# How to make the transition from hallway to bedroom.



## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi
I'm planning to install some ¾"x 3½" maple hardwood in my main floor hallway and 3 adjoining bedrooms. I want use the same hardwood in all the rooms, and keep the flow of the hardwood the same in all rooms as well. My question is this. Should I start from one of the bedrooms, working my way to the hallway (all 3 bedrooms join the hallway) or should I start from the hallway, and work my way into room # 1, then down the hallway again, to room #2 and so forth.
I'm also a bit confused on how to keep it all in line so that the 4 rooms will marry up at the threshold of each doorway. I would prefer not being forced to use a T joint at the entrance of every room, but rather, just continue the hardwood from the hallway into each room. Being tongue and groove hardwood, it means I can only nail or staple on one side. So if I enter a room from the hallway, this would bring me to almost the center of one of the rooms, which is the room that is worrying me the most. The other two there is a wall close to the doorways, so that simpifies things.
If you need pictures to help you understand, I'll be glad to post.
Thanks in advance for your help. :thumbsup:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

You need 'splines'----These are wood strips that tuck into the groove and make it a tongue--
thus allowing you to reverse directions.

do the hall first-then into the rooms--


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> You need 'splines'----These are wood strips that tuck into the groove and make it a tongue--
> thus allowing you to reverse directions.
> 
> do the hall first-then into the rooms--


Thanks for your advice. Where do I find these 'splines' ?? Even if I were to reverse the direction of nailing, when I spread the new hardwood "through" the threshold area into the room, I will still have floor boards that are going the opposite direction from the hallway, so that doesn't make sense to me.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Splines are sold by the hardwood floor supplier---I've even seen them in Menards.

Post a picture of your layout----If you do the common areas first(hallway) and then change directions as you enter the rooms that branch off the hall --you should be fine-

Need a layout----Mike----


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Ok, here are a couple of pictures of the hallway, and the 3 bedrooms that will all have the same hardwood, once I rip off the floor in the pictures.
As you can see, at each threshold, I do not want a T-joint or reducer, because it will all be the same hardwood, flowing from the hallway into each room. So I'm not getting this "spline" thing you mention. I mean, at what point do you add the spline, if I am to enter a bedroom on a jaggered pattern through the threshold of each door. How can I reverse the patter midway with the groove going one way ?? Can't figure out what I'm missing here.
If I go through a threshold in the direction of the white arrow into a bedroom, that puts me about 5 feet from the closest wall in that room. I can only nail in one direction, splice or not, so do I start from the wall in the bedroom once I'm in there and join the exisiting that is coming through the threshold (in another direction?). If so, how can I be sure I'll line up with the hardwood coming through the threshold ?? Sorry for being so darn stupid about this, but I'm sure once I understand it, I'll remember it for life.



















Hmm, images aren't working. Have done this on other forums with no problems (copy and paste from photobucket)

Let me try again.








NOPE.

One last time.



















Got it, PHEW !!!


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Just so you don't think you're dealing with a total idiot here. Here is a couple of pictures of the hardwood floor I installed in my living and dining room. This is prefinished ¾"x 3½" hard maple, stained bronzed. This is the same floor I want to continue installing in my hallway and 3 bedrooms. This was the first time I've ever installed hardwood floor in my life (THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET)
BTW~ What would be a good reliable hardwood nailer to buy ? Any brands in particular ? My Dad has a compressor that he lent me when I rented the nailer to do this floor, but I'm going to buy one, that way I can work at my own speed and time.


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## Jackofall1 (Dec 5, 2010)

A spline allows a board at the threshold to be male on both sides of the board. The spline is glued and finished nailed into the groove of the board in front of the door. This allows you to carry on into and through the threshold.

Mark


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Jackofall1 said:


> A spline allows a board at the threshold to be male on both sides of the board. The spline is glued and finished nailed into the groove of the board in front of the door. This allows you to carry on into and through the threshold.
> 
> Mark


Yes but the direction of the flooring is not on the width going through the doorway, but rather lengthwise, in other words, do see the white arrow in the picture, going from the hallway into the bedroom ? THAT'S the direction my hardwood will be going through, which means there will be several 3½" boards going through the doorway(threshold) The splice if I understand correctly, will be one peice from one side of the doorway to the other side ? ....right ?
Keep in mind, I want to install the hardfloor in the hallway side to side, not following the length of the hall, because my floor joists run the length of the hallway. Now if I could install the hardwood the length of the hallway, that would probably save me a lot of headaches as far as transition into the bedrooms, but I was told the hardwood should be installed the opposite direction of the under floor joists, which are 2x10" 12 inches apart.
My apologies once again. :whistling2:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

If you have 3/4" sub floor lay it any direction that looks good--You do not have to lay it across the floor joists---


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Oh--forgot---Bostich is good---but big bucks--I bought a Central Pneumatic from harbor freight for a recent job and it was and is a fine gun---(I couldn't pass it up---Marked down from $169--to $55.00)

That's cheaper than renting---You aren't going to be a pro and use the thing every day--I was pleased.--Mike---


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> Oh--forgot---Bostich is good---but big bucks--I bought a Central Pneumatic from harbor freight for a recent job and it was and is a fine gun---(I couldn't pass it up---Marked down from $169--to $55.00)
> 
> That's cheaper than renting---You aren't going to be a pro and use the thing every day--I was pleased.--Mike---


Thanks Mike, I was looking at a manual nailer from Porter Cable, which goes for about 200 bucks, plus no need for a compressor. According to customer reviews, people give it almost a 5 star rating.....we'll see. For now, I just want to get my transition problem understood.


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

When you enter a doorway just run your flooring into the room--I don't understand what the question is---Mike---


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## Jackofall1 (Dec 5, 2010)

Firstly I would check Ebay for a nailer I purchased a Ramsond RMM4, I have run at least 20,000 staples (it will do both staples and cleats) through it with no problems what so ever.

Not sure how your floor will line up with the floor that you already have laid, but by the sounds of it you will be continuing this direction from the rooms you have done to go down the hall and into the bedrooms.

As for use of a spline, once you go through the threshold you will need a spline the length of board once in the room, this will allow you to go in both directions the width or length of the room.

As a note, I made my own splines on the table saw and router the table saw to get the thickness and then the router (mounted to a router table) to get the radius on the edges and final length.

The most difficult part of doing what you are talking about is keeping the boards parrallel with the walls as you span each room.

Mark


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

I'm looking at this nailer right now, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EVPO54/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
The customer reviews speak highly of it...for the price.
Just to clarify, the floors you see of the hallway and bedroom will be removed, so there is no line up on how the two floors will meet.
Do most people install hardwood in a hallway length wise or width ? Or does it really matter ?

*EDIT:* Would you believe the cost of shipping the nailer from the States to my home in Canada was going to be the exact same amount as the nailer itself ($127.00 for the nailer, $128.00 shipping) not including taxes and custom charges. Too bad, looked like a decent machine. Anyway, you can forget that nailer !!!


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Length wise-----we call the halls with all the short boards--rail road tracks.


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Well, I took the plunge, and purchased my nailer.
I did an intensive research on the lower end ones (wasn't interested in buying a pro brand name nailer for one use. I quickly realized, that just about all the no-name brands out there, are all pretty well the same....in fact, on some, it looks like they were made by the same fabricator, then painted a different color, and slapped a different decal sticker on it, or have the same color with a different name on it. Anyway, I won a bid on fleaBay for this one, and paid $88.00 for it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330591670045&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123 (would have cost me more than that to rent a nailer for 3 days.) At least now I'll be able to work at my speed and not worry about time about having to bring it back. It's too early to celebrate yet, and If it turns out to be a lemon, at least I won't have invested a second mortgage on the house. Once I'm done with it, and if it works well, I shouldn't have a hard time selling it for almost what I paid for it. Just have to wait now to see if the hammer will be reliable, not jam or misfire and not leak.....time will tell.

We've decided that we will be installing the hardwood on the length of the hallway, which will make the transition into the bedrooms much easier and nicer, that way I won't have to use a spline. However, this means that the hardwood in the 3 bedrooms, will be nailed to the subfloor parallel to the joists (not what I wanted, but I think it will be ok if all the proper prep work is done properly, and that the subfloor is screwed tightly to the joists
Once done, I'll post pictures of the end results. Let the lifting of the old floors begin....:thumbup:


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## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Thanks---I'll bet that gun is the same as the Harbor Freight one I own---nice gun--keep it oiled--(I left off the extension handle so I have more control of the placement --easy to tip the gun with that long handle)
and have fun----

Not a bad idea to have some splines on hand--or at least know where you can get them if you need them.

Have fun-----Mike----


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

oh'mike said:


> Thanks---I'll bet that gun is the same as the Harbor Freight one I own---nice gun--keep it oiled--(I left off the extension handle so I have more control of the placement --easy to tip the gun with that long handle)
> and have fun----
> 
> Not a bad idea to have some splines on hand--or at least know where you can get them if you need them.
> ...


Thanks Mike, just hope the gun doesn't turn out to be a dud.
Later
Ray


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## Jackofall1 (Dec 5, 2010)

As you are going into bedrooms on opposite sides of the hallway, you will indeed need some splines. Make sure you keep a good straight line the length of the hall and keep checking you straightness, still is a must especially in a hallway.

Mark


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## Dudester60 (Jul 26, 2011)

Jackofall1 said:


> As you are going into bedrooms on opposite sides of the hallway, you will indeed need some splines. Make sure you keep a good straight line the length of the hall and keep checking you straightness, still is a must especially in a hallway.
> 
> Mark


Yeah, I understand that now. I have two bedrooms that are on the right side of the hallway, and a bedroom and a hall closet on the other side. So I think I"ll add the splines for the hall closet and left bedroom. I'll have to learn read & learn more on how to make a strong spline. Thanks for the tip.:thumbsup:


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