Wood – Where should I start laying a nail down hardwood floor in this room

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I am planning on installing a nail-down 2 1/4" hardwood floor in our great room. Each wall of the room has an "interruption", so I'm wondering where the best place to start is. One side has a large doorway into the entryway and a built-in bookshelf, another has huge sliding glass doors, another has a large brick fireplace, and the last wall has a doorway into the kitchen (see layout picture). Any idea on the best place to start? Thanks for any advice.

Best Answer

I'd start in front of the fireplace with a parallel line off the same wall. Work it out so that you have a reasonably-sized finisher strip at the wall.

You could also do the reverse and start at the bookshelves, but then you're travelling over your work for most of the job.

But this is a subjective question, so expect a variety of opinions.

Related Solutions

Wood – Where should I start laying nail down hardwood flooring and how to make it straight

First, remember to lay your wood perpendicular to the floor joists. Laying it parallel can cause a waving effect which is unpleasant.

Next, find the longest, longest, straightest wall which is perpendicular to the joists. Measure out two feet from the wall all the way down the wall. Then find the best line down these marks, snap a chalk line, Measure back to the wall about 23 and 5/8 inches. Snap a this line. Line up your first run of floor against this line, tongue side out (nail through the tongue).

As for room to room, if they are really out of square with each other, try building a transition between rooms:

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This allows you to lay each room separately, allowing each room to be square.

Flooring – How to cut a brick fireplace hearth to allow for a laminate flooring expansion gap

While this will not directly answer your question, I'd like to offer an alternative solution.

Modify Existing Molding

If it were me. I'd get some transition molding, with a profile like this.

Example molding

I'd then set up my table saw to rip the piece, to remove the angle profile on the back edge.

Rip Line

Which would give me a profile like this.

Trimmed molding profile

Once I had my molding ripped to size, I'd create a border around the hearth using 45° butt joints.

Molding frame

When installing the flooring, I'd stop short of the hearth to compensate for my expansion gap and the thickness of the moldings leg (the piece that hangs down). Once the flooring was installed, I'd install my molding.

Final Rendering

The molding allows the floor to expand and contract, while also providing an attractive transition between wood and brick.

_{Note: If you match the molding color to the flooring color, the transition will be less noticeable.}