I will soon be installing some prefinished 3/4" hardwood strip flooring that has a micro-beveled edge. I've read Don Bollinger's HARDWOOD FLOORS book and accompanying installation video Laying Hardwood Floors, and learned how to taper boards in order to adjust for rooms that are out-of-square (not parallel). But if I take off even 1/16" of an edge of a strip I'll end up losing the bevel, which I would think would look odd next to a strip that does still have its bevel. (Don's examples dealt with unfinished strips). But since it's prefinished it's not like I can easily make my own bevel!

What is usually done in these situations? Everywhere I turn resellers are saying that prefinished strip flooring is easier to install than site-finished flooring, but if you take out the finishing stage it's looking to me like it's harder to get a professional-looking floor if prefinished strips are used.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated,
Scott

Well,
You touch on some interesting problems. In some cases, installing unfinished flooring is easier because one can be a little more creative in the design and also, you get to use FILLER, which compensates for flaws in the milling of the wood. With prefinished flooring, it is often milled better and straighter than unfinished, although not perfect. So you still need to cull out flawed boards. As to installing in a room out of paralell, this is what I do. If it is out by only a 1/4" or so, I don't sweat that. I start off an outside wall as they are usually the straightest. If the room is off by a larger amount, then I split the difference. Let's say your room is off by 1" ( larger at one end than the other ). You can measure out from your starting wall 1/2" greater on the end that is wider. You then rip your starter course to fit this line that is 1/2" off. The baseboards/shoe mold will cover the rip. This will split the difference in half. Focal point is important when considering this. If the entry to the room is along one wall and the further wall will be covered with sofa, bookcase, ect. it may be better to run the floor straight with the wall that is the most noticable. In a house that is built out of square, there's not much one can do. What if it were tile? Same problem. Or vinyl with a square pattern? See what I mean. You try to hide the flaw where it will be least noticable; and that is along the walls and under furniture. Good luck.

Thanks for the quick reply, Gary.

Yes, what you've described is the gameplan I've been planning on working under. I had hoped to taper the 1" that my ending wall would be off by 1/8" over the last eight boards as the professionals that I've talked to do with their unfinished strips, but it sounds like this isn't feasible for my pre-finished beveled strips. I can live with that, though it isn't ideal.

A bigger concern of mine is that some of the professionals I've tried to glean some knowledge from say that if they see the line of the installed flooring start to get out of line a little they ever so slightly rip strips until it's perfect again (once again, unfinished strips). I'm worried that if I can't keep my line perfectly straight that I won't be able to correct it in mid-stream since I need to preserve the beveled egdes of my strips (especially in the middle of a room!).

Then again, maybe if it is milled better as you said I won't run into as many waviness issues.

You can also do what is called "cheating it"

A small 1/32 of a gap on the end each row, on the wider end of the room will make up an inch in 32 boards. as will a 1/64, in 64 boards.


I've cheated to make up for a bad framing mistake of 3½" once.
Came out perfect!!!
I made the homeowner well aware of the concern, before I laid the first board, and told her how I was going to handle it. She was so thrilled I was able to make it look square.

It was a micro bevel, Mannington Brazillian Cherry

That makes sense, Floorguy...thanks!

I had read about someone doing that somewhere, but I didn't know if the floor would look "gappy" with prefinished strips. I suppose the lighter the wood the more noticable it would be.

I think I had read that they used a sheet of tin as a spacer while nailing the boards...is that what you do or is there a better way to ensure an even 1/32" or 1/64"?

I've used metal putty knifes as "spacers" to cheat the width. The handles make them easier to remove after nailing. You can use anything. People have used dimes, washers, etc. The trick to keeping a floor straight is to check it every so often and make minor adjustments as needed.

Why not simply taper a boaard in the doorway?

Cheating? Yeah, you can " cheat" when running through a diagonal hall.

Cheat a room by spacing the ends?




Straight rips?