I just recently installed a Laminate floor system and I'm having some trouble figuring out how to hid the flooring up next to the fireplace . The fireplace has a stone hearth that is about 10" high. The stones are made to look natural and uneven which makes it difficult to place moulding around it to hid the edges of the laminate flooring. I've had one person suggest cutting out a pattern of the stone and transfering it to the back of moulding and then stain the moulding the color of the floor. Right now this might be my only option. Does anyone else have a possible better solution they could suggest?

Thanks in advance

 

professionals undercut (notch out) the stone & slide the flooring underneath it.

 

Can this be easily done if the floor is already laid down or does it need to come up?

 

if you stopped your last plank 1/4" away from the stone (leaving an expansion gap) then you need to add another strip of a plank that would go under the stone. the expansion gap would be hidden under the stone.

but how you'd get it under there & be able to click it to the last plank is a mystery to me!!! pro's??? H-E-L-P!!! (i fear that they'll say that plank should've been your first/starting plank!)

 

Undercutting stone is usually planned and cut before starting the installation. Your going to generate some dust!

Here is a limestone hearth, I recently undercut.



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Since its too late to undercut for the flooring, you could scribe a piece to match the contours. Cut with a jigsaw. You could also undercut and chisel the hearth for a solid piece of moulding, being careful not to damage the installed floor.

 

What about putting a 3/4 inch (or whatever the thickness of your flooring material) piece of bluestone or other type of stone "skirt" around the floor. this would give you a straight edge to bring the flooring up to (leave an expansion gap). You could then use T molding on the seam and grout the gap between the skirt and the stone. If you made the front piece wide enough, it could act as additional floor protection from stray embers.

 

As indicated, planning is best done beforehand. At this point, scribing is your best option. You can use an inexpensive compass from the school supply aisle to scribe the molding and then use a coping saw to cut along the scribe.


Photo Credit: Helix