I want to do something differant for the master bedroom upstairs in the portico.
I hate strip flooring. Those little 2 1/4 inch strips of flooring nailed down always look like a gym to me especially when I use maple as I’m planning now..
I could do my usual random width with planks up to 12 inches wide where I screw and plug them down.. I’ve had good luck with them and they give a real interesting floor espeically when I take time to match the plug to the grain.
However I want to do something differant for that bedroom..
What I was thinking was to do a real narrow strip flooring.. cut the planks into 1 inch wide strips and then place them on end..
I achieve three things. first set on end like that the floor is effectively quarter sawn.
second it would be an extremely unique look wildly differant from strip flooring. 1/2 of an inch wide.
third I suspect it would install really quickly since the boards would be so flexible.
The only down side I can see is the boredom of ripping all the wood to size and then running it through the shaper twice.. Well I have to run it through twice anyhow so that wouldn’t increase except the number of “boards”
I have plenty of time and I have the wood and equipment. Have I missed something?
Replies
"since the boards would be so flexible" I would be carefull to keep things straight.
Every so often I'd run a sting line to make sure you aren't putting wiggles in your flooring.
Or put the wiggles in on purpose. That would make a really interesting floor! You'd just need a base wide enough to cover the gaps at the edges. and sorry to be a smart***, but I think you mean on edge, not on end. That could be a really thick floor, depending upon your starting length.
Edited 2/20/2009 12:21 pm ET by bowquack
You could put them in!
by "on end" you mean on the side 3/4 up? Nightmare to install, tongue and groove?, ugly to boot! If you want to try something different try a herring bone pattern, inlays, borders ...
I'm not sure that would be bad.. maybe I should start out with some deliberate wiggles for a really unique look?
I'm just spitballin' here, If you've got a unique take on something I'd be interested..
I'd thought about using differant woods together say hackberry, tamarack, black walnut, oak, Maple, cherry, etc.. but decided that would just look messy rather than artistic..
There was a brief thought about doing an end grain floor but that would wind up too thick..
Frenchy good to hear from you was thinking about where you have been, and up to.
I am all for something different, I think the wave could be a cool look. The thing that comes to my mind is nailing, would you just angle nail it through the 1" edge? or nail and glue?
What about tongue and groove to keep it from popping up?
Make a 2x4 mock up to see what you are looking at, on a plywood sheet.
Don't know if you subscribe but you may want to look into Hardwood Floors Magazine, if you don't get it it is a free subscription. They now and then have a photo spread of something inspiring. I think back issues are available for viewing on line.
How much furniture is in there? If you put time and effort into it will you see the end result or will an area rug be over it?
Wallyo
Frenchy,
Sounds cool. Take a look at some of the bamboo photos. To me the thin strips lend a slicker, cleaner, more contemporary look. That may or may not be what you're shooting for, and that may or may not be your interpretation of a thin-strip floor either.
You have the wood species, you have the time. I think you need to shoot for something like this:
http://www.czarfloors.com/gallery.asp?paginate=false
Now I'm in serious trouble.. I won't be satisfied untill I get that done..
Lessee here, you hate the look of narrow strips so your answer is to rip them narrower? LOL
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Piffin.. I want differant.. I don't want just another gym look. I can buy/make flooring and I've got the equipment and time so why restrict myself to the same old same old?
The stupid guy who does my work for me (me) will do anything I ask him to do so why not? Besides Not once has he ever taken a paycheck from me and he never argues with me once I make up my mind..
The great thing about this stupid jerk is that we think so much alike..
I think instead of looking like a gym, it will look like a . . . bowling alley.
A bowling alley would have much wider strips than whta I'm thinking of.. I suspect the strips would wind up at 1/2 inch wide.. something closer to the look of plywood on edge..
Frenchy had some time tonight to look for the floor that I was thinking of, though, not along your thought lines, it came to me when some one said wave. It is wider then your plan, and sure is different heres the link.http://mpnmag.com/hwf/digitalissue/0608/Wallyo
You have a power feeder? I see a LOT of potential for a big pile of schrapnel coming out of the shaper unless your wood is about perfect. Any grain deviation or knots and you are gonna just make more sawdust than useable wood.
I'd not even consider it.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
I did 1000+ bd.ft. of wood without incident with my shaper.. None of it was really all that great because I prefer wood with character to straight grain boring pieces..
I have far more fear of the table saw than the shaper.. at least with the shaper I can deal with crooked and warped wood safely. Not so with the table saw!
Sounds like a lot of potential arrows to me. have fun.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Noticed an example last night of what you were thinking about, check out pg 64 (?) of the current editin of American Bungalow, there's a Greene & Greene with what looks to be 1" wide strips in a hall, still not sure I like it but ...
Yes I think I lost interest in doing it that way too.. looks exactly like butcherblock and That's not a great look.. IMHO
You got plenty of walnut, right? Alternate strips of walnut, oak, or maple, glue'em up into 6" wide planks, T&G the edges after you plane and square'em up.
Glue-line rip blade works good if you can feed it fast and even enough. It's a floor anyway...