I have a very old house, there is nothing square, plumb or level but we call it home. We are going to install bruce hardwood flooring over the existing floor which will be sanded smooth. One major stumbling block, I know about leaving the space around the walls for expansion and contraction. We have two shaved pine logs supporting the ceiling in between two rooms. How would I deal with the gap around these. They are big enough I could saw and chisel a relief around them at the bottom but it would be quite a chore. Is there anything else I could do? Also the next stumbling block is it is a 4 room house the interior walls form a + with door ways between all rooms. Would it be best to start somewhere in the middle using the first board with a spline making two tounges or start at a long wall and hope the rows all line up when i get to the last two rooms?
Hillbilly 1955

Leave an expansion gap around those posts then fill the gap with a flexible colored caulking.

in stead of putty they have moldings that are for this , it is like efis that is for the out side but is designed for this on the inside it is cheap and looks great , you can paint them any color , and them come in many stles , if you cant find them let me know and i will e-mail you there web site
good luck
tommy

Tommy,
So far I haven't been able to locate the trim you were talking about, could you get me a web site?

hey try this guy tell him tom collins told you to call ,this maybe to small for him but he can lead you to the rigt peoplehis name is bill battles #727-781-4963 and let him know what you need ,he's a real nice guy so you are in good hands with him

Ray,
Yes the existing floor is run diagonal in the house and it is tounge and groove also. It is pretty beat up, partially painted etc. We are going to rough sand it down to as level as we can get it. We are going to put 30lb roofing felt over the floor and then lay the new floor parrallel to the walls. I guess it won't be 90 degrees to the existing floor but 45 degrees. We'll rent the nailer from the local rental yard. As far as the post is concerned, since this is a rustic style home, why not undercut the logs the best we can and then get a rope tack it in place for trim and polyurethane the rope to cover the gap. That sounds like it might just work and look good in the long run.
The house is square, it has 4 rooms two walls running in one direction and one running in the oppisite direction in the middle of the house. Just like a + sign all the rooms are connected and when I start laying the floor through the doorways, I'll surely have to change directions to finish part of the rooms. I guess this is where I'll have to add a spline and finish in the oppisite direction I was going. Thanks to everyone for their help.
hillbilly1955

that sounds like it would look nice , send some pics when its done would like to see it, i have a few log homes to do this fall