I'm almost 1,000 sq ft into a DIY install of 5" engineerd maple planks (distressed with micro-bevel). It's a glue-down over concrete slab. So far things have gone pretty well. I should also mention that I'm installing on a 45 degree angle to room dimensions.

I've come up to the kitchen island now. How can I get the planks from one side of the island to line up with those on the back side? Last night I dry-fit the whole island area only to find that when the tow sides met, they were off by about 1/4" - just about the width of the tongue.

I was thinking of ripping the edge (groove side) off one of the planks and the same amount off the tongue on the adjacent plank. Maybe not the full 1/4" in one pass but an 1/8" on one course and 1/8" on another. Is this an appropriate soultion? If not, then how should I proceed to fix this?

If it makes any difference, we're going to have the same scenario as we enter the dining room from both the kitchen and the hallway. Is there any way to prevent this same problem in that area?

Thanks in advance,
Joe

Little gaps add up. Keep the floor tight and use 3M blue tape. I also use a very soft rubber mallet especially made for installing prefinished, with a tweak it as you smack flat down method. It will tighten up some floor.

1/128" gap in 16 boards, is an 1/8"

Thanks Floorguy. We have been pounding the planks in (with said rubber mallet) and taping them all along - every 3-4 planks get whacked together and taped. Until we got around this island, everything has looked great.

But I'm still left with a 1/8-1/4" gap at the end of the island. Any suggestion on how to *fix* this?

Can the island be pulled up and the floor run under it? Might be overkill, but the gaps are sure to align.

No, pulling the island is not a (practical) option.

I ripped two planks on the back side of the island then cut a new groove with a 3/16 router. Then I sanded the cut edge to match the bevel on the other boards and have tried a few stains looking to match the color of the rest of the plank. Once we get the color matched, you won't even be able to tell it was cut.

Hopefully I won't have to do that again...