Installing Laminate Flooring Around a Door Frame. What is the best way?
I don't want to cut the door frame, which I have seen recommended. I am new to DIYing and simply don't want to do anything this drastic. I have also seen where people recommend cutting around the frame, and while I can think of a few ways it could be done, I was wondering if there was a technique anyone could actually recommend. Thanks a lot and good luck on your projects!
Sorry but you should cut the jams just as its recommended. If you don t, you ll have to leave the required gap and then use a shoe mold trim to finish it off. Any flooring questions you can e mail me, I ve done a few 100,000 s/f of laminates and attended many installation seminars.. GL
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 am
cutting the door frame is the proper way.get a cheap flush cut saw,use a scrap piece of flooring to use as a guide,cut slow and easy and you should be able to cut the jamb and casing.this way the flooring you cut should be hidden underneath.hope this helps.
References :
1,000's of square feet
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 am
It is more difficult to trim the flooring around the door frame than it is to just trim the door jamb! I read how you are dreading the door frame trim but trimming the flooring is very tough to do and have it look nice. Also by cutting the piece to fit around the door while it is lifted up on one edge to be slipped into the groove of the last piece requires a different cut than it will need once it is layed down flat in place, if that makes sense. On the other hand, to cut the door jambs you just need a simple hand saw resting flat on a scrap piece of flooring which is set on the sub-floor will give you a perfect height cut to enable you to slide the floor right under. I hate to say it, but this is the only solution that will even come close to a professional looking finish. This is what others recommend because this is what works! The other reason that this is the best solution is because even if you were abel to get the floor trimmed perfectly tight to the edges of the door trim, this would not allow for the gap needed all the way around the floor for expansion and contraction. If you got it really tight it would either cause the floor to buckle up in the door way or push the door trim out of line when the weather changes. This may not be what you were looking for but I wanted to assure you that it is easier than you think to trim the door casing and ten times better. Good Luck.
References :
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 am
Sorry but you should cut the jams just as its recommended. If you don t, you ll have to leave the required gap and then use a shoe mold trim to finish it off. Any flooring questions you can e mail me, I ve done a few 100,000 s/f of laminates and attended many installation seminars.. GL
References :
20 years in flooring as a store owner/installer