I purchased 700 sq ft of hardwood and I do not know how to begin?! I am installing in the living room, dining room, and into the entry hallway. I drew a diagram but I do not know how to add it to the post. I will try to make due below.



* **********************************
*--------*--------------*-----------------------------*
*--------*--------------*-----------------------------*
*--Hall--*---Not-------*------Dining Room------*
*--------*---Included-*----------------------------*
*--------*--------------*-----------------------------*
*--------*--------------*-----------------------------*
*---------******************----------*****
*-----------------------*-----------------------------*
*---Entry Way--------------Living Room---------*
*------------------------------------------------------*
*-----------------------*-----------------------------*
***********************************

I hope my diagram is helpful. Let me explain a little more. The entry way is much smaller than what my diagram shows. The two tiny walls between the entry and living room are about 12 inches long. The walls/opening between the living room and the dining room are more like 3 feet long.

I plan on starting in the living room. Can I work from the living room wall and transition into the entry way and dining room without the use of a spline (didn even know what that was until I read every message on the board tonight). The joists run north to south so I am going to install the hardwood east to west in my diagram.

I am hoping I can lay the hardwood against the living room wall, transition to the entry way and work back towards the front of the house in the entry way area, and then towards the hallway, and also work from living room to dining room, transitioning through the opening. Is this going to work? Am I making a mistake?

Thank you so much for any assistance! My blood pressure is through the roof stressing about this install as I am new at it and spent $2,000 on hardwood!

As I read your installation plan, you will need some splines as you work backward around the stub wall to the entry. Sounds like you have a good plan. Also you might check threads on finishing with a header board at a transition to different flooring products. ie. carpet, tile, vinyl.

After I wrote the post I realized there probably was no way to get around that. I have a follow up question to that. When you reach the entry way and are making your way back towards the front of the house what do I do when I reach the front door? IE it is tongue and groove and I need to get the last piece of hardwood in? Like I said I have never done this before, but it seems like you wouldnt be able to get the last piece into the tongue and grove due to lack of space? Am I wrong?

Again than you to everyone that has offered their assistance!

You are leaving and expansion space, aren't you???

Floorguy,

Yes I plan on leaving a 1/2 space. Will that be enough room to get the tongue and groove locked and in place?

Also back to my original drawing. I measured the living room and it measures perfect. Do I need to measure from the living room all the way to the back of the dining room to make sure that is ok? Th emeasurements would only be about 4 feet apart through the opening between the rooms. I worry when I get to the back of the dinimg room wall it wont be straight?

I guess I am showing my inexperience. I spent all weekend pulling up the old flooring! What a job!

1/2 inch should be fine. It is not that hard to get that last piece in if you are good with a pry bar. Just a fair warning to you... don't forget to undercut the door jams!... do not try to cut the wood out around them... nobody is that skilled and it is always noticeable when floors don't extend under the jams. You probably know this, but just in case you missed it in your reading.