How would you do this?

[Turaj]

After living in our house for 18 years, it is time to change some of the flooring. We have been thinking about laminate flooring for the hallway, living room and the landing (stairs have be redone as well but I may hire someone to do that).

I have done several flooring with the laminate but in all those cases I was dealing with closed areas. In this one (see picture) there is an opening to the floor below with wrought iron railing. I have looked at different stores to see if they have anything that is made to work around balusters and have not seen anything (probably looking at the wrong places). So, how is it done? How would you do it?



Any help, suggestions, recommendation and/or sources for information is greatly appreciated.

[Black wallnut]

If you orient the flooring so that the grain goes horizontal in your pic. place a seam right outside of the balusters and notch for them. Then rip one or more narrow and use an edge cap where the floor ends.

[Turaj]

Thanks Mark

I had similar idea but I was (am) concern as how accurately I can cut those notches and not leaving a gap. I also wanted to make sure that I am following the correct method.

Thanks again,

[capncarl]

Do you have any idea how the balusters attach to the floor? The carpet covers the view well. My guess would be to remove the balusters, install the laminate flooring and re-install the balusters. Probably easier this way than trying to floor around all those stumps.
capncarl

[jdon]

You could take a 1 x 4, stained to match the laminate. Rip into three strips, with the middle strip the width of the balusters. Fasten the outer strips along the balusters, and insert segments cut from the middle strip to fill the gaps between the balusters. Butt the laminate against the strip (you could even make a rabbet for the laminate to fit in).

That section of the floor wouldn't be stepped on, so doesn't need to be level with the laminate, and you wouldn't have to worry about a raw edge of laminate being seen by someone going down the stairs.

[Turaj]

Do you have any idea how the balusters attach to the floor?

The balusters are welded to a flat metal strip which is screwed to the floor underlay. Moving them is not really practical as it raises the rail which is connected to the wall (unless I am missing something). I think I need to go around them (as suggested) but not sure how close I can get or perhaps somehow cover the gaps!?

[capncarl]

I am assuming that the baulisters have the same type metal flange on their tops, attached to the bottom of the handrail.
First, are the metal flanges on the baulisters unsightly and need to be hidden from view by carpet? If no, you could remove the handrails and baulisters, instal the new floor and refasten the baulisters where they were. To adjust the new height of the handrail, just slice off the bottom of the handrail with a table saw the thickness of the new flooring, to put the handrail back at the original elevation where it was.
capncarl

[LCHIEN]

take a 1x4 and rip it so that the cut lies in the middle of the balluster row.
Temporarily fasten them back togtether and drill holes for the ballusters, they should be pretty regularly spaced if they were welded on a fixture.
You might want to put a roundover or 45-deg bevel on the long edge toward the room side (to reduce nicking of the sharper 90° edge from vacuuming, traffic, bumps etc.)
Lay the flooring so that you have some on either side of the ballusters - adjust for the height of the metal plate below.
Then put the wood piece in, separate and glue together surrounding the ballusters.

P.S. Couple of postscript ideas, Jabes idea of putting a bottom rabbet under to match the height of the laminate sounds like a good idea.
As for the holes you can drill exactly or drill slightly oversize and caulk for expansion. Or JIM D's idea if the holes olook ragged or not spaced perfectly, put a piece of round or square wood trim around the base of each one.

[JimD]

Instead of laminate, you might look around for inexpensive pre-finished hardwood. My wife and I found Bruce pre-finished oak for $1/bd ft at Southeastern Salvage. It was only 5/16 thick but was solid oak, tongue and groove. I bought a stapler made for thin flooring and it wasn't bad to put down. I think it was called "Timberline". It is sold as utility grade flooring but it wasn't bad. It had some pin holes from bugs but few knots or other large issues. The type we got has a 5 year finish guarantee but they had other flooring that did not have that guarantee.

I like Loring's idea and you could also make it a little more elaborate. You could make little rossette type pieces to cover each balister so you can make the openings in the flooring bigger. They could be glued in after the floor is down.

Jim

[jabe]

Laminate flooring will expand & contract so U will need to allow for this around each baulister and that would make it PITA to do.
Loring's idea is the simplest to do, make a rabbet so the laminate flooring can go under the long edge where it meets the 1 x 4, allowance for the expansion gap will be hidden under the rabbet.

[Turaj]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

I think I need to do some experimenting so I can work out the details and see which method matches my needs better.

Thanks again and I will report back when I get it going!

[LCHIEN]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

I think I need to do some experimenting so I can work out the details and see which method matches my needs better.

Thanks again and I will report back when I get it going!

It shouldn't take very long to measure and cut the piece as I suggested. They check and see how well it fits. You can do that before you do anything else.

BTW, If there's a weld at the end of the ballusters to the metal plate then a chamfered or a countersunk hole can be used make the board sit flat and not rock.