I am laying tongue and groove white oak floor in the 10 x 14 bedroom of my 101 year old house. I want to use a 10-row log cabin border because I prefer this floor design to any other and because I want the bedroom floor to be consistent with the rest of the house. I want to nail the boards on the tongue side of the boards as much as possible of course. I plan on laying the border first, one row at a time, all around the room, coming out from the wall in all four directions (to make sure the corners are well-fitted and perpendicular) with the tongue side of the boards facing toward the center. But I understand that the expansion of wood across the grain goes in the direction of the tongue. If all the tongues face in to the centerline will the wood, when feels like moving, crash and create expansion problems even if I have a proper expansion gap on both sides of the room? Do the tongues have to either face in the same direction or go out from the center?
I can’t figure out how to do the border with the tongues facing the walls unless I start with the 10th row out and move toward the wall. How is a log cabin pattern normally laid by an expert? I have Don Bollinger’s excellent book and video concerning hardwood floors and find them both immensely helpful but I need detailed help understanding the proper way to lay a floor with a log cabin pattern, as you can tell.
Thanks for any advice.
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I have never laid one, but have demoed a couple. They were done by laying the center of the floor first and then laying out.
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Thank you, Piffin. I will see how that works.
I don't know what log cabin 'look' is, but Piffin is probably right about starting in the center etc............In my (about 1400sq') cabin I did the entire floor area in white oak and have had very little shrinkage/expansion problem...white oak is a very good floor for that not happening.And mine is just oiled cause I wanted it to look 30 years old the day after I layed it ......and it does.
JJ thank you very much. That sounds great.
Dennis
A log cabin floor pattern looks like this
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looks like a lot of work to me!
It does add to it.I'm not sure if this is the proper history behind it or not, but a lot of older homes had a rug in the center with only a coupler of feet showing around the perimeter of the wood floor. Sometimes, the center would be plain old pine painted or even unfinished, and the log cabine around the outside would be nicer oak or whatever all polished up. of course, this was in the days before powered floor finishing machines so hand sanding would be how it got finished too, so eliminating 75% of the area to be finished would actually be less work.
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i've always heard that method of installation reffered to as "herring bone", i was initially confused, thinking. " wow, talk about a toe stubber!
Herringbone laps like that, but is made up of equal length shorter pieces.
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i'm not sure i follow. i would have reffered to this floor as a herringbone border, is this wrong? would it be too much trouble to post a design pic of what you're describing. i just can't visualize the difference.
thanks
http://www.atdg.com/parquet/herringbone_hardwood_floor-1101232444.jpghttp://www.corkfloor.com/images/herringbone.jpgWith log cabin, the lap pattern is only att he four corners of th eroom, but with herringbone, the pattern of cross lapps continues in the entire floor at even short intervals repeated throughout.
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ok, i see. thanks for the pics. i was unaware that there was a flooring design that was called "log cabin cornered" when i stop learning i'll gargle drano.
The wood flooring will expand across the grain. Which means it will expand toward the tongue, AND toward the groove at the same time. It expands very little the long way.
Unless you are absolutely determined to have exactly 10 roows for a border, here's a better way to lay it out: Mark off the 10 rows, then measure the center area, and adjust it as needed so there are an even number of full boards. If you do it your way, you could end up needing to rip a board to an inch or so to fill the left over space in the middle. better to have half a board along the wall.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
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Thanks Fast Eddie,
Your advice gives me more perspective on the problem. I did plan to have a center rip of about 1 inch-this is the way they they did it in each room of the rest of the house (putting th odd width in the exact center). One of the long walls is to the outside and I need to close-fit my flooring to the threshold (French doors) going outside. On the other side of the room is the doorway to the hallway and I thought I need a full board along that wall too. But with your help I continue to re-think (and re-measure) the project from all angles. This is a very interesting undertaking.
I also like your quotes.
Dennis
Dennis