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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: MrSal on February 03, 2018, 12:01:38 PM

Title: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 03, 2018, 12:01:38 PM
Hi everyone... a new project came up... 

In oirder to complete my kitchen open space living room project we are replacing the linoleum area of the kitchen with hardwood flooring in order to match the living room.

We found the perfect match in terms of color even though the flooring we currently have is god knows how old.

The flooring we have is oak ... golden oak/butterscotch are the terms that i found that match perfectly in terms of color.

From all the prices i was able to find online and in store, I am thinking of buying directly from Lowe's where they have American Pergo Butterscoth tongue and groove 2 1/4" x 3/4' (perfect match) already finished.

I woukld be perfectly fine buying unfinished and then sanding and applying the finish myself, however... all the quotes i was able to get for unfinished flooring, the price was very similar for the finished version so why going through the more complicated process?

At lowe's I am able to get 30-40% off which actually makes the finished version cheaper than unfinished alone (unfinished i was able to get 3.39$ per sq foot ... at lowes the finished version is 4.29 sq foot however through coupons and gift cards I can get an out of pocket price of 2.8$ sq foot).

My question is... in terms of materials and process what should I get?

- Underlayment/felt paper
- Flooring
- Floor nails ...

What else?

In terms of underlayment, what should i get? The one that is currently under the remaining floor is black ... so i am thinking it's just normal felt paper?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, the area of linoleum the previous owners have just been putting underlayment on top of underlayment and the previous vinyls instead of just taking it out. This has created an uneven surface.

I was thinking of using a hand circular saw and cut throught the floor at a depth to reach the plywood that matches the rest of the house so everything is even. Any input here?

Here it is a picture of the area that needs to be finished:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1y3h1x0R3G0d3g0W1U1w/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.24.38%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=725d1b42)


I asked quotes for 2 companies for doing it for us and the quotes we got for this small 200-250 sq ft area was outrageous at 3000-3500 dollars
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 03, 2018, 12:30:44 PM
In terms of underlayment, should i try to match the old underlayment from the other sections of the house or could i go with something better?

I see a lot of foam pads, cork underlayment etc... as long as it's the same thickness would this be okay?

Any idea what might be better?
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: BudgetSlasher on February 03, 2018, 05:16:24 PM
I have literally just sat down with a beer after completing my 3rd ~8 hour day laying floor with the DW and the FIL in our master bedroom.

Hi everyone... a new project came up... 

In oirder to complete my kitchen open space living room project we are replacing the linoleum area of the kitchen with hardwood flooring in order to match the living room.

We found the perfect match in terms of color even though the flooring we currently have is god knows how old.

The flooring we have is oak ... golden oak/butterscotch are the terms that i found that match perfectly in terms of color.

From all the prices i was able to find online and in store, I am thinking of buying directly from Lowe's where they have American Pergo Butterscoth tongue and groove 2 1/4" x 3/4' (perfect match) already finished.

I woukld be perfectly fine buying unfinished and then sanding and applying the finish myself, however... all the quotes i was able to get for unfinished flooring, the price was very similar for the finished version so why going through the more complicated process?

As an added bonus, the UV cured aluminum oxide finish that is on many pre-finished floors is more durable than the site applied poly urethane.

Quote
At lowe's I am able to get 30-40% off which actually makes the finished version cheaper than unfinished alone (unfinished i was able to get 3.39$ per sq foot ... at lowes the finished version is 4.29 sq foot however through coupons and gift cards I can get an out of pocket price of 2.8$ sq foot).

My question is... in terms of materials and process what should I get?

- Underlayment/felt paper
- Flooring
- Floor nails ...

What else?


You'll probably want (or at least we did):

- a pancake air compressor to power the tools
- a 16 gauge nail gun for face nailing boards close to the wall
- a flooring nailer (I was gifted a NuMax, ~$110, which makes proceeding at your own pace easier than renting)
- air tool oil
- a saw for under cutting any door jams and the like (we used an oscillating saw)
- a set for flooring cleats (there will be a couple that don't set)
- we used a miter saw, a jig saw, and a table saw for making cuts (some more complex than others)
- if more than one person will be doing the work, you will want a pair (or more) of matching tape measurers)
- wood glue (without fail there will be a tiny piece somewhere that is best just to glue on to a larger piece)
- a pile of pencils and a good sharpener for them.
- a pry bar or two (there will be at least one tongue that splits and the need to take the board up)
- a speed square for marking
- slap stapler/tacker for the underlayment, with staples
- a flooring pull bar
- a flooring tapping block (we used old flooring samples)
- a dead blow hammer
- knee pads
- optionally a back brace
- ear plugs
- safety glasses
- box cutter for opening flooring and cutting underlayment
- and I am sure I am still over looking many of the tools that we had to pull into service along the way

Quote
In terms of underlayment, what should i get? The one that is currently under the remaining floor is black ... so i am thinking it's just normal felt paper?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

We ended up going with Aquabar B (basically asphalt and kraft paper) as a vapor retarder.

Quote
BTW, the area of linoleum the previous owners have just been putting underlayment on top of underlayment and the previous vinyls instead of just taking it out. This has created an uneven surface.

I was thinking of using a hand circular saw and cut throught the floor at a depth to reach the plywood that matches the rest of the house so everything is even. Any input here?

This is going to be a bear. Depending on what the layers are they could just be screwed down or they could be glued (scraping is a royal PITA) or they could be glued and screwed. And of course the linoleum is glued.
 

Quote
Here it is a picture of the area that needs to be finished:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1y3h1x0R3G0d3g0W1U1w/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.24.38%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=725d1b42)


I asked quotes for 2 companies for doing it for us and the quotes we got for this small 200-250 sq ft area was outrageous at 3000-3500 dollars

In terms of underlayment, should i try to match the old underlayment from the other sections of the house or could i go with something better?

I see a lot of foam pads, cork underlayment etc... as long as it's the same thickness would this be okay?

Any idea what might be better?

When it comes to underlayment. . . I got lost in this world.

It all depends on what you want out of it and what you circumstances are, oh and what is below.

Personally, I would go with something similar to what exists; I wouldn't want to vary too much in how the floor feels under foot from one room to the other (which could be an issue going from 15# felt to cork/foam).

Also make sure the underlayment is designed for your type of flooring, many that are ok for floating engineered wood are not good for nail down hardwood.
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 03, 2018, 05:45:26 PM
I have literally just sat down with a beer after completing my 3rd ~8 hour day laying floor with the DW and the FIL in our master bedroom.

Hi everyone... a new project came up... 

In oirder to complete my kitchen open space living room project we are replacing the linoleum area of the kitchen with hardwood flooring in order to match the living room.

We found the perfect match in terms of color even though the flooring we currently have is god knows how old.

The flooring we have is oak ... golden oak/butterscotch are the terms that i found that match perfectly in terms of color.

From all the prices i was able to find online and in store, I am thinking of buying directly from Lowe's where they have American Pergo Butterscoth tongue and groove 2 1/4" x 3/4' (perfect match) already finished.

I woukld be perfectly fine buying unfinished and then sanding and applying the finish myself, however... all the quotes i was able to get for unfinished flooring, the price was very similar for the finished version so why going through the more complicated process?

As an added bonus, the UV cured aluminum oxide finish that is on many pre-finished floors is more durable than the site applied poly urethane.

Quote
At lowe's I am able to get 30-40% off which actually makes the finished version cheaper than unfinished alone (unfinished i was able to get 3.39$ per sq foot ... at lowes the finished version is 4.29 sq foot however through coupons and gift cards I can get an out of pocket price of 2.8$ sq foot).

My question is... in terms of materials and process what should I get?

- Underlayment/felt paper
- Flooring
- Floor nails ...

What else?


You'll probably want (or at least we did):

- a pancake air compressor to power the tools
- a 16 gauge nail gun for face nailing boards close to the wall
- a flooring nailer (I was gifted a NuMax, ~$110, which makes proceeding at your own pace easier than renting)
- air tool oil
- a saw for under cutting any door jams and the like (we used an oscillating saw)
- a set for flooring cleats (there will be a couple that don't set)
- we used a miter saw, a jig saw, and a table saw for making cuts (some more complex than others)
- if more than one person will be doing the work, you will want a pair (or more) of matching tape measurers)
- wood glue (without fail there will be a tiny piece somewhere that is best just to glue on to a larger piece)
- a pile of pencils and a good sharpener for them.
- a pry bar or two (there will be at least one tongue that splits and the need to take the board up)
- a speed square for marking
- slap stapler/tacker for the underlayment, with staples
- a flooring pull bar
- a flooring tapping block (we used old flooring samples)
- a dead blow hammer
- knee pads
- optionally a back brace
- ear plugs
- safety glasses
- box cutter for opening flooring and cutting underlayment
- and I am sure I am still over looking many of the tools that we had to pull into service along the way

Quote
In terms of underlayment, what should i get? The one that is currently under the remaining floor is black ... so i am thinking it's just normal felt paper?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

We ended up going with Aquabar B (basically asphalt and kraft paper) as a vapor retarder.

Quote
BTW, the area of linoleum the previous owners have just been putting underlayment on top of underlayment and the previous vinyls instead of just taking it out. This has created an uneven surface.

I was thinking of using a hand circular saw and cut throught the floor at a depth to reach the plywood that matches the rest of the house so everything is even. Any input here?

This is going to be a bear. Depending on what the layers are they could just be screwed down or they could be glued (scraping is a royal PITA) or they could be glued and screwed. And of course the linoleum is glued.
 

Quote
Here it is a picture of the area that needs to be finished:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1y3h1x0R3G0d3g0W1U1w/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.24.38%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=725d1b42)


I asked quotes for 2 companies for doing it for us and the quotes we got for this small 200-250 sq ft area was outrageous at 3000-3500 dollars

In terms of underlayment, should i try to match the old underlayment from the other sections of the house or could i go with something better?

I see a lot of foam pads, cork underlayment etc... as long as it's the same thickness would this be okay?

Any idea what might be better?

When it comes to underlayment. . . I got lost in this world.

It all depends on what you want out of it and what you circumstances are, oh and what is below.

Personally, I would go with something similar to what exists; I wouldn't want to vary too much in how the floor feels under foot from one room to the other (which could be an issue going from 15# felt to cork/foam).

Also make sure the underlayment is designed for your type of flooring, many that are ok for floating engineered wood are not good for nail down hardwood.

- a pancake air compressor to power the tools CHECK
- a 16 gauge nail gun for face nailing boards close to the wall CHECK
- a flooring nailer (I was gifted a NuMax, ~$110, which makes proceeding at your own pace easier than renting) CHECK
- air tool oil -Oil? To keep the tools lubricated?
- a saw for under cutting any door jams and the like (we used an oscillating saw) - CHECK
- a set for flooring cleats (there will be a couple that don't set) - what are flooring cleats? sorry english is not my main language... from a quick google search, are these the "nails" that should be used with the flooring nailer?
- we used a miter saw, a jig saw, and a table saw for making cuts (some more complex than others) - CHECK
- if more than one person will be doing the work, you will want a pair (or more) of matching tape measurers) - CHECK
- wood glue (without fail there will be a tiny piece somewhere that is best just to glue on to a larger piece) - CHECK - Should I use Elmers or liquid nails?
- a pile of pencils and a good sharpener for them. - CHECK
- a pry bar or two (there will be at least one tongue that splits and the need to take the board up) - CHECK
- a speed square for marking - CHECK
- slap stapler/tacker for the underlayment, with staples - CHECK - Im not sure i have a hand stapler that can go through wood... however I do have a Bostitch compressor stapler... would this be enough?
- a flooring pull bar - I can probably borrow this
- a flooring tapping block (we used old flooring samples) - I was thinking of using old floor samples
- a dead blow hammer - is this to use for the flooring nailer?
- knee pads - CHECK
- optionally a back brace - CHECK
- ear plugs - CHECK
- safety glasses CHECK
- box cutter for opening flooring and cutting underlayment - CHECK
- and I am sure I am still over looking many of the tools that we had to pull into service along the way


Regarding the underlayment, we have a basement downstairs... underneath the flooring is just old plywood. The linoleum underlayments are just linoleum (several layers) and some sort of celullose board ... it does not look like subfloor. This layer is in between the 2 layers of vinyl ... I reckon this is probably gonna be the most PITA.

Regarding the original subfloor and what I intend to reach by cutting all the layers, it's old plywood - most likely the original one - from the 50-60s. What I have underneath the flooring on the rest of the house is black felt paper, so I am assuming its 15lb roofing paper of some sort or 15lb floor underlayment?


Thanks for input
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: BudgetSlasher on February 04, 2018, 07:09:57 AM
I have literally just sat down with a beer after completing my 3rd ~8 hour day laying floor with the DW and the FIL in our master bedroom.

Hi everyone... a new project came up... 

In oirder to complete my kitchen open space living room project we are replacing the linoleum area of the kitchen with hardwood flooring in order to match the living room.

We found the perfect match in terms of color even though the flooring we currently have is god knows how old.

The flooring we have is oak ... golden oak/butterscotch are the terms that i found that match perfectly in terms of color.

From all the prices i was able to find online and in store, I am thinking of buying directly from Lowe's where they have American Pergo Butterscoth tongue and groove 2 1/4" x 3/4' (perfect match) already finished.

I woukld be perfectly fine buying unfinished and then sanding and applying the finish myself, however... all the quotes i was able to get for unfinished flooring, the price was very similar for the finished version so why going through the more complicated process?

As an added bonus, the UV cured aluminum oxide finish that is on many pre-finished floors is more durable than the site applied poly urethane.

Quote
At lowe's I am able to get 30-40% off which actually makes the finished version cheaper than unfinished alone (unfinished i was able to get 3.39$ per sq foot ... at lowes the finished version is 4.29 sq foot however through coupons and gift cards I can get an out of pocket price of 2.8$ sq foot).

My question is... in terms of materials and process what should I get?

- Underlayment/felt paper
- Flooring
- Floor nails ...

What else?


You'll probably want (or at least we did):

- a pancake air compressor to power the tools
- a 16 gauge nail gun for face nailing boards close to the wall
- a flooring nailer (I was gifted a NuMax, ~$110, which makes proceeding at your own pace easier than renting)
- air tool oil
- a saw for under cutting any door jams and the like (we used an oscillating saw)
- a set for flooring cleats (there will be a couple that don't set)
- we used a miter saw, a jig saw, and a table saw for making cuts (some more complex than others)
- if more than one person will be doing the work, you will want a pair (or more) of matching tape measurers)
- wood glue (without fail there will be a tiny piece somewhere that is best just to glue on to a larger piece)
- a pile of pencils and a good sharpener for them.
- a pry bar or two (there will be at least one tongue that splits and the need to take the board up)
- a speed square for marking
- slap stapler/tacker for the underlayment, with staples
- a flooring pull bar
- a flooring tapping block (we used old flooring samples)
- a dead blow hammer
- knee pads
- optionally a back brace
- ear plugs
- safety glasses
- box cutter for opening flooring and cutting underlayment
- and I am sure I am still over looking many of the tools that we had to pull into service along the way

Quote
In terms of underlayment, what should i get? The one that is currently under the remaining floor is black ... so i am thinking it's just normal felt paper?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

We ended up going with Aquabar B (basically asphalt and kraft paper) as a vapor retarder.

Quote
BTW, the area of linoleum the previous owners have just been putting underlayment on top of underlayment and the previous vinyls instead of just taking it out. This has created an uneven surface.

I was thinking of using a hand circular saw and cut throught the floor at a depth to reach the plywood that matches the rest of the house so everything is even. Any input here?

This is going to be a bear. Depending on what the layers are they could just be screwed down or they could be glued (scraping is a royal PITA) or they could be glued and screwed. And of course the linoleum is glued.
 

Quote
Here it is a picture of the area that needs to be finished:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1y3h1x0R3G0d3g0W1U1w/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.24.38%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=725d1b42)


I asked quotes for 2 companies for doing it for us and the quotes we got for this small 200-250 sq ft area was outrageous at 3000-3500 dollars

In terms of underlayment, should i try to match the old underlayment from the other sections of the house or could i go with something better?

I see a lot of foam pads, cork underlayment etc... as long as it's the same thickness would this be okay?

Any idea what might be better?

When it comes to underlayment. . . I got lost in this world.

It all depends on what you want out of it and what you circumstances are, oh and what is below.

Personally, I would go with something similar to what exists; I wouldn't want to vary too much in how the floor feels under foot from one room to the other (which could be an issue going from 15# felt to cork/foam).

Also make sure the underlayment is designed for your type of flooring, many that are ok for floating engineered wood are not good for nail down hardwood.

- a pancake air compressor to power the tools CHECK
- a 16 gauge nail gun for face nailing boards close to the wall CHECK
- a flooring nailer (I was gifted a NuMax, ~$110, which makes proceeding at your own pace easier than renting) CHECK
- air tool oil -Oil? To keep the tools lubricated?

Yes, air tools should get a couple drops of oil ever so often, in  busy shop it might be ever so many nails, but for me it is just at the beginning over every use.

Quote
- a saw for under cutting any door jams and the like (we used an oscillating saw) - CHECK
- a set for flooring cleats (there will be a couple that don't set) - what are flooring cleats? sorry english is not my main language... from a quick google search, are these the "nails" that should be used with the flooring nailer?

Yes, there are two main type of flooring fasteners, cleats and staples, the cleats look more like a flattened nail and the staples . . . well like a staple.  (At least in the US, I have heard that in some European countries screws are not uncommon). There is much debate online revolving around enough holding power, too much holding power, cost, and split tongues as to whether to use cleats or staples. I ended up ignoring all of the debate and using cleats, because that is what the instructions that came with my floor said to do.

Quote
- we used a miter saw, a jig saw, and a table saw for making cuts (some more complex than others) - CHECK
- if more than one person will be doing the work, you will want a pair (or more) of matching tape measurers) - CHECK
- wood glue (without fail there will be a tiny piece somewhere that is best just to glue on to a larger piece) - CHECK - Should I use Elmers or liquid nails?

We used a wood glue, not a construction adhesive like liquid nails. Though I do not see a reason you absolutely could not use a construction adhesive. Elmer's does make a wood glue, but the brand we used was titebond.

Quote
- a pile of pencils and a good sharpener for them. - CHECK
- a pry bar or two (there will be at least one tongue that splits and the need to take the board up) - CHECK
- a speed square for marking - CHECK
- slap stapler/tacker for the underlayment, with staples - CHECK - Im not sure i have a hand stapler that can go through wood... however I do have a Bostitch compressor stapler... would this be enough?

The compressor stapler would probably be more than enough. For ease and speed, we used something like this https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Fastener-HT50P-Hammer-Tacker/dp/B00004Z2K0/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1517752801&sr=8-5&keywords=tacker

Quote
- a flooring pull bar - I can probably borrow this
- a flooring tapping block (we used old flooring samples) - I was thinking of using old floor samples
- a dead blow hammer - is this to use for the flooring nailer?

The flooring nailer usually has its own hammer. I find dead blow hammers to be more effective for use with the flooring pull bar and tapping block. They don't bounce nearly as much as a metal hammer, they seem to transfer more of their energy, and they don't see as likely to break the flooring sample (use as a tapping block). I bought a set on amazon years ago that has 3 different weight hammers; by the end of the day you would be amazed how heavy a hammer can get, but it nice to have heavier options.

Quote
- knee pads - CHECK
- optionally a back brace - CHECK
- ear plugs - CHECK
- safety glasses CHECK
- box cutter for opening flooring and cutting underlayment - CHECK
- and I am sure I am still over looking many of the tools that we had to pull into service along the way


Regarding the underlayment, we have a basement downstairs... underneath the flooring is just old plywood. The linoleum underlayments are just linoleum (several layers) and some sort of celullose board ... it does not look like subfloor. This layer is in between the 2 layers of vinyl ... I reckon this is probably gonna be the most PITA.

Regarding the original subfloor and what I intend to reach by cutting all the layers, it's old plywood - most likely the original one - from the 50-60s. What I have underneath the flooring on the rest of the house is black felt paper, so I am assuming its 15lb roofing paper of some sort or 15lb floor underlayment?


Thanks for input

15 pound roofing felt was common for a long time, there is a good chance that is what you have. There are probably better options today that won't make a noticeable difference.
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 04, 2018, 08:41:35 AM
Regarding the flooring is it okay to go with the option from lowes? It's American pergo brand... Just 3/4 X 2 1/4 oak...
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: Jon Bon on February 04, 2018, 02:39:37 PM
Sal,

What did you rip out? The chimney? I think you should do a post on that, some of us would love to learn from your experience!

Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 05, 2018, 08:27:47 AM
Sal,

What did you rip out? The chimney? I think you should do a post on that, some of us would love to learn from your experience!

Nop,

The stairwell going into the attic and basement..

I did create a thread!

Check it here:

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/diy-backyard-officeextra-room/


This was the before:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/2v0E3I3k11221j1z3C3j/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.16.53%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=015d3642)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/0P1d3q2g0U412N3k3937/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.21.34%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=fb312aa0)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1E3926051Q253p2G2K13/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.21.05%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=86b53f71)


After:

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/3P3V1E1M1O150g1u421y/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.43.40%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=85b849c6)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/1E2k0b1A1C2S2Y0a1K3I/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.42.53%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=f4d5acc0)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/021o0C3v3D1k2h381R2h/Image%202018-01-05%20at%202.26.09%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=41db531e)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/2X272e0x2Y3e1g2r0Z3M/Image%202017-12-29%20at%204.33.07%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=80cf4a85)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/0K3l2a0S332W1U040y1K/Image%202017-12-29%20at%204.32.50%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=de2cc7e2)
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: Jon Bon on February 05, 2018, 10:27:33 AM
Sal,

What did you rip out? The chimney? I think you should do a post on that, some of us would love to learn from your experience!

Nop,

The stairwell going into the attic and basement..

I did create a thread!

Check it here:

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/diy-backyard-officeextra-room/




Awesome I will check it out. Honestly I think you should keep the stairs to the basement going under the island. Impractical and pretty dangerous but also something a supervillain would use to access their lair!

Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 05, 2018, 11:00:59 AM
Yes, the stairs into the basement are being kept :) that's why we did the island "hollow".

We are putting stainless steel  with tempered glass as a railing. Like this:

(http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/60085-11690736.jpg)
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: Jon Bon on February 05, 2018, 11:46:02 AM
What no hidden trap door activated by pulling on head of the Abraham Lincoln statue?!

What was the point of the entire project then!!



Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 28, 2018, 10:15:05 PM
Update!

Here is the hardwood floor as of today!

Hopefully I will be able to finish tomorrow, only a few more rows to go!

The linoleum was a bitch to take out... there was on top of the subfloor, underlayment floor or whatever the name is, which in essence is just compressed saw dust ... then there were like 4-5 layers of linoleum after linoleum ... it was a pain to get rid of it especially since the sawdust [panels just crumbled apart.

Tip to take care of it though, just run a handsaw about the depth to your subfloor give or take... and then make a little matrix of panels about 2x2 at the most... it will come off way easier without crumbling apart.

There i took care of a few subfloor boards where the plys were already deteriorated a little bit - subfloor with 60 years old!

I wanted to put some Advantech subfloor but it would match the height in the remaining of the house so i went with 1/2 plywood which is what the rest of the house has.

Flooring went nicely! No split tongues at all... all nails went all the way with exception of maybe 4 or so where i had to cut them because i didnt hit the nailer hard enough due to space constraints ... Near the edges I started using glue on the boards and a finish nailer with 2'' finishing nails on the face of the boards - again near the cabinets it was the only way to go. Everything matched perfectly.

And here's the picture!

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/3M2u33112Z1s3P3V1W3X/Image%202018-02-28%20at%2011.48.44%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=faf27cc5)

(https://dha4w82d62smt.cloudfront.net/items/0r1H3O0J2z421m222H05/Image%202018-02-28%20at%2011.48.17%20PM.png?X-CloudApp-Visitor-Id=819fdda56280ca6dace0ef7883cce40f&v=623711ea)
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on February 28, 2018, 10:20:46 PM
Oh and by the way... if I recall i got quoted for the whole job about 2600-2800$ if I remember correctly.

Total spent so far and most likely the end numbers? 450$ for the wood + 2 panels of plywood.


Oh and be prepared to get your butt kicked because the day I laid the floor, i think i slept almost 11 hours the next day and woke up sore in some muscles. it kicked my butt
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: couponvan on March 02, 2018, 10:26:23 AM
Inspiring as usual MrSal.  I love the glass staircase....above and beyond the hardwood floor bit. 
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: couponvan on March 02, 2018, 10:30:54 AM
Where is the final refrigerator going or did I miss an appliance in your layout?
Title: Re: Installing hardwood...
Post by: MrSal on March 02, 2018, 11:17:28 AM
Where is the final refrigerator going or did I miss an appliance in your layout?

The new fridge will go to the corner where you can see the shop vac in these last couple pictures. Next to it we will build some lower cabinets as well and up top some open shelving and that will be it!