Cutting hybrid flooring around doors for a clean, professional finish primarily involves undercutting the door jambs and door casings, allowing the flooring planks to slide seamlessly underneath. This method eliminates the need for intricate, unsightly cuts around the door frame on the flooring board itself.
Undercutting Door Jambs for a Professional Finish
The key to a neat flooring installation around doorways is to create a void within the existing door frame where your hybrid flooring can elegantly slot in. This technique is often referred to as "undercutting" or "notching" the door jambs.
Essential Tools for Undercutting
To achieve precise and clean cuts when undercutting your door jambs, you will need a few specific tools:
| Tool | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|
| Multitool | Ideal for precise, flush cuts on door jambs and trim. |
| Chisel | Used to clear out the cut wood from the jamb and ensure a clean void. |
| Piece of Hybrid Flooring | Acts as a height guide for the multitool, ensuring the correct clearance. |
| Pencil | For marking initial cut lines if desired. |
Step-by-Step Undercutting Process
Follow these steps to properly undercut your door jambs for a flawless hybrid flooring installation:
- Prepare Your Guide: Start by placing a spare piece of your hybrid flooring on the subfloor, directly against the door jamb you intend to cut. This plank serves as a critical height guide, ensuring your cut is exactly at the level needed for the new flooring to slide underneath.
- Position the Multitool: With the hybrid flooring piece firmly in place as your guide, place the multitool directly on top of your piece of hybrid flooring. Ensure the blade is positioned to cut into the door jamb.
- Make the Clean Cut: Gently but firmly run the multitool around the door jam for a clean cut. Maintain steady pressure and follow the contour of the door jamb. The multitool's oscillating action allows for precise, flush cuts without damaging the surrounding wall or frame.
- Remove Excess Wood: After making the cut with the multitool, use a chisel to remove the extra wood from the undercut area. Angle the chisel to pry out the cut portion, clearing the space completely. Ensure no debris or wood splinters remain that could impede the flooring.
- Test Fit the Flooring: Before final installation, slide a piece of your hybrid flooring into the newly created space underneath the door jamb. It should fit snugly but still have a small allowance for expansion, and it should slide in smoothly.
This process will provide your hybrid flooring with a lovely space to slot in underneath and look very clean & properly finished.
Benefits of Undercutting
- Seamless Appearance: Creates a professional, custom-fitted look where the flooring appears to flow directly under the door frame.
- Accommodates Expansion: Allows the flooring to expand and contract naturally without buckling, as it's not butting tightly against the door jamb.
- Simplified Flooring Cuts: Eliminates the need for complicated, irregular cuts on the hybrid flooring board itself around the intricate shapes of door casings, leading to faster and easier installation.
- Eliminates Transition Strips: In some cases, proper undercutting can reduce the need for unsightly transition strips at doorways, contributing to a more continuous floor.
Cutting the Hybrid Flooring Board Itself
While undercutting the jamb simplifies the flooring cut, you will still need to cut your hybrid flooring boards to fit the length and width of the space leading up to the door.
- Measure Accurately: Measure the distance from the last full plank to the door frame, deducting for any required expansion gap (typically 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch).
- Mark the Cut Line: Use a pencil and a straight edge to mark the cut line on the face of the hybrid flooring board.
- Use the Right Saw: For straight cuts, a circular saw or miter saw is efficient. For any intricate or precise cuts around existing structures that cannot be undercut (like baseboards that are not being removed), a jigsaw is the ideal tool. Always cut with the decorative side of the plank facing up when using a jigsaw to minimize chipping.
By combining precise undercutting of door jambs with accurate cuts to your hybrid flooring planks, you can achieve a professional and durable finish around all your doorways.
