Hardwood Expansion Joint Around Fireplace

[morleyw]

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Hello Everyone
I am installing 3 1/4" x 3/4" prefinished oak in a fairly open 4 room area of 26' x 40'
The hardwood is running parallel to the 26' wall.
There is an island brick fireplace that is 6'x8' with the leading 6' edge about 5' out from the 26' wall.
I am thinking of installing a hardwood border around the fireplace and then installing the flooring tight to the border.
Do I need an expansion joint between the border & the brick or?
I do do not want to install a trim board over the border to cover the gap between the brick & the border.
Will I have to sawcut the brick so that the border can fit under the brick?
Do I need any gap between the border & the wood flooring?
Is any gap at the fireplace really necessary?
Thanks in advance

[Jerry Thomas]

I'll just suggest the way I would approach this, and that would be to undercut the brick so the border would extend underneath a little but still offer some place for expansion. I put together a crude pictorial awhile back showing how to undercut... Hardwood, Ceramic Tile, Glass Block, installer - Undercut Fireplace Hearth

Patience is a virtue....... my server seems to be on its last legs

[Floorguy]

Undercut it!!

[cproader]

Floorguy said Undercut it!!

.................... ....is that yer final answer.........

[Bud Cline]

Jerry this is what I get when I try to access your link:

The website cannot display the page HTTP 500 Most likely causes: The website is under maintenance. The website has a programming error. What you can try: Refresh the page. Go back to the previous page. More information

[Jerry Thomas]

I'm dead in the water right now Bud. ... I have the same host this place used to have before Jim wisely changed over.

[morleyw]

Thanks Jerry & Floorguy.

I will undercut.

Your website is very impressive Jerry albeit my computer coughed a bit trying to download all the photographs over my dial up connection. (I live in the country)

Morley