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  • Posted by jon.weitzel on November 3, 2022 at 7:26 pm

    Smart Draw does not allow exporting with the free version so I just had to take a screenshot. I hope that will work. All areas that are getting wood are labelled. This is a floating engineered hardwood floor over concrete. It is not the snap together kind so I have to edge glue it. We are planning on running the wood North to South and I was going to start on the West wall in the Master. If you have other thoughts or ideas please share them. I am mostly concerned with all the different rooms that the rows line up, especially where some of them branch off into other areas then have to meet up again at when coming back together in main room.

    Main questions

    1) How to ensure all the lines meet up in the different rooms while avoiding transitions? Several rooms separate and then come back together around walls. I am concerned that if I when they come back together they wont be perfectly lined up, then I will have major issues with pieces being glued together.

    2) Is 6mil vapor barrier needed underneath Pergo Gold, even though Pergo Gold says it has a vapor barrier? Also, with the vapor barrier I have seen you are supposed to go up the wall a little with when using it. How does this even work at exterior doors or flooring transitions where you can’t “go up the wall”? Are those areas even protected or should silicone be added to the ends of the boards in those areas to ensure moisture is sealed out?

    Let me know if this drawing will suffice or if you have any questions about it. Thanks for all your help.

    Joe replied 1 year, 2 months ago 2 Members · 42 Replies
  • 42 Replies
  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 4, 2022 at 7:53 am
    • jon.weitzel

      Member
      November 4, 2022 at 10:40 am

      Thanks for the quick response Joe. I appreciate it. Big sigh of relief knowing I don’t have to do the 6mil plastic and the Pergo Gold, that will save a lot of hassle. I likely wont get started putting the floor down until next week. We still have some prep to do and we have a busy weekend. I included some pictures of the flooring. Let me know if you need more. A few questions per your review.

      1) My wife got the flooring through reallycheapfloors.com and as you can we have about 10 different sizes. What is the best way to lay these with that many different sizes? Do you try and establish any kind of pattern or just randomize with the correct stagger and avoid the “H” stepping.

      2) In the laundry room and a couple of other small places where I have to work back words how does that work with the gluing? I will eventually be “trapped” and have to walk on and work on top of boards to finish so I was wondering how that works to keep freshly glued boards from moving? Is the tape enough? Do I need to wait an hour or so between laying rows in order to walk on them? I will be using Titebond 3 for glue.

      3) You got all the rooms correct, just the master bath (toilet/shower room) is tile and wont get wood. The North and South orientation you mentioned is correct. You mentioned trying to do layout so the seems land in the doorway of the hallway between the kitchen and laundry room. Can you advise a little more on that? Boards are exactly 6″ wide not counting the tongue. I really wanted to avoid having a skinny piece up against the slider on the east wall of the master. Should I base the layout more on that (trying to get the widest pieces possible on both sides of the master) or really shoot for the seems in the doorways of the hall?

      4) Transitions. I wanted to get you thoughts here too. The wood will butt up against carpet in the bedrooms, 2 exterior sliders, tile in the bathrooms and one exterior door threshold on the garage man door. I have seen lots of options but I wanted to get your thoughts on the cleanest, best looking transitions for these different applications.

      I am sure as we get rolling I will have more questions. Your experience and putting me at ease has been a huge help. This a large and expensive project for us, and I don’t want to mess it up. I know you mentioned “not having fear” in one of your intro videos and that was definitely me. I have done framing and owned a tile business so I am not unfamiliar with construction, but this is my first time laying wood flooring and it is a big project on my home so it has been intimidating.

      You are providing a great service with Laminate University and your personal feedback. We are glad we found you.

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 4, 2022 at 11:31 am
  • jon.weitzel

    Member
    November 5, 2022 at 5:17 pm

    Thanks Joe. Another quick question. Somerset (the brand of flooring we bought) recommends a 1/2″ expansion gap. See attached screenshot. Is a full 1/2″ needed or would 3/8″ be good? We are finding most trim is not over 1/2″ wide so it limits options if I go with the full 1/2″ gap. We are trying to avoid the use of quarter round.

  • jon.weitzel

    Member
    November 7, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    A few more to questions.

    1) See attached photos. Can these cabinet bottoms and toe kicks be undercut? Would like to avoid quarter round if possible.

    2) I am all prepped in the master but struggling to get started. I ordered the adjustable spacers you recommended but after rewatching your “how to install your first rows” video I am unsure of which method to use. Is is better to pre-cut you first row using a snapped line as a guide and the adjust spacers to keep that first row in place as you build, or use the method in your video where you start away from the wall a couple rows and screw in the temporary blocks to have a secure foundation to build off of? Im not sure why this holding me up but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet. I also noticed in a video you run your underlayment seems parallel to you plank? I assume the recommendation to run it perpendicular isn’t that necessary?

    3) Can you speak to how many lines I should snap and where in the different rooms to keep my planks straight through the whole house. With so many different and large connected rooms I don’t want to get out of whack. I know with tile you can fudge grout lines slightly if you need to make adjustments once you get started but with planks there seems to be no such thing. If I do get out into a big room and find out I’m going to be crooked by the time I get to the other side of the room is there any way to “adjust” once you start laying or does this all need to be identified and adjustments made in the initial measurement and line snapping layout?

    Lastly. If you haven’t noticed I really think things through, probably too much, and likely will have more questions. Would you prefer questions in video format or is this written format preferable?

    I have all the furniture out of our master bedroom so my wife is definitely hoping I can get that done sooner than later!

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 8, 2022 at 9:11 am
  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 8, 2022 at 2:39 pm

    Here is part 1 of your blueprint – https://somup.com/c3XjYBvHEz

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 8, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    Here is part 2 of your blueprint – https://somup.com/c3XjrDvHJl

  • jon.weitzel

    Member
    November 9, 2022 at 11:25 am

    Thanks for the prayer brother, I appreciate it. Great details in this review. I think I have what I need to get rolling. With the amount of control lines needed in the master to keep things straight, I was wondering if its possible to snap lines on top of underlayment, I am using Pergo Gold, or it is best to just cut it back and use the slab to snap on? If will doing quite bit of cutting of underlayment if needed because it comes in 4×25′ sheets. If that is best I will deal with that.

    Thanks again.

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 9, 2022 at 12:48 pm

    You can try it, but I think it will move.

    • jon.weitzel

      Member
      November 9, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      Ok. I wont risk that. I did utilize my friends Dumb and Bell to get that initial center line in the hallway to start off of. If I center the hallway it leaves me with just over a 1″piece against the west wall of the master. Should I move the hallway line over an inch or so, or is having a 1″ piece not that big of a deal? This will be the last decision to make before snapping lines and getting started

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 9, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    Hey Jon, You can move that line over an inch to get a bigger piece on that wall. I would probably move it 1 1/4 to be sure you make the wall easily.

  • jon.weitzel

    Member
    November 9, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    Good. We are on the same page. I moved it over an 1 3/16″ to make the measurement easy. Got my first three starter rows together, now I have to measure to my line and put in the temporary anchors so I can keep going into that first closet. Feels good to get going. Don’t laugh at how much tape I use!

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 10, 2022 at 5:09 am

    Well done Jon, you are doing great!!

    • jon.weitzel

      Member
      November 11, 2022 at 12:48 pm

      Thank you. Well, after getting started my wife has decided that she would actually like the planks to run the opposite direction East to West. It’s fine with me because I want her to happy with it. Attached is how I was thinking about laying it out with a couple of questions for you. I do not expect another blueprint review. With all the advice for cutting and layout you gave in the initial review I think I feel good about it. I just wanted your thoughts on the initial layout.

      I will have to work back words in the living room, but I don’t see any way to avoid that. Luckily since I don’t have the locking stuff it wont be a huge issue.

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 11, 2022 at 1:24 pm

    I would base the layout off of the far wall and that wall with the door.

    • jon.weitzel

      Member
      November 11, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      Will do. Thank you.

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 11, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    I can do another blueprint for you, but it would not be until Monday. That is my next available.

    • jon.weitzel

      Member
      November 11, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      Ok. Thank you. No worries on the time frame. I think I have enough info from the last review to get started, it would be good to get your input on the rest. An abbreviated review would be just fine.

  • Joe

    Administrator
    November 14, 2022 at 8:37 am
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