How to cut Smart Home Products 9.5mm 2.887m2 Soundguard planks?

Hi. I've installed villaboard and sealed joins and edges and am soon to install the floating floor. I'm considering getting a new mitre saw (my old one is pretty shonky) as I'm not confident I'd do a good job with either my jigsaw or a hand-saw. I may use my circular saw. I did see a video where they simply score and snap the planks. Is this possible with the planks I'm using?

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Yuggle

Hi. Decided to buy a new Ryobi One jigsaw (cheap-as-chips at $79) which works a treat (the old corded thing I have is a shocker). Also realized, most if not all cut ends should be facing the walls, so will be covered by the beading I intend. My problem now is I can't seem to get the planks to join properly. I'm using a rubber hammer and giving them a good whack over the join (not to either side of the join). Though I was told I could use up to 2mm underlay without voiding the planks' warranty, I'm beginning to think that may have been wrong. These planks come with underlay attached. While I would value the second layer of 2mm underlay for improved sound-proofing, it may be that with both the attached underlay and the additional 2mm, there is too much give when I hammer to join the planks properly. Any thoughts here much welcome. Best.

EricL

Hello @Yuggle

The Smart Home Products 9.5mm 2.887m2 Soundguard already has an underlay attached to it. Putting another layer of underlay underneath is counterproductive as it will not allow the floating floor to slide smoothly. As you mentioned there would be too much give and the flooring will not lay flat properly. I suggest removing the loose underlay and using only the plank so that they lock in properly.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Yuggle

thanks again Eric. I've mostly finished the room and am now the world's biggest jigsaw fan. The last thing I need to do is install something on the sills of the two sets of french doors to bridge from the new planks to the existing sills. Yes, there are two sets of french doors to this room. The larger, external ones (1860mm wide including gaps at ends) are depicted. The smaller ones (the internal entrance) are 1250mm wide with gaps at ends. To cover nicely, whatever I use needs to be about 90mm wide and I'll need to cut the ends to shape around the frame and gaps at the ends. They can't be too thick (2-4mm). Any suggestions much appreciated.

EricL

Hello @Yuggle

Would it be possible to cut more flooring to insert into the sills so that it reduces the distance from 90mm to 20mm? This will allow you to install transition pieces at the end of the laminate flooring. It will be necessary to cut the panels down but as long as they lock onto the current flooring it should be possible to install them. Hopefully you have enough flooring left to do both sills.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Yuggle

Hi Eric. Many thanks for the response.

You’ll note from the attached photos, I’ve done a pretty shoddy job fitting the planks to the door architraves (should have trimmed the bottom of the architrave and cut the planks to slot underneath), so have been thinking a wider threshold/transition trimmed to tightly abut the architrave on either end (and extend a little beyond) would hide the end gaps (with both sets of French doors). Adding a narrow strip of flooring to the wider sill to reduce the gap to 20mm doesn’t address the gaps around the architraves.

Given I have spare planks, I could recut the ends to better abut/underlay the architraves, but admit, having destroyed a half-dozen planks early in the installation as I tried to understand how they lock together (hitting too hard with the rubber hammer, not inserting the full length at a sufficient angle prior to lowering, etc.), I have absolutely no confidence I could remove and replace a single plank successfully.

Perhaps my idea of a quite wide transition to cover my errors is too much of a hack job. If I unbundle the two problems (the long gaps and the end gaps), perhaps you have some ideas?

The large French doors open outward and are positioned beyond the gap, so the height of the transition trim won’t affect door function. I could do as you suggest and insert a strip of plank to reduce the gap to 20mm or less and use something like (25mm wide) https://www.bunnings.com.au/qep-25mm-x-2-5m-transition-cover-trim_p0227346 or (40mm wide) https://www.bunnings.com.au/roberts-3-3m-silver-floating-floor-junior-trim_p6823234 to cover the long gap.

The smaller french doors open inward over the gap, so the height of the transition trim is important (space is tight). I note that the height of the first listed trim preceding (QEP 25mm x 2.5m Transition Cover Trim) though 25mm, would seem to include the centre spline which would slot into the gap, so I think it would be reasonably low profile and could work.

Having installed transition trim as described over the long gaps, I could then fashion small, sympathetic cover plates of thin wood/metal to insert over the end gaps.

P.S. organising my thoughts to write has clarified things for me.

Much appreciate any further thoughts you have.wide outward opening french doorssmaller inward opening doors

EricL

Hi @Yuggle

My only other suggestion is to visit the store so that you can see the actual size of the transition strips and most importantly don't forget to bring your tape measure. I also suggest looking at the timber moulding to cover the other areas of your flooring.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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