Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Quick Home-Improvement question!

I agree with Tom... and if you chose something really dark as a contrast I think it would look pretty decent.

Pictures look really great BTW!

Hmmmmm.... maybe if I pull out one more board in front of the sink and then cut tapers on two boards so it won't be quite as noticeable......

Easiest solution..... Hire Bob.

I thought of that, but his face is all droopy and I'm afraid he'll cut everything on an angle....meaning, in the end, that his affliction WILL have affected me.

Besides, every time he comes by, he falls a little more deeply in love with Buddy, and I'm afraid he's just setting himself up for a big hurt.

Maybe another stupid question, but I'm not finding anything by Googling:

Is there a difference between maple "flooring" and standard "1 by XX" available from a Home center?

I mean, I know maple is maple... but is "flooring" 7/8" or something? I'm measuring my existing flooring at just about 3/4" so I'm thinking I can just get maple lumber instead of maple flooring...(?)

My .02 worth of unqualified information, but just thinking about this is, flooring would probably be properly treated and surfaced for a better non splintery surface. (maybe, perhaps, quizas?)

It is usually 3/4".

Brian, I'm sorry. I should have specified that it I were to get "flooring", it would be unfinished in any way, so I could sand it flush with the existing floor.

Mark, as mentioned by SB, the vast majority of hardwood flooring is 3/4" and is prefinished with usually 8-12 coats of aluminum oxide protectant. You could also get many types of hardwood without finishing on them too. From my own experience, I think you might find hardwood flooring actually cheaper than buying raw stock, ymmv....it might have to do with the way taxes are applied to the manufacture of the two products. You can also find hardwood in 3/8" as well, if that works better for you (build up with plywood underneath to meet the right height of your existing floor.

Old flooring (your maple is not original to the house---it's too narrow) can be a full 7/8." The new stuff is a full 3/4."

If you could make "mallet-space" to actually utilize the toungue and groove of some real flooring, you'll be far better off in the long run. If not, I'd still face nail (ring finish nail) as much of it as possible. Are you sure you have sufficient basement access to reach every inch of up-screwing that you'll need to do?

An no liquid nails! If you have a leak in there in future and the floor gets damaged, you will kill yourself for having done that. Or, if you prefer, when that DOES happen, I can come up and rip them out for you, then I can kill you and Joyce can still collect the insurance payouts.


Edit: If you do have to get real maple, home center maple is soft maple---always. You need Rock Maple, or Hard Rock (Yeah, baby!) Maple. You have to go to a harwood dealer, and those are soooo hard to find in your part of New England (insert "pfffffttt).

Then, natch, you have to resaw, rip, size, trim, blah, blah.
There HAS to be a flooring dealer near you than stocks hard maple.

And, please Gawd, no pre-finished in your cool old house, pleeeeeeease?!?