[Richard and Rhonda]

For those of you who have installed wood flooring, would you describe the particulars of how the floor is held together. For example, I have seen at least three different methods. One, the tongue and groove is engineered to lock when fitted together. Two, the pieces are actually glued at the tongue and groove. Third, a metal clip is used on the underside to hold the pieces together.

I am trying to figure out what works before I tackle mine. I know the look that I want, and I am just trying to figure out the best way to get it.

Here is what I want. Cherry, medium red to go with the grey laminate and white furniture. The hand planed look. Contrasting walnut dowel pins at the end of each board.

Here are the issues that I have thought about, and your comments are solicited.

As far as the dowel pins. I can either partially drill and dowel so that the pin is actually a fake. Or the more complicated approach is drill and elongate in the long direction of the board a hole. Use a screw to hold the board. The purpose of the elongated hole is to allow for expansion. Then a larger dowel hole would be centered on the elongated hole to hide the screw.

For the hand scraped look, I am evaluating two options. One is buy raw cherry flooring stock, install, hand plane, stain, then finish. Option two, which sounds absolutely nuts, is buy prefinished solid cherry flooring, install, plane, stain, and refinish. Huh? turns out the solid prefinished stuff is cheaper than the raw stock. Go figure.

In either case, given the small area of the coach, I would do a hand rub polyurethane. I am also thinking about putting in a compass rose inlay into the wood.

What do you think? Too much coffee this morning?