Cut ends on end-matched tongue and groove

[orval]

Hi,

I'm going to be laying solid oak T&G at the weekend. I've spent quite a while drawing out a plan using Google SketchUp, which I basically started to make sure I had enough flooring. (Even though I ordered +10%.)

I will be gluing to screed. Although I've been thinking it through for ages, it has only just dawned on me that in a few places I am going to have a cut board meeting with a tongue or a groove.

So I'm wondering whether I should quickly purchase an appropriate router cutter set. Or perhaps the odd butt-joint is not a problem?

Cheers

 

[Symptoms]

orv - freehand routing for T&G is possible but the use of a router table is the better method; do you already have a router?

An alternative (and probably a better method) might be to consider biscuit joints. If you've only got a few butt joints (and you are bonding to the sub-floor) ensure that the two faces are cut then biscuit joint. You can get a cheepo biscuit jointer sometimes complete with a kit of biscuits chucked-in. You can also do these joins on 'the fly' as you're laying the floor ... no need to venture over to the workbench.

 

[orval]

orv - freehand routing for T&G is possible but the use of a router table is the better method; do you already have a router?

An alternative (and probably a better method) might be to consider biscuit joints. If you've only got a few butt joints (and you are bonding to the sub-floor) ensure that the two faces are cut then biscuit joint. You can get a cheepo biscuit jointer sometimes complete with a kit of biscuits chucked-in. You can also do these joins on 'the fly' as you're laying the floor ... no need to venture over to the workbench.

I have a router table, but yes I hadn't thought of biscuit jointing. Good idea. My neighbour is a retired joiner so he may have a biscuit jointer I can borrow.