How to End Hardwood Flooring at a Closet Door

Flooring Runs Parallel to Doorway

• 1

  Place a spare piece of flooring flat on the ground next to the door jamb and draw a line along the surface of the board on the jamb. Cut the jamb on the line with a dovetail or pull saw. This procedure will allow you to slide flooring boards under the jamb so you don't have to butt them up against it and leave gaps between the flooring and the jamb.

• 2

  Install the first course of flooring along the wall in which the doorway is situated if you're starting your installation in that side of the room. The tongues of the floorboards should be facing into the room. Nail the boards down by drilling holes in their faces with a 1/8-inch drill bit and driving a 2-inch finish nail into each hole. Sink each nail head with a nail punch.

• 3

  Cut a 1/4-by-1/2-inch spline that is as long as the doorway is wide on a table saw. You can use any scrap lumber for the spline, including a spare flooring board. Tap the spline into the groove of the flooring board that extends across the doorway.

• 4

  Cut a piece of flooring to the width of the doorway, slide it under the jamb and tap it into the board with the spline. Drill holes at a 45-degree angle in the tongue of that board and drive a nail into each hole, sinking the head with a nail punch.

• 5

  Measure the distance from the edge of the second board you installed to the middle of the doorway and rip a third board to that width, cutting off the tongue side of the board. Tap the board into place and nail it down by drilling holes through the face and driving a nail into each hole.

• 6

  Use a slightly different procedure if you are ending the installation on the side of the room that has the closet. You usually have to rip the last course of flooring to fit between the second-last course and the wall, but since you need the tongue of the last course to extend into the doorway, you must leave a section uncut in the board that extends across the doorway.

• 7

  Choose a floorboard that is long enough to extend across the doorway from the end of the last one that was installed. Measure the distance from the end of the last installed board to the beginning of the doorway, then measure the width of the doorway and make marks on the floorboard you're going to install across it. When you rip the board to fit against the wall, leave the section between the marks uncut.

• 8

  Drop the board into place, tap it against the board next to it and nail it through the tongue. Install two more boards following the procedure in Steps 4 and 5.

Flooring Runs Perpendicular to Doorway

• 9

  Lay a flooring board flat on the ground at the base of the doorway and use it to draw a line on the door jamb. Cut off the jamb at the line with a dovetail or pull saw.

• 10

  Cut a spare piece of flooring to the width of the doorway and rip off the tongue on a table saw. This board will be the stopper.

• 11

  Slide the stopper under the door jamb with the side you ripped facing the floor. Align it so it is in the middle of the doorway and square with the door jamb, then nail it down with 2-inch finish nails. Don't sink the nails completely so it will be easier to remove them when you're done installing the floor.

• 12

  Install the flooring from wall to wall until you come to the doorway. Notch the first one that extends into the doorway with a jigsaw so the longer section butts up against the stopper. Tap it into the board next to it and nail it down.

• 13

  Continue installing the flooring, butting all the boards against the stopper, until you reach the last board that fits in the doorway. Notch it with a jigsaw, then tap it in place and nail it down.

• 14

  Remove the stopper after the installation is complete.