Minimum for ripped hardwood floor?


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Old 07-05-18, 01:07 PM
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Minimum for ripped hardwood floor?

Is there a minimum width a ripped piece of 5 1/8" x 3/4" hardwood flooring has to be? Can you rip a piece of 1" or does it have to be bigger type of question. Thanks!
 
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Old 07-05-18, 03:40 PM
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1" is kind of narrow to nail [it is doable] but do you really have a choice?
 
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Old 07-05-18, 03:49 PM
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If you haven't already begun installation do the math so that you don't end up with any sliver cuts. If the 1" strip is against baseboards, probably not a problem, if it is at a threshold, then may be an issue.

I usually do a story board by connecting multiple widths together and then measuring distances to key cuts so that my starting cut sync's with my ending cuts. Write all the measurements down so you have them for quick reference.
 

Last edited by czizzi; 07-06-18 at 03:43 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 07-06-18, 04:13 AM
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Still in planning stages and haven't laid any flooring yet. I'm hearing from marksr that 1" may be the limit but if I plan it out per czizzi's suggestion, I should be able to avoid having a board that is too narrow. Thanks guys.
 
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Old 07-06-18, 05:10 AM
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Exactly like tile, you want to split the differences on the sides, meaning you would start with a smaller board first so the last board is same size vs a very narrow board.

Also need to remember, when you lay wood the width will grow slightly with each row, somewhere in the order of 1/16".

Wood is not as dimensional as tile so it will effect that last piece!
 
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Old 07-06-18, 05:58 AM
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Thanks Marq1. BTW does that 1/16" growth you mention still happen if it's 3/4" engineered flooring? Been playing around with a few boards and they all measure exactly as advertised and they are fitting pretty tight.
 
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Old 07-06-18, 03:45 PM
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Honestly I have never installed engineered wood so cant say for sure but tightness of the joints is a big factor.

Id stack up 5 or 6 pieces and tap into place and see what it looks like!
 
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Old 07-06-18, 03:47 PM
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You should be good enough to go with the measurements you take off a dry lay story board. It will not vary enough to change your calculations. Start and end with the same widths and you can't go wrong. Keep in mind any tricky cuts that may come up that would also have to be worked in to the calculations. Thresholds, stair nosing, butt out corners, inside jogs - etc. Pre-plan it once and you should have little issues during the install.
 
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Old 07-07-18, 09:54 AM
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Great advise guys. Thanks!
 
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Old 07-08-18, 06:18 AM
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BTW, Buy an extra box or two of flooring with your initial order. That way you'll have a replacement board if the flooring becomes damaged. If you don't and need some later, you might find that your flooring was discontinued and unavailable.
 
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Old 07-08-18, 07:06 PM
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Excellent advice from above on having an extra case of flooring available in the event of an opps down the road. 100% sure that your particular floor will have been discontinued by the time you need it to fix a problem.
 
 

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