We’ve got a tile floor down in the kitchen. It’s now time to put down the wide plank pine floor in the family room, that buts upgainst the tile. Due mainly (ok entirely) to my poor planing, the tile will sit about 3/16″ higher than the wood floor.
My initial though is to get some thicker planks from the supplier that I could run along beside the tile. I would plane / sand them on an angle to that they made up the difference in height between the rest of the plank floor and the tile.
I’ll be doing the installation myself but hireing someone to do the finishing. Is the “angled” piece likely to drive my floor finisher nuts – and thereby result in either a high price or poor finish?
Any better suggestions?
Thanks
Replies
Just make a threshold. Usually there is a transition between two different flooring materials anyway. This is normal. Plus it is always good to protect the edge of tiles. Rabbet out the bottom of the threshold so it goes over the tile.
Caleb, durabond5 is correct- usually, there is some sort of transition piece/threshold separating different flooring materials. Shouldn't be any trouble for the floor finisher. If it is a separate piece, we usually leave it off, prefinish it, then fasten it down after the final coat is applied to the floor.
Otherwise, you could cover the family room floor with 1/4" luan or other underlayment plywood. These usually run just over 3/16" thick, so your heights should end up very close. You should leave a small expansion gap between the two floors. This can be filled with cork, or you could get sanded caulk color matched to your tile grout.
Mike
Maybe you could compromise between the transition saddle idea and furring out the whole floor. If you made a three foot wide shimming upon the subfloor, you could dial in the transition in a fashion that would permit the floor refinishers to do their usual thing.
Choosing this option could be good if you are dealing with some funky levels already because you are remodelling. If you are talking about dead level new construction, I would go for shimming the whole floor with a little smackerel of something.
If the finishers are smart they'll be using random-orbit floor sanders, especially on pine. In that case, the mis-match height is no issue as the sander can ride right up to the tile.
Once all is finished, a transition moulding is nailed or screwed to the wood covering the joint and blending the two levels. These are usually available in metal or hardwood, and there are models that actually set under the tile edge--although they are easier to install if done at the same time as the tile is laid. If you want to match the pine itself, you'll probably have to make the moulding yourself with a few creative passes on a shaper.
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
If it is only 3/16 higher put luan down prior to your finish planking and thia will raise you up the 3/16 you need.
Thanks for the suggestions, I think I'll probably go with luan on the entire floor.
If you were doing this, how would you fasten the luan. The subfloor is 3/4" osb? Screws, nails, glue?
Thanks again
I just did two floors with luan underlayment...rented a narrow crown stapler for one and used 2" staples. Fast, but didn't hold down as well as method #2....1 1/2" shingle nails. Made a template from a luan off cut with markings at 4" and 6". Used that to mark 4" on all edges and 6" in the field. Brought in the relatives with lots of hammers. You could tell the shingle nail method was better just by walking on the two floors.
I also tried ring shank underlayment nails, but 1 out of 4 would bend over or break.
Ditto on making your own threshholds. The rabbits can be done even on a table saw...creativly.
Edited 10/27/2004 8:20 am ET by johnnyd
don't skin the whole floor in luan, just fabricate threshold piece out of flooring material to butt up to the tile underlay it w matched sized piece of 1/8" material, paneling or masonite glue and fasten 1/8" stock in position then glue/facenail threshold on top 1/8" plus glue beads and you match height difference against tile
**run the threshold through table saw to remove the tongue; then the entire groove so there's no void for sander to burn into, or a weak edge **light sand edge to tile before install so it's not sharp finisher can edge sand easy along raised edge of threshold to match face w flooring height
wouldn't run flooring over tile, weak edge will break off leave same grout spacing used on tile floor, grout between threshold for clean appearance sanded side toward tile won't catch feet
How about this:
Get a piece of luan about a foot and a half wide by a couple feet wider than the door. Glue it down alongside the door and centered, using aliphatic resin. The next day, take a coarse belt on the belt sander, and sand the luan in place to make a gradual transition from full thickness at the door down to roughly 1/16" at the edges. Since you're putting thick planks over it, this very slight hump will be pretty much unnoticeable. 3/16" isn't really all that big a deal in floor height across a door.
-- J.S.
Go with the luan....forget the threshold, saddle transition strip.
EDIT: I really need to raise the resolution on this thing.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Edited 10/27/2004 10:39 pm ET by JAYBIRD