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Prep for Parquet Floors Prep for Parquet Floors From "Trade School" episode DTRS-107

Figure A

In this session, apprentice Wendy Parsons continues her training by preparing this dining room floor for the new inlaid parquet floor (figure A).

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Basic tools
Hammer
Pry bar
Broom
Plumb bob
Chalkline
Steel square
Combo square
Circular saw

1. Having previously measured for square footage, Wendy and Peter begin the job by clearing the room of furniture. Then they begin the process of exposing the subfloor in the center of the room. Using hammers and pry bars, they roll up the carpet, underlying padding (figure B) and the tack strip along the edge of the subfloor (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

2. With much of the old floor removed, Wendy and Peter begin tending to the plywood subfloor. Installing any floor requires a clean slate to work on. Using a wide putty knife, they scrape off any frayed plywood, remove any nails and staples with a hammer and pry bar (figure D) and then sweep the area clean.

3. The new floor design is centered and aligned under the three existing wood beams that span the ceiling of the room. To find the exact center, Peter and Wendy hang a plumb bob from several key points on the beams (figure E) and mark the floor accordingly in pencil (figure F).

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

4. Together, Peter and Wendy snap a chalk line along their markings to indicate the intersecting centerlines (figure G). Peter uses a straightedge and pencil to reinforce the chalk marks (figure H).

Figure G

Figure H

5. With the floor marked appropriately, Peter instructs Wendy to lay out eight tiles for a visual sense of the length of one row (figure I). Some of the tiles extend over a section of the existing hardwood floor, which will need to be removed to accommodate the tiles. Once satisfied with the alignment of the row, Peter uses a steel square to mark where the end tile sits upon the hardwood (figure J). From this mark, they again snap a chalk line horizontally to indicate where the rest of the end tiles will butt against the hardwood planks.

Figure I

Figure J

6. Realizing that one of the hardwood planks needs to be cut, Wendy and Peter first use a combo square to measure the width of a circular saw from base plate to blade. They transfer this measurement onto the floor as they screw a series of steel guide tracks parallel to the marked cut line (figure K). The track serves to guide the saw while ensuring a straight, accurate cut (figure L).

Figure K

Figure L

7. Once the cut has been made, they pry off the planks up to the cut (figure M) and then clean the exposed subfloor.

8. Before installation begins, Wendy arranges the first three rows of tiles into the correct pattern (figure N). For aesthetic reasons, she takes time to pair tiles that have similar grains and colors. Then she numbers the tiles in pencil, making sure to orient her writing in the same direction to simplify the installation.

Figure M

Figure N

In the next segment, Wendy and Peter install the inlaid parquet floor.