Installing 3/4″ strip flootring on ceiling
georgep
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hi.,
I am installing 3-1/4″ x 3/4″ strip flooring on a cathedral ceiling. At the peak there is a flat section. the flat section is 24″ wide, the sloped section of the seiling is about 8′ from wall to the flat section. If I leave a wider expansion gap where the boards meet the wall, could I get away without having an expansion gap where the boards on the flat part at the top meet the boards on the sloped section of the ceiling. I think it would look better if the boards in that section butted up against each other rather than installing molding to cover an expansion gap. On the other hand, it really could look like crap if things move. I will have molding at the top of he wall all around so I could cover an extra wide gap.
Thanks
Replies
maybe...
There are so many "ifs" in wood movement I doubt there is a definitive answer here.
If i was doing this as a paying job [think call back] i would make a cute little custom trim piece to cover the transition. it could be narrow and thin, maybe 1 1/4" wide and 5/16" thick, probably in a matching finish to blend in.
The expansion gap that is at a room's perimeter is to ensure that if there is extreme wood expansion at the perimeter the perimeter boards will not adversely impact verticle obstacles e.g. framing, pipes, etc. If there is extreme expansion at the center of a floor the boards will push against each other and buckle up......the perimeter expansion gap won't be providing any expansion relief for the center of the floor....the perimeter expansion gap provides expansion relief for the outer few rows of flooring. In your application the expansion gap on the wall won't service the flat area of the cathedral.
What is the wood species that you are installing? There are charts that will tell you how much your boards can potentially expand. If you acclimate your wood properly before installing, know how much it can potentially expand, control your household humidity level, and install with very slight gaps, if necessary, you should be ok with no real gap at the top. You could do a rabbet/ shiplap at the junction of the sloped and flat areas of the ceiling.