Day 6

Completed the corner and laid down several rows. My guess is that things should start going a bit quicker. The next step will be to put down the fireplace border before more flooring boards are laid. I have noticed that there are some small cracks due to varying widths of the boards.

Day 5 Cutting and nailing begins

Checking out stapling the edge of a board without the tongue

Brief Intermission for the Turkey Run

Back to the floor

 Underlayment installed

 Test fitting the boarder boards

Test fitting the biscuits

 Nailed down support board to hold flooring board in position

 Applied Liquid Nails

 

First Border board attached

 

Getting ready to apply wood glue to the biscuit and nail down the second border board

 All border boards nailed and glued down now checking fitment of first flooring board

Had to adjust the miter saw because of yaw and found that the angle is really 45.5 degrees. Although not designed for the task, I used the biscuit cutter to put the groove in the end of the first board and subsequent boards.

Nailer Testing

All but 1 staple were correct. On another board I got it zeroed in. Apparently the compressor regulator needs some breaking in as the pressure rose from what I set it to, 90 lbs to 120 lbs. Not good. So I'll have to keep an eye on the setting as I use the tools. Basically the only adjustments that can be made is the air pressure and how hard to hit the nailer. I was hitting it to hard and with the pressure rising like it did the staples went in to far and split the tongue. Looks like more practice is in order. The other issue is how the nailer is  set on the board. It can be set on the board two ways so I just have to remember how to set it on the board.

Day 4 Prep

Today I cleaned out the living room and ran Rosie five times. She does a great job finding staples, she "moans" for several seconds when she runs across one. I just run over and pull the staple out and she goes on her way.

I also removed all the base boards and bought a tables saw. I need the saw to prepare the edge of the board that borders the tile.  Here is my proposed layout:
(BTW, you can click on a picture to see it larger)

Proposed layout.. Yes there are a lot of angle cut but any cut really ends up being an angle cut with un-perfect boarders, whats the difference between 1 degree and 46 degrees?

 The wire that was added presumable to power the fireplace

Miter saw made it in one piece

Removing base board

Corner pieces tend to break because they used a lot of wire nails. Not a problem as they can be glued back together

 Not parallel

Our current plan for the fire place hearth

 Current plan at the opening to the hall

 Current plan at the jog

 Both tiles are wet. One on the left is just like the other four that came in an unopened box. The one on the right is one of two that were loose.

 All cleaned out ready for underlayment paper

 Baseboard map

 New table saw. Very nice for $300. Comes with a built in stand and wheels.  Don't worry, I just unloaded and set up the saw in the garage, I plan to use it on the back porch not in the garage :)

Rosie doing her job

Testing Tools

 

Oilless air compressor

 Finish nailer (used as a face nailer)

 Flooring nailer

POS Staple hammr

 

Biscut cutter works great

 

 Staple hammer testing. For every hit one staple goes in OK but another is ejected laying nearby

Chalk line

Turkey Run

Another Turkey run...

 

Floor Install Day Two

Bought stuff today:

Got a good deal on the compressor because it was packaged with a 16 gauge nailer.

 Top strip is larger than the bottom

 Near box larger

Left box larger

 

 Far box larger

 

Boarder tile sided with existing floor and new Tigerwood