Opinions on how to have new wood flooring installed around fireplace hearth

[Brian Runau]

Good morning. I have a 1 x 6 sub floor with thin 1950's oak strip flooring. I have on hand 3/4" hard maple I purchased from Baird Brothers in OH. I'm too old to do this and I am working with an installer. I have a final meeting with him tomorrow afternoon to go over some final details before scheduling the install. He will remove all the strip flooring, screw down 1 x 6 where required and install the new floor. We are in agreement on most of the threshold transitions, but I am unclear on how they will manage the flooring around the fireplace hearth. For some reason my hearth sits 1/4" below the firebox. I suppose if I need to I can have the hearth torn out and replaced at the right height, but this would be a last resort option.

The issue I am struggling to get my head around is the height of the hearth vs new flooring. Plan is to install new 3/4" flooring over the 1 x 6 without using luan. It is going in perpendicular to the floor joists. My problem is I only have an uneven 3/8" between the height of the new floor and the edge of the fireplace hearth. See pics.

I had thought to mill some Maple, I have one side flat ready to mill/stain/seal, but not sure how I could even use this as a surround for the hearth given the 3/8" thickness and unevenness of the floor/hearth. Can I have the installer shim sections of the floor to reduce the unevenness around the hearth and still have the tongue and groove work? If he did this then I could mill my maple to @ 3/8" and use it as a surround without the molding. Flooring is 3" wide so I thought to make the surround @ 2-1/2 or 3" wide. I have some 3/8" quarter round I purchased with the flooring in case I needed it. I looked at just using the quarter round on top of the floor at the hearth and this did not look good to me. I think I need something wider so I can leave a gap and fill this with caulk so it can shrink/ex-and with the temps/moisture.

Appreciate any suggestions.

Brian

505683505684

[Mel Fulks]

I would fill the ‘open border’ with wood ,then cover with wood or metal .

[Brian Runau]

I would fill the ‘open border’ with wood ,then cover with wood or metal .

Mel, The open spot is just where I took up the strip flooring around the hearth to see what I had to deal with. The flooring you can see the tongue on against the hearth is the new 3/4" stuff just laying on the 1 x 6's. Plan was to have the new floor come up to the hearth. but then how to transition from the 3/8" height different to the new floor. It is uneven going left to right and no way to shim the transition piece since it would show, so I was wondering if I could shim the actual 3/4" floor? Thanks brian

[Mel Fulks]

Then I think the only way is making some trim with a draw-knife. Widths all same and and about 2and 1/2 wide .

[Brian Runau]

Then I think the only way is making some trim with a draw-knife. Widths all same and and about 2and 1/2 wide .

yea, didn't think there was an easy fix. Can't kill a guy for trying though. thanks brian

[Alan Rutherford]

If I understand what you're describing, make a piece the width Mel says and the height of the hearth with one edge rounded 3/8 or whatever for the outside. Taper the thickness as required to sit on the subfloor and even with the top of the hearth. Nail it down tight against the hearth or leave a gap and fill with mortar to match the hearth. If mortar, I would not make it as wide as what's between the tiles. Then bring the flooring up tight to that strip, with no tongue/groove.

[Mel Fulks]

Brian, don’t forget that the work would just be a form of whittling…and whittling is a well known form of avoiding work. Ask Tom Sawyer
and Huck Finn.

[Cameron Wood]

After the floor is laid, mill a tapered piece that looks good, and finish it to match. Relieve the back side if needed if the height of the tile above the floor is not even.

Don't over-think it.