After refinishing our floors, the metal registers looked shabby, out-of-place, a careless selection made in the haste of building a new house.

Flush-fit red oak vents from Lumber Liquidators. $21 each. Problem solved.

But wait – not so fast. A flooring contractor who’s installed hundreds of these said he’s never tried it on an existing floor; that one needs a tracked plunge saw, which he doesn’t have; and even if he did he wouldn’t take the job, because it’s easy to tear up adjacent boards. “You seem like a handy fellow” he tells me. “Why not do it yourself?”

Continue reading “Floored.” →