Undercutting Door jams for laminate installation
#1
10-07-04, 10:46 AM
Undercutting Door jams for laminate installation
Ok,
I'm going to be laying laminate in my living room and hallway. In the hall, I have 4 door-ways (one on each wall) in various locations and I don't see an easy way to lay the laminate.
I've searched and have read many "udercut the door jams", but I don't see how I'm going to "angle and click" the laminate in, especially since I am going to have a door-jam on my finishing wall.
Could I lay the piece in the door jam flat, lining up the tounge and groove and then either use a tapping block or pull bar to connect the pieces? Will I be able to get them to lock in this way or will I just destroy the pieces?
When I tiled our bathrooms and kitchen, I pulled the door frames completely, but I really don't want to do that again.
I'm going to be laying laminate in my living room and hallway. In the hall, I have 4 door-ways (one on each wall) in various locations and I don't see an easy way to lay the laminate.
I've searched and have read many "udercut the door jams", but I don't see how I'm going to "angle and click" the laminate in, especially since I am going to have a door-jam on my finishing wall.
Could I lay the piece in the door jam flat, lining up the tounge and groove and then either use a tapping block or pull bar to connect the pieces? Will I be able to get them to lock in this way or will I just destroy the pieces?
When I tiled our bathrooms and kitchen, I pulled the door frames completely, but I really don't want to do that again.
#3
10-07-04, 11:24 AM
OK, now I'm really confused. I realize that I will need to under-cut them all, but I don't understand how I'm going to slide the laminate under and then click it in place?
What are you calling the door jamb? To me, it is the entire frame for which surrounds the door. Are you saying that I'll have to remove one side of the door jamb? Assuming yes, what will I gain by this? Well, I see how it would allow me to tilt the plank and lock it in, then slide it under the other door jamb?
But wouldn't that be more work than just pulling the entire door jamb? It seems to me that trying to dissassemble/assemble the door jam while still attached to the wall would be a bit tricky.
Originally Posted by Annette
if you want it to look nice, you'll have to undercut them all, and you'll have to remove the jambs on at least one side of each doorway.
But wouldn't that be more work than just pulling the entire door jamb? It seems to me that trying to dissassemble/assemble the door jam while still attached to the wall would be a bit tricky.
#4
10-07-04, 11:40 AM
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it depends on which way you're coming at the jamb. on one side you'll be able to slide it under, but on the other side, you'll need the trim to be gone. that's if you're laying the strips perpendicular to the opening. if you're laying parallel with the opening, both jambs need to be removed.
undercutting is so that you don't need trim pieces to cover the gap you'll leave for expansion.
removing the jambs/woodwork is so that you can tilt the boards. in some situations, you can slide under (like when it's the first row or first piece in a row). but other times you'll have to remove it completely.
undercutting is so that you don't need trim pieces to cover the gap you'll leave for expansion.
removing the jambs/woodwork is so that you can tilt the boards. in some situations, you can slide under (like when it's the first row or first piece in a row). but other times you'll have to remove it completely.
#5
03-14-05, 08:55 PM
This is probably too late for the original poster, but I think after my second laminate install and 2000 square feet later I have finally figured this one out.
If you undercut the jambs all the way through so you have 3/4" or so into the door jamb and the height of the laminate you can plane down or trim off the rise part of the tongue and use a little glue on the seam. You can then slide the board under the jamb far enough so you can lay the board flat on the sub floor. Once it is in place you can use your pull bar to pull the shaved down tongue into the grove.
My first job my doors looked terrible. I pulled that flooring out and this time the doors look like they were installed after the floor was installed.
It makes for a much better looking install.
HTH
If you undercut the jambs all the way through so you have 3/4" or so into the door jamb and the height of the laminate you can plane down or trim off the rise part of the tongue and use a little glue on the seam. You can then slide the board under the jamb far enough so you can lay the board flat on the sub floor. Once it is in place you can use your pull bar to pull the shaved down tongue into the grove.
My first job my doors looked terrible. I pulled that flooring out and this time the doors look like they were installed after the floor was installed.
It makes for a much better looking install.
HTH
