now as well, if need be, but my thought was to place the furniture in the two empty rooms once the flooring was done instead of moving it downstairs like I did with the first two rooms. If I should start in one of the rooms that still has carpet and furniture in it I will easily get that done. I should mention I am retired so time really is not an issue for me and we know this is going to take some time to complete.
My wife is thinking she would like transitions between each room even though the flooring will be the same throughout the entire upstairs with the exception of the bathroom off the hallway which has linoleum, that will eventually be replaced with vinyl planking. I plan on doing that at a little later time. The master bath has a laminate I did a decade ago just winging it. I hope this job turns out better than that one, but it has served us well to date. What are your thoughts on transitions between all the rooms? Is this something that is usually done or is it even advisable?
As for the direction of the planks we thought the planks should run west to east down the hallway. As to where to start, my best guess would be one of the two front bedrooms, or one of the two back bedrooms. I will wait for your advisement on that as well.
I also have a question concerning some dips in my subfloor. I’ve noticed in some spots there are between 1/16<sup>th</sup> and 1/8<sup>th</sup> in dips. I know you mentioned I can use tar paper underneath. I’m not sure how comfortable I am working with quickset so would tar paper in the low spots work here? I also included in one of the pictures some circles in the subfloor about the size of a quarter and 1/8<sup>th</sup> inch deep. There are about 15 to 20 of these in the one room. Should these be filled in or covered?
I know I’ve asked a lot of questions, but I’m trying to be as prepared as possible. Thanks for your help.
Rick
-
23 Replies
-
More photos
-
watch this – https://somup.com/c061YlBtvj
-
Joe, Thank you for the quick reply. You certainly are one busy individual with YouTube conferences, running this helpful flooring university, and of course your flooring business. Sleep much? Again thank you for all you do and share with us.
I am using Adura MAX not the Apex. MAX002 to be precise. I ordered it through Eflooring and just received an email yesterday that my order is running late. I should expect my flooring to be delivered in 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, when I get the flooring I’ll send you a picture of the locking system. This delay in shipping gives me time to prep and review your videos again. I have reviewed all of the videos in the Plank Boot camp Guide. I will make my way through the videos you mentioned in the all videos section. I took your advise and ordered the tapping block and pull bar you mentioned in your videos.
My wife and one of my daughters (I have 4) have now decided to carpet all the stairs including the landing. They feel the landing will introduce to many colors to the first floor as well as add a slippery factor to the stairway. I guess I now have some extra planking. Another change is the use of transitions. We will only be using transitions between the hallway and bathroom and master bedroom and bathroom. I believe this is a good change and will make for a cleaner look.
As for the top of the staircase I have included a few more pictures, but is possible the stair nose piece is nailed from the stringer? I do not see any visible screws or nails in the nose piece at all. The back of the nose piece does stand 1/4 to 3/8 inch higher than the sub floor, and the size of the nose piece is approximately 1 3/4 inch. I may try to cut the nose piece off with my sawzall and see what I have.
Thank you
Rick
-
One more thought concerning the top stair. Would it be possible to leave that nose piece as it is, and place a tack strip with a Z-bar behind the nose piece where it drops that 1/4 to 3/8 inch. Run my vinyl planking to the Z-bar and have the carpet guy tuck the carpet around the nose piece as before. Just thought.
Rick
-
-
Thanks Joe for the “push”! LOL Your were right was afraid to get into something and not know how to get out of that. Yes the nose piece was loose and rocked and forth. I cut it out filled in the two sides, placed and piece of wood on top of the riser to bring it with the sub-floor. Glued and nailed it in place. Now it is level, solid, painted and ready for the new nose piece which I ordered today. Thanks again, I can’t wait to get started.
-
-
That looks great!!!
-
<div>Good evening Joe. I hope all is well with you tonight. My flooring is set to be delivered this Wednesday so I am getting things ready. I have a quick question. My hallway that I am going to snap a line in and use to bring into my 4 bedrooms is not really easy to place the center line. I attached to photos where I placed the measurements. The far wall where I can get a measurement is 40 3/4 inches. The next place to measure is at the stairs, but that half wall is set back 4 inches, so my measurement is 45 1/4 inches. After that the hall widens out and there really is no place to get a measurement between two walls. My question is would it be alright to take two or three measurements off the wall across from the stairs. So taking 40 3/4 inches from the far wall place the center line 20 3/8 off the wall from across the stairs in two or three places.
</div><div>Thanks
Rick
</div>
-
-
It might be a few minutes before this processes, there is another video processing right now.
-
Thanks Joe.
I believe that should do it. I did try to edit my post to make it a bit clearer, but you must have been already responding so it did not edit. Anyway my concern was what if that wall that I take my measurements off of was not straight? I can’t get several measurement points to know that. As you said when I get it into the bedroom can measure off that exterior wall. I think I should be good.
Thanks again.
Rick
-
<div>I have a question about the spacers ow on your tools page. Do you still recommend using them?I ordered them and have them here onsite, but after seeing all of your videos I notice you screw scraps down and leave that first section out till last. When you demonstrated the spacers you were starting with the first row. Since I have the spacers should I use them and start with the first row, or since I bought them on Amazon I can return the unopened packages and just use the scrap pieces screwed to the floor. Which way do you recommend?</div><div>
Rick
</div>
-
-
-
Thank you. Sorry I didn’t realize I never acknowledged I will be starting in that bedroom you just showed. Taking your first advice all the way through this project. That being the case I will be keeping spacers and trying them out in the hall. I love tools and if I have reasons to use them I put them in my tool room. If this project goes well my wife may do the downstairs three rooms. 🙂 She hasn’t decided if she wants hardwood or more laminate. As of now she says the first floor is for a professional.
Thanks
Rick
-
-
Well, I would believe you will be doing the main level then. You got this!!
-
It’s good to have someone standing in my corner..wife is already looking to pull the plug with me just spreading some Ardex. I told her it will be great! LOL I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks
-
Good evening Joe. Well I’ve started laying planks, I think its looking good. More importantly my wife said its looking good. I’m certainly not joining your plank laying crew, you would fire me in half a day for being too slow. LOL
I am at a stopping point though. I snapped a line down the hallway and continued it into first room. This is the room you recommended I start in. I laid the planks till I got to the doorway. I did have a real hard time trying to lift the plank under the door jam high enough to engage the locking system. I got it but this is something I probably did wrong because I did not see any videos where you struggled with that.
I also transferred the line up to the small area next to the stairs and outside the next bedroom. I extended that line into the bedroom.
Now I am stuck I don’t believe I can finish this first bedroom unless I also do the hallway, but I cant do the hallway since this is my main line. My best guess is that I do the next bedroom that I extended that line into, correct?
It also would have been easier if I had taken the moldings off the wall, but my wife and I just replaced those two years ago. I cut them and she stained them, so she did not want to see them removed. I plan on putting in 1/4 round so it should not be an issue.
What do you think so far, and am I correct that I have to do that other bedroom now?
Thanks
Rick
-
-
<div>Good Morning Joe. One more question concerning the stair nose. I ordered the pictured stair nose piece from Mannington. It is an overlapping stair nose, my question is when I install the stair nose should I push it flat against the riser, or pull it out from the riser 1/4 inch or so? I am going to have the stairs carpeted, and I’m not sure if they are going to want to tuck the carpet up behind the stair nose on the riser?</div><div>
Thanks Rick
</div>
-
just push the nosing flat against the riser.
-
Joe just a heads up on my project. Its going GREAT!! The vinyl planking is looking wonderful. Three out of four bedrooms are done as well as the hallway. I need to do one bedroom only but I have to wait till the 1/4 round is properly stained, cut and placed in the other three bedrooms. I need to move all the stuff from my daughters bedroom into one of the other completed rooms.
My wife is extremely pleased with how things are looking. My daughter loves the way the floor is coming out. Her and her husband are going to try to plank three of their rooms. l already told her about your website and said you need to work with Joe. (I’ll help a little) 🙂
I cannot thank you enough for all of your insights, tips, and tricks. You are a Godsend to me and my family. This would NEVER have come out without your help. Every corner of this job I tell my wife Joe told me how to do that, or Joe gave me the idea about this.
Thank you and God Bless.
-
Good morning Joe. Well that phase of the project is all complete. The entire upstairs is now complete. We just had the carpet guy install the carpet on the stairs. Everything looks great! This would not have come out with out your help and insights.
After the holidays I am starting the downstairs with the same planks. I will send you a layout of this job soon. I do have a question about the direction of the planks with this job. After I get the layout I’ll pose the question.
Have a wonderful Christmas.
Rick
-
-
Thanks for the update my brother! Have a Great Christmas!!
Log in to reply.