The plan: 1/2" Thick 5" x 48" engineered planks using a nail down install on 3/4" CDX. I want a simple border. The thought is 2 planks of the dark field color, 1 plank of a lighter shade, then the field. Mitered corners.

I'm strugling with the decision to start with the field, and then do the border, or do a traditional "one side to the other" install and building border into it as I go along. Exact measurements, which I haven't taken yet, will be part of the decision process, but input is valued. My gut feeling is to build the border as I go. This is due mainly to the fact that I'm very hesitant to get the floor 80% done and then take a circular saw or router to it. Valid concern, or am I just being a wuss? In normal construction I can't cut a straight line with a circular saw to save my life. A straight edge would undoubtedly help, but the thought still bothers me.

I searched, but the only similar question I found dealt with a diagonal install and the answer was definitely start with the field. I couldn't find this answered in regard to a traditional install.

Input is appreciated. I hope I'm not being too much of a noob...

Is this floor prefinished?

Yep - Prefinished 1/2" engineered. The top layer is Oak, but it being an engineered floor I'm not sure if that matters.


Also, I've got a tangent question on subfloor prep. Most of the area I'm replaceing is carpet, with 3/4" CDX below it. The foyer though is done in a Parkay that I believe is glued down. Rather than removing the glued down parkay, I am considering adding 1/4" underlayment to the carpeted areas to shore it up, and then laying the floor over that and the parkay. I'll pull the parkay out if that's the right thing to do, but if I can avoid removing it 'd like to. This will have a side benefit later of having a total 3/4" height above the subfloor, which will match the 3/4" of the future tile job (1/2" Concrete backer board + 1/4" tile).

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OK, let's get at it,

First, the parquet must be firmly attached everywhere with no loose blocks. If there are any loose ones, you can reglue them. Then you can nail over the parquet. I guess you will be using 1/4" plywood to fur up the existing subfloor to the parquet. Attach that well with staples.

Now to the border. Because you are using an engineered (veneered) flooring, the idea of running the field long and trimming it off concerns me due to potential chipping of the cut. If you carefully install a temporary guide (fence) to guide the cutting tool (saw or router), it is possible. There are tricks to cutting this without chipping the surface. A router with a QUALITY carbide dado bit could make this cut. IMO, I think it will turn out better to run the field long and trim it off IF you make every effort to protect the floor form damage from cutting. This is a high skill job and you only get one shot at it. You must do it right the first time OR your border is going to get bigger as you have to recut.. As for the border, find a grooving bit that will match the groove of your flooring and rout a groove all around the now trimmed field. Install your custom made slip tongue (spline) and glue it in place. Toe nail through that. Now you are ready to install your border with fitting the groove of the border boards into the spline you just installed. Blind nail what you can then glue the rest. You don't want to see the edges peppered with face nails. Good luck, you'll need it.

So is building the border as I go doing a traditional side to side install just an over all bad idea? It seems like the install would go slower, but with less chance for mistakes. Things like a miter that doesn't end up perfectly in the corner would bug the heck out of me, and that kind of details seems easier to get right building the border as I go.

I appreciate the help and the well wishes!

Actually, in my experience, the way you are describing is the most difficult to get right. You can center the fields perfectly and trim it perfectly easier in the method I described. Actually, the method I described is the prefered way. Making miters in the corners is simply a matter of making test cuts to see which angle you'll need; a 45, a 46.5 a 45.5, etc. Quite simple compared to the rest of the job. Plus, by laying the field first, you can square it up before you trim it so the miters will be a perfect (or close to it) 45 degrees. See what I mean?

Gotcha. I was not seeing the forest for the trees. I was worried about how to force a 45 into the corner and not even considering that you can tweak the cut dimension. I suppose that's why you're an expert and I'm a noob.

As for cutting the random ends of the field square, is a circular saw or router the preffered method? I feel more comfortable using a router for precision work.

Finally, just because I'm a glutton for punishment, the plan is to lay a continuous floor through the adjoining living room and dining room, with seperate borders in each. I'm guessing I should lay both fields and then fill in from both directions using a spline and face nailing where they meet. Is this correct?

Any thoughts?

Yes, you have it correctly. You can substitute glue/adhesive instead of facenails for the final board between the two floors in the doorway.