Please be gentle as this is my first post and first hardwood floor installation. I have found out a lot from everyone by reading post after post. I have already purchased a prefinished 3/8" x 3" Brazilian Cherry. Yes, it is from LL. I didn't realize all of the issues from posts until after it was already purchased. Anyways, I have to move on.

I plan on putting a 3/8" brazilian cherry with a 3/8" x 3" clear maple border around the exterior of the room. By the way the room to the left is hardwood clear maple.

The room I am reflooring has a fireplace on the longest exterior wall and one entry on the other long wall. The short walls are cross floor joists. The one has three windows the other has pocket doors to the living room. Where should I start and which way should I lay.



I was hoping some one could help me so I don't run into massive problems and forgo frustration. I had thought about a basket weave pattern for the corners of the the first exterior rows of cherry before the border.

I am also going to buy a floor runner type pneumatic nailer to make installation a lot easier. Any specific ones better than others - I had been looking at the spotnails WS4840W2. How much of a gap should I leave around the exterior and Fireplace? How about a recommendation on a blade for the saw - how many teeth to cut prefinished smoothly? Any other tips from the experts here would be greatly appreciated. Man am I glad I visited this site before I started installtion. Thank you greatly for your help

As far as your pattern work. I don't have enough experience with patterns yet to give you clear directions.

As to your questions about expansion gaps. Consult you installation instructions. You purchased a pre-finished floor for a reason. Among them must have been the warranty. To maintain that warranty you will need to follow your manufacturers recommendations. I have seen a wide variety of installation instructions about gapping. From allowing you to fit the flooring net to 1/2".

As to your saw blade. The number of teeth will depend upon the size of your blade. I use the El Diablo finish blades. But any fine finish/trim blade will serve you well.

Expansions gaps are normally equal to the thickness of the product. Being it is engineered you don't have the issues a solid does. Are you planning to undercut the hearth?

Basket weaves (log cabin) corners are probably the best way to do it. Mitering the corners is more susceptible to gapping open.

The flooring should run perpendicular to the floor joist or on a diagonal. Diagonals look very nice with a contrasting border.

I have the Spotnails gun and am very happy with it.

Thank you very much for your replies. For clarification, the floor I'm installing is a solid 3/8" floor.

If I remember right thats a glue down prouduct which being a thin solid will need a full urathane glue. Not to say that you coudnt and actually might be better off nailing it down, it just might void the worthless warranty. also the floor needs to run opposite the floor joist to minimize deflection.

I verified with the sales people at LL and they said either glue or nail either would not void the warranty. I think it would be better to nail than glue. Wouldn't the wood tend to gain moisture content from the glue while laying the floor? I still intend to nail/staple. I think I'm going to go with the spotnail floor runner style.

Thank you very much for your input. Can anyone start me on the righ track as to how to begin to lay this floor. Where should I start?

Thanks for any help

Kevin

There is another thread where Gary is addressing this ... http://www.hardwoodflooringtalk.com/php ... php?t=6147