We just had our floor installed and we went with choice A. I like it. I suppose it's all personal preference though.

OK, Great pictures and "blueprint" type plans (whatever you call them). So the room next to the kitchen is open to the kitchen? No dividing wall? No island cabinet? If it's all an open area, then I'd go with option A, using the turned board as a header. Somehow, it just looks more pro and most of my customers have always preferred it that way. BTW, what are those little white dots I see on that last ripped board next to where the kitchen tile floor will start?

Thanks Gary, I got this program that is pretty neat, I'm still learning how to use it. The room next to the kitchen is the dining room, but it is completely open. There will be an island separating the two rooms.

Those little white dots are where I face-nailed those 2 strips of wood...I didn't know of a better way to hold them down. I do have PL400 under them also. I was just going to fill them in with putty after.

Judging by your question I'm going to assume that there was a much better way to accomplish this.

You bet. You can use your flooring stapler/blind nailer ( I forgot what you are using ) to blind nail that last course even though there is no tongue. I have done this forever and I'm sure any of the installers here will verify that this is the correct way to do it. The only time you should be face nailing a T&G floor is when you cannot blind nail, either by hand or with a machine nailer. So if you have enough wood, I'd remove that last ripped course, make up some more and this time, blind nail that ripped course with your nailing machine. Got it?

Oh.

I wish I knew that before hand.

It won't be much work to pull up them 2 little rows and give it another go. Hopefully that PL400 will let me actually pull them up. I didn't know I could blind nail without a tongue, good to know though!

I have both a pneumatic flooring stapler (MIIIFS), and a 15 gauge framing nailer (N62FNK-2). Which would be the better choice?

Do you mean finish nailer? I hope you're not installing your flooring with a framing nailer No, just use your M111 FS, just like your nailing down a full width board. The staple may not go completely flush but that doesn't matter. If it sticks out too far, just set it in with a set.

You didn't ask.

definatley turn a board for the header. looks much cleaner IMO. and listen to gary on the blind nailing. (I thought it was a temp board)

Yes sorry finish nailer, I don't know why I said framing nailer.

I will do as you guys said thanks!

Now I have to snap a 90* line off this existing wood. Do I somehow use the existing wood to pull the vertical I assume? If I just measure off the left-side wall, there is no guarantee that it will be square.

check to see how strait it would be measuring off the wall, and how strait it would be off the floor. Ideally I would go off the floor, but it doesnt always work. Id hate to see the board starit, but 3 inches differnce between the front of the kitchen and the back.

your "temp" board going into the kitchen, when you replace it, you may want to put a full piece down (instead of ripping it) then 45 the end, so it meets with the other turned board. (again Looks cleaner IMO) it doesnt seem that any flooring is in your way, and from the looks of it, it should be close to the end of the drywall in the kitchen.

Damn that's a good idea doing the 45, I don't know why I didn't think of that. I guess I was hung up on the "I need to end the row half-way across the wall". With a full board, will it be a big deal that it doesn't perfectly split the wall? I know one thing, doing 45s will pretty much fix the issue of "how do I get a 90?"

Man I love you guys. I will do that.

there is no set way as to ending non exisitant walls. I have ended them even with the outside drywall, the inside drywall, the stud, the center ect. It usually has something to do with what is next to it. If youre tile was in place, I would go to it ect.

If I had to guess you are going to be 1/2ish short of the drywall in the kitchen. So lay it out and see where you like it. You can always rip a small board in between the final board if you dont like where it lines up.

IE 2.25, 2.25, .75. 2.25, kitchen

and mitering the corners doesnt always make for a nice strait line. I suggest you tell your wify you need a 4,6 or 8 foot square, or some nice lasers.

I did lay out the rows a couple days ago to see where they would land; I guess a full row wouldn't be too bad; and probably the simplest way to do it. I don't think that I would like having a 3/4" strip in there; just one more thing for me to worry about or screw up.

I see what you are saying, sure the 45s might make a 90, but doesn't guarantee that it will all land square across the whole room? I'll have to find some pretty darn straight boards. I wonder if I can accurately do a 6-8-10 triangle on the floor with a tape measure and an extra set of hands to lay the line?

I do have lasers, but, don't know how to effectively use them. They were on sale. :p

Not from here, but this set:
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-77-500-In ... B000JJNIL0

belive it or not, this one I use on every install
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002V ... 6BC8V4MQD6
Beats using a chalk line for me.
A good strait chalk line would do the trick for your case, If you had a t-square (4 footer) laying around it would help, But no need top make another purchase of a tool you wouldnt get much use out of. Maybe you have a level or such?
getting that line nice and strait (and at 90) is pretty important, unless you feel like cutting the butt end of the begining of the row at 1-2 degrees (trust me thats a big no funner).

I wouldnt put the 3/4 board in either, just giving you options. But I would surley make the "temp" row a full board.
Typically if you try to 45 a 1.5 board, and a 2.25 board it looks a little out of place

I've got a roughly 2' x 3' square, a 4' level, and also one of those drywall T-squares that's got a 4' edge and a ~2' edge.

Not sure what exactly to do with the laser I guess...I'm all ears.

Drive a small nail into the subfloor where the edge of the turned header board meets the field boards (where it begins). Hook your string line on it and stretch out the string roughly perpendicular to the floor (parallel with the turned header board) Drive another small at the end of the header board run and hook the string around that. Keep it taut. Now measure 8' from the intersection of the string and the floor down the string line and mark that spot on the subfloor. Measure 6' along the last course of installed floor boards and mark that spot on the subfloor. Take your tape measure and measure diagonally from both marked spots. You must be accurate. The measurement needs to be exactly 10' from both spots. Too little? Move your string line out, away from the kitchen. Measurement to great? Move the line in till it's exactly 10'. Now when you get that 10" measurement, place a mark on the subfloor exactly where the string is at the furthest place away from the string/floor intersection (near your second nail). Now you have two points (the header boarder/floor intersection and the mark on the subfloor) with which to snap a good chalk line. Snap it. Measure off the walls to check parallel (just to ensure it's sorta parallel with the wall; need not be perfect) but it needs to be a pretty perfect 90 with the floor. Use a good carpenter's square and a straight board to double check it. Line up the square with the installed flooring and along your snapped line. Place the straight board flush and parallel with the side of the square to extend it. If the board stays pretty much right on your snapped chalk line, you've got a 90 degree line to lay that turned header board. Miter the ends where they interest as Jay suggested and lay the header board but do NOT face nail it. Install backer boards behind it to keep it on the line as you toe nail it through the tongue with your finish nailer. Don't use the M111 FS on this board. It could knock it off the line. Once you've finished nailing it down through the tongue (which should be facing AWAY from the kitchen and toward your other room), leave the backer boards in place for now. You will nail into the groove of that header board later. Now you have a tongue to receive the end butt grooves of the field boards. Lay out carefully as now, when you cut a board to length, you will NOT be able to use it as a starter unless you groove the end and bevel that cut like a factory board. Once the room is completed, remove the backer boards and using your M111 FS, nail into the groove of your header board down the whole length, every 8". This will anchor the groove side of your header board.