I am preparing for a floating installation of 900 sq ft of Shaw engineered hardwood for an entire ground floor. I would like to do it so it flows from room to room. I am looking for advice on where to start or any advice in general. Here is the layout of the floor:




Thanks in advance.

Oh boy! You get to wrap around a large area and meet up again!

If it was me I'd start at the top wall, left to right and wrap around the kitchen to the hallway. Your going to have to stay very straight or it will not meet. Course you could use a T-strip at the kitchen doorways and most likely they will say to use them anyway if the doorways are less that 4 ft.

Thanks for the response. After posting I came across your your article "Wrapping Around a Wall With Hardwood Using Control Lines" - there are some great tips in there - thanks for posting it. The area I have to wrap around is about 12 ft deep so that would be a lot of stacking before getting to the row that runs all the way through the kitchen and dining room. Is that how you would do it ?

The kitchen doorways are only 30" so I may need to use the T-strips there anyway although I would prefer not to. I have additional clearance under the sheetrock everywhere for expansion in addition to the 1/2" I'll be leaving from the sheetrock into the room, so that may help me a little.

In your article I see you used straps. Do you use a tack strip when starting and clamp to that or just regular boards and clamp them together? In a floating installation, it seems like the whole glued section could get cocked.

Thanks again.

Well, thank you. How did you find that article?

You might actually be using the same floor I was. Which would be a good thing because if it is the engineered laminated to a HDF core, that is some straight flooring. I only used the straps to keep it snug, not tight as it fit like a glove.
The Shaw flooring was float, glue, nail. But very weird if you nail it you nail from the groove side. Freaking crazy if you ask me.

I went through two 30 inch doorways as well. I just make people sign off on it if thats what they want. And pay me to come pop in a T- if need be but it is pretty stable stuff.....wait that was hickory. lol

When I started I strapped three rows together and let them set up for an hour before proceeding.

Hi Steve, I found that article from a link you posted in another thread on this forum: http://www.hardwoodflooringtalk.com/forum/need-tips-floating-engineered-hardwood-multiple-rooms-t9817.html?hilit=article

I'm the homeowner here so I guess I'll sign off on it

I'll give it a shot and see if I am able to get it to line up. If not I can go with the T-Strips. If I'm able to get it to line up and start to see problems I can come back and put in the T-strips. (That's what you were saying, right?).

It might be the same type of floor. Mine is hickory as well ( http://shawfloors.com/hardwood-floorsDetails/viewall/Shaw_Hardwoods/Engineered/Brushed_Suede_SW226-Parchment. )

What was the lol for on the hickory? Forgive the questions. . I'm a flooring newbie.