I'm installing prefinished hardwood flooring parallel to a bathroom that has a marble threshold. The threshold is about 1/4' above the floor. Whats the best method to keep the boards as close to the threshold as possible and still allow for expansion?

Thanks in advance, Lloyd

If it's in a hallway with a parallel wall only three foot away, I'd fit it tight. You have space on the opposite wall for it to move it it wants to.

Its actually in my bedroom and the opposite wall is 13 feet away. Would you still fit it tight?>\

Would need to see the layout. If your not tight fitting opposite to the marble...a lot of times you can comfortably add a little extra expansion space at the opposite locations.

Or you can use an overlap transition moulding, allowing expansion at the marble, (if not wood, maybe a marble threshold). That being said, I don't like wood transitions, tight fit is a cleaner look. But you need to weigh out the situation, ie. layout, product, conditions, etc.

If it's engineered, no problem depending on species. Solid, depends on species, gluing and fastening and width of the wood planks.

I have a similar situation for 2 bathrooms. I'm installing 2 1/4" t&g red oak. One bathroom is directly across from the stair landing which is 7 feet away. There is no expansion room as the landing nosing will be holding the flooring tight. Still butt floor board tight to marble threshold? Second bathroom has a bedroom door directly across from it which is 9 feet away. The bedroom door has a flush threshold which is parallel to all the flooring between it and the bathroom marble threshold. Butt floor board tight to this marble threshold?

I would but against everything. a hall isn't going to expand enough to be a problem.

I'm kind of obsessive when it comes to following directions and I did want the expansion gap so here's what I did. Marble threshold is 3/8" higher than new hardwood floor so I ripped a piece of flooring to 3/8" thick for my transition/reducer. Marble threshold has 45 degree chamfer on its edge so I cut a 45 degree chamfer on the edge of my transition/reducer. I cut a 15 degree chamfer on the face of my transition/reducer. I cut a piece of flooring 1/2" wide and attached it to the subfloor against the marble.....this will support the edge of the transition reducer that abutts the marble. I left a 3/4" expansion gap between and hardwood flooring and the 1/2" flooring strip that is against the marble. The transition/reducer is 1 3/4" wide so its edges sit on the 1/2" hardwood strip against the marble and the opposite edge sits on the finished hardwood floor. The transition/reducer fits against the marble with a scarf joint. I cut the ends to fit to the door jamb and molding.

You are going to be pretty safe going in tight.



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At least 1/8" spacers with a matching caulk. If natural oak get cedar tan colored caulk. You should be able to get it siliconized and non-siliconized (you will want to coat that bead of caulk if it is not siliconized, and you do not want to use silicone if you plan on refinishing it at any time.) "Pretty safe" scares me, unless you want to re-do your tile. In a 13' room with 2.25" boards if each board expanded 1/50th of an inch you will have over 1.25" of total expansion. You cannot force that expansion in only one direction. Wood floors have and will push a cinder block wall out.

I have some pictures. How do I add them?