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David’s First Upstairs LVP Project
Hi Joe,
I’m planning to remove the carpet on the upper level of my home and replace it with LVP, starting with the Master Bedroom. For the plank direction, I was thinking of running them along the length of the hallway at the top of the stairs.
I do have a couple of questions regarding the transitions. There are two bathrooms upstairs that already have LVP flooring, and I’d like to keep the existing flooring in place. However, I’m unsure what type of transition to use since those bathrooms already have transition strips installed. Additionally, I was wondering how to handle the transitions around the loft railing.
Any advice on how to approach these would be really helpful!
Thanks in advance for your help.
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26 Replies
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<div>Hi Joe!</div>
Thanks so much for your reply! Your knowledge is worth it’s weight in gold!
I’ve recorded a quick video for you to answer some of your questions and update you on the project so far.
Again thanks for your help!
Here is a link to download the video:
https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/nAUMKqQeytFS
We bought this flooring: Cocoa Waterproof Laminate from Floor & Decor.
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Hey buddy! That link has expired, can you share it again?
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<div>Thanks again for the info! Turns out I do have an undercut saw so that sounds like a great plan to under cut the railing. </div>
I’ll buy a new saw blade like you suggested.
And just to confirm for you we will be running the laminate east/west
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Hi Joe, thanks for the video I’m going to try and get my lines snapped today. As I was walking around trying to look at any dips in my subfloor I noticed that the railing near the stairs is shimmed up, but it’s flush with the subfloor for the rest of the upstairs. Right now, there’s only about an eighth of an inch between the laminate and the top of the railing. Do you think it’s still okay to use an undercut saw in this situation, or should we consider another option?
I’m about to start prepping the subfloor this afternoon and wanted to double-check that my approach is on the right track, as well as ask a few questions.
Additionally, I’ve noticed a low spot between the railing and the edge of the hallway with approximately a 3/16-inch gap. Would you recommend filling this spot as per your video advice, or is there another approach you’d suggest for handling this kind of dip?
I’ve attached some photos showing areas with surface delamination, where the top layers of the subfloor have chipped and splintered. While scraping to remove staples, I’ve already chipped away some of the high spots. Should I fill these splintered areas with Henry’s patching compound?
On that note, I had originally ordered Ardex, but Amazon lost the order. Henry’s is what I have on hand now—are there any specific considerations I should keep in mind when using it?
Lastly, I discovered a larger hole in the subfloor that was previously stuffed with carpet padding. Is it safe to fill that hole with Henry’s, or would a different solution be better for such a large gap?
I also have some very minor gaps in the subfloor, less than 1/8 inch. Should I fill those as well, or are they small enough to leave as is?
Thanks for your advice!
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Hi Joe,
Sorry for the multitude of posts but this is what I have so far.
I’ve attached two images for reference. One is a floor plan showing plank measurements and layout, and the other is a photo showing measurements near a doorframe.
From your experience would a 1-inch strip of LVP on the starting wall of the second bedroom when laying the flooring look ok? Based on the layout and measurements, do you have any suggestions for the best way to handle this? Should I adjust the starting point or change the plank layout to avoid having such a small strip at the end?
Thanks for your help!
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All of these questions were answered in your videos install is going well so far
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Hey Joe! That’s ok, there’s plenty of info in the laminate course that covers everything.
I do still have a question about undercutting the railing, I know in your video that you say you like to see 1/4 of an inch to 1/2 an inch of material remaining. I have about 3/16 of an inch remaining if I undercut it right now, do you think if I’m really careful with that undercut saw I could make that work? Or will it weekend the structure of that railing base with that material remaining. Attached is a photo of a section I cut out in a inconspicuous area just to test it
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Our only other option we’d like to consider is colored caulking and just caulk the joint between the railing and the floor, do you happen to have any projects you’ve done that on or pictures you could show? It’s hard to find those online.
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Hey Joe! I did have a Roberts Jam saw and it worked great for the undercut, thanks for the tip about doing a couple passes with it, that worked like a charm.
I’ve run into a new conundrum while laying planks in my hallway and working my way to the stairs. I’ve cut off the overhang from the last step, and the piece of laminate that wraps around my railing post has a finished edge that ends up being 1.5 inches from the lip of the stair. However, the stair nose installation requires me to space the laminate 1.25 inches away from the lip. This leaves a .25-inch piece of laminate on the board that wraps around the railing. How would you recommend making that cut? Is there a way to avoid that cut?
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share a pic of your nosing that you are using.
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Hey Joe sorry about that here’s the pics
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Hey Joe, the angled cut is definitely something that would help in that situation. Here is what I have so far and a bit more detailed explanation of my issue.
I undercut the railing, which allowed me to fit the laminate tightly against the railing edge. The issue is that when I cut this piece, it left a very narrow 1/2-inch strip of laminate across the stair edge. Now, to install the stair nose properly, I’ll need to cut a 1/4-inch off that piece using an oscillating saw to make room for the stair nose track.
I’m concerned about the small size of the laminate strip across the edge and the cut I need to make for the stair nose. Does this approach seem okay, should I tack a screw or something to hold that 1/4″ piece of remaining laminate? Will it look clean once the stair nose is in place? As I have the plank laid out now I am perfectly even with my lines I snapped earlier in the hallway area.
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hey buddy. just keep going and I will go over this in the morning.
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Hey Joe, that video is great I’ll use it on my install and I will probably end up doing the 45′ angle cut for that corner as I have a whole extra stair nose trim piece that hasn’t been cut yet.
I know you said in one of those videos that I should contact you when I get to the long railing and I am at that part. I have a picture of where everything is so far.
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