<font color="purple"> I think the thresholds would look good at the kitchen and hallway, but in between rooms just continue the course </font color>
I just got back online to change my vote on the LR-DR threshold, in favor of one, since the other doorways have them. But after reading through yours, Carl, I think my original thought, and yours, is better...to let the wood flooring run right through. Mainly because in this door it would be with the grain of the floor.
If a threshold is used in this doorway, the floor can be made to match up in the DR-Kitchen door by beginning in the DR with the width the board would have been if the floor ran through.
What do you do with a threshold when the floor on both sides is the same thickness, and no reduction is required from one floor to the other? Just let it stick up a little with a gentle bevel return to each floor?
Looks like you have the idea and I don't see anything wrong with your plan. I would not run a threshold between the living and dining room. I would run a threshold between the kitchen and dining room as well as the hall and living room. I do have a suggestion for you to consider. When it comes time to do the hall, would you consider changing directions in the hall and killing it at the entry to the kitchen. My personal preference for hallways is to see the wood direction run the length of the hall. I feel like it leads the eye and adds depth to the look of the house as well as a visual separation between the hall and formal spaces. As a side benefit it solves the problem of floors laid at different times lining up. Another benefit to either changing directions or using thresholds at the entries is that if one area of flooring wears faster, family room and kitchen get much more traffic, than others they can be sanded and refinished separately. If the floor is continuous you are pretty much at an all or nothing situation for refinishing.
Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing, when you say threshold do you mean a piece that is flush with the finish floor or one that sits on top of the finished floor. I always use what I refer to as a transition piece that is flush with the finished floor. This can be a piece of flooring that is turned the other direction or a contrasting piece of wood for an accent. It is another personal preference item but I don't like places to stub your toe if it is not needed.
I'll try to hit on a couple of other things mentioned. Hank has a good point about joining two floor areas together at different times. That is very difficult to do even under the best conditions. The transition strips/ thresholds can solve that. Hardwood floors in kitchens are very popular down this way. We have done hundreds of them and I would not have anything else in my own house. Steve, if you are concerned about remaining straight on a long starter run, you can use a chalk line and make a reference to work off of. I do believe the way you are starting it will be fine. Carl is right and polyurethane will darken or amber as time goes on. I don't think this will be as big of issue with the prefinished floor. If you do see a variation don't get to upset. The new will blend with the old within a couple of months.
We are out the door and heading to the mountain house. My tractor gets upset if I don't visit once a week. I'll check in next Monday if any questions come up. Have a good weekend everyone.
<font color="blue"> Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing, when you say threshold do you mean a piece that is flush with the finish floor or one that sits on top of the finished floor. </font color>
I'm going for flush. There may be a toe stubber temporarily (I think the laminate flooring is 3/8) but will disappear when the rest of the rooms get floored.
<font color="blue"> We are out the door and heading to the mountain house. My tractor gets upset if I don't visit once a week. I'll check in next Monday if any questions come up. Have a good weekend everyone.
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I don't think I will get any seat time this weekend [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] But I will get to use some other tools [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Thanks again for your help. Enjoy your tractor time.
When I was installing the flooring in our home I found a pull saw at Lowes. It is flexible and worked great for doing the casings. I had always used a back saw or a small hand saw but this double sided saw made it a lot easier.
Very instructional thread so far, especially with Mark's expert input. I am learning a lot, which I will probably never use [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] (our new house is all ceramic tile being installed by the builder), but learning just for learning's sake is fun for me. Many techniques have come out that can be used in other applications.
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