"Laminate or Hardwood Installation Tips Anyone?," in the Floorcovering Installation & Maintenance Tips forum, begins: "On a fastened wood floor, the board swells away from it's fastened position. But the angle of the fastener, along ..."
On a fastened wood floor, the board swells away from it's fastened position. But the angle of the fastener, along with the pressure from swelling with all the gaps between boards taken up and tight, will eventually push the floor towards the tongue side. Either pulling the fastener into the wood, or pushing the fastener out and up slightly.
That's why a buckle in the wood floor, is usually out in the installation and not right where the boards are along the walls. I have yet to see a buckled floor, from lack of acclimation, take up the expansion space. Pull a trim and the expansion is still there. Yet the floor is compression set and buckled.
Speaking of tips,.......
What do you do on the cut ends of quarter round? I have done the stain marker thing and it's o.k. but always turns out way darker. Now, I color the ends with putty. I can make any color I need. Just be sure to rub it in really good.
The ends of quarter round, as well as other base ends should be capped with a 45° cut and cap so that no end grain shows. At least that is how I was taught. No nailing required, just cut it, glue it and smooth up the sharp edge with some fine sandpaper and paint/stain & finish it. Details.
I thought you were referring to ends of base that were exposed, not that butted to an object. If it butts to an object, I don't do anything to the end of the base. If a tiny portion of the base is exposed where it butts to an object, I will bevel the corner of it back so that a mop or bump by a foot or something won't chip the base edge. Then, like you said, I will fill and stain the exposed edge.
Good tip Tony on using putty to color. I might just try that. I use the Woodwise filler kits that you can mix up custom colors.
What angle do you use for that? I use a 30 deg. angle most times. I also end cap like Jim, but not everywhere, just in certain places. If done correctly Tony's method looks equally as good.
Stairmedown2000......... Like it Tony? I keep forgetting to name tools before Jerry does.
You just reminded me that I have one of those things you just made......... it was really dusty, which tells you how often I do stairs in laminate.......... rarely.
I made up this one from 1/4 and 1/8 inch aluminium. The feet can be reused, and the long pices can be too, but might have to chop them down for a different sized stair. I made these for a specific job, so they only have a small amount of adjustment, I suppose 2 inches or so if I slotted instead of just oversized those holes in the long pieces.
There are two sets of feet, and if the walls are pretty straight, the small ones work for the initial transfer of the sides onto the laminate or wood. I drilled, tapped and countersunk the screws and added a drop of one tone glue to keep em from spinnin'
Here's the pics.
Not sure why I ended up with two different sets of feet..... The long ones can be awkward if the walls are not perpendicular to the stair treads.......... makes it hard to remove the template........... that may be why I have two sets of em.
............ that's my story and I'm stickin to it.
Just did a solid glue down and missed a few spots of glue .. tried everything , nothing .. i called their tech support and the guy that tests cleaners for their glue said to get a Mr clean magic eraser and use it in conjunction with wd 40 or mineral spirits .. Sum of a gun if it didn't do the job ..
this is a reply from Tandy when i asked if anyone used this glue before in a eariler post ..
Nick, I may be late answering your question, but APAC U-984 Universal is a Urethane Wood & Rubber Flooring Adhesive. It is recommended for 3-ply or 5-ply engineered plank, Parquet, Plywood, Acrylic Impregnated wood, solid plank flat milled, shorts, solid hardwood planks. It can also be used on recycled rubber tiles, rubber tiles, stair nosing, 3/4" subfloor underlayment.
I have been through their plant in Dalton, and it is a first class operation. Hope this helps and if you need more information let me know. [It is one tough glue .. Nick ..].
