Hardwood floor question

[Brad Stone]

Hey everyone,

I'm putting down hardwoods in my entrance way and in my living room (which attaches to my entrance way). The boards will run one way in my entrace way and the other way in my living room. My question is, how do they meet up?

There's about a 5 foot "gap" connecting the entrance way to the living room. And the walls of this 5 foot gap are about 5 inches thick. Some people say to lay down a 5 inch "header board" to divide the two areas of hardwoods. But I'm not sure I like that idea - that board may look out of place with the surrounding 2.25 inch boards. Some say to meet the boards half way into that 5 inch area. Some say to have the living room boards come all the way through the 5 inch span (i.e. the boards in the entrace way stay completely out of that 5 inch span). I'm leaning towards the latter. But does anyone know what is usually done in this situation?

Thanks! Brad Stone

[Bay Area Dave]

I'd do it the way that was pleasing to me, but my humble vote is for the

5" piece. Anything, but meeting the two floors in the middle of the transition area: Ugh!

dave

Brad St> Hey everyone,

[Michael Press]

I've got this same scenario between my dining room and family room, which is an addition. I've got that 5" threshhold piece where the wall used to be and it looks fine. I don't like the different orientations of the wood in the 2 rooms, but given that it's necessary due to the joist orientation, the 5" piece just looks like the first board in the other room.

Michael

[Charlie Self]

Brad Stone asks:

Go for a 5" wide walnut board. Accent the difference.

Charlie Self "To create man was a quaint and original idea, but to add the sheep was tautology." Mark Twain's Notebook