Trimming a Wood Floor Around a Hearth

Trimming Along a Raised Hearth

• 1

  Place a strip of masking tape along the base of the hearth to protect the hearth surface from chipping as you undercut it to make room for the molding.

• 2

  Place one of the floorboards that you’re installing onto a piece of the underlayment you’re using to give the floorboard it’s finished height.

• 3

  Move the combined piece to the base of the raised hearth. Press the board and underlayment against the hearth and then draw a line onto the hearth along the surface of the board with the piece of chalk.

• 4

  Move the board and underlayment along the edge of the hearth, repeating the line multiple times until you’ve covered all sides of the hearth with a continuous chalk line. This line will serve as your cutting line for undercutting the hearth.

• 5

  Attach a diamond-tipped blade to your undercut saw. Attach the vacuum host to the saw and then attach the other end of the hose to your vacuum.

• 6

  Put on a pair of safety goggles and a particle mask.

• 7

  Turn on the vacuum to suck up any dust created with the saw. Place the saw against the base of the hearth and then begin cutting along the hearth base, flush with the floor. Make your cut through the hearth to a depth of 1/4-inch along all sides of the hearth where you intend to install the wood floor.

• 8

  Adjust the saw to the height of the chalk line on the hearth if your undercut saw is height-adjustable. If not, raise the blade to the height of the chalk line. Cut a second line into the hearth at the chalk line, also to a depth of 1/4-inch, around the hearth.

• 9

  Use a hammer and chisel to remove the cut portion from the hearth, until you have a 1/4-inch deep gap along the base of the hearth.

• 10

  Install the wood flooring as normal, cutting the length of the boards with a table saw so they extend into the gap beneath the edge of the hearth.

Trimming Along a Flat Hearth

• 11

  Install the wood floorboards as close to the edge of the hearth as possible, cutting the ends so that they leave a slight gap of about 1/4-inch along the joint.

• 12

  Measure the length of the transition between the two surfaces with a tape measure. Use the measurement to cut a piece of flat-bottomed wood trim molding to fit the length, using a table saw. Use an angled 45-degree edge for the molding so that you can surround the hearth with a frame, like a picture frame.

• 13

  Glue the frame of trim over the gap between the hearth and the floor, applying wood glue to the rear of the wood before pressing it into place. Wipe off any glue that escapes with a damp sponge. Allow the glue to dry for 48 hours.