wood flooring and fireplace hearth

[sanjayp]

Hi,

I plan to install engineered or real wood flooring in my lounge. It currently has a gas fireplace with a wide marble hearth. I'm planning to replace the hearth with another marble one of shorter width. The new hearth will run the full length of the chimmney breast.

Should the flooring run under the hearth to the front of the chimmney breast and the hearth would then be installed ontop of it (which I imagine would look the nicest) or, should I install the hearth first and then the flooring to meet it (so I will need some type of quadrant to cover the expansion joint). If I go for the first option, is the wood likely to expand/contract more because it is closer to the fireplace or is that not really an issue.

cheers
sanjay

 

[WoodYouLike]

Go for the second option: install the wood till the fireplace and use 'ends' to finish of. This way you'll be able to keep your expansion gaps there also (needed) and have a neat wooden finish.
Ends are sometimes also called L-bars.

Installing a heavy material on top of wooden flooring will indeed restrict any natural movement of the wooden flooring and can result in gaps or buckling/cupping boards.