TIL a trick for getting vinyl planks under a tricky door frame

I used to fight with a pull bar for an hour, but my buddy in Phoenix showed me how a 5-in-1 tool and a mallet can tap it right in under the jamb in like two minutes. Anyone got a better method for that tight spot?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadefoster6d ago

That 5-in-1 and mallet trick is solid. I've used it a bunch. For really stubborn spots, I'll sometimes take a utility knife and shave just a tiny bit off the top edge of the plank's tongue. It reduces the friction so it slips under easier when you tap it. You lose a little bit of the locking strength, but for that last piece under a jamb, it doesn't really matter.

gonzalez.rowan6d agoTop Commenter

My buddy Mark was putting in laminate in his old hallway last year and hit a wall, literally. The last plank under the door casing just would not click in, no matter how hard he tapped. He ended up trimming maybe an eighth of an inch off the top of the tongue with his pocket knife, just like you said. It slid right in with a light tap after that. He was worried it would come loose, but two years later it's still totally solid. That little bit of lost friction really doesn't matter when the piece is locked in on all other sides.