Install Subfloor
Staggered butts, expansion gaps, adhesive, and the fastening schedule that keeps a floor quiet.
Fit Flooring Around a Radiator Pipe Without Gluing a Loose Patch Back In
Instead of cutting a V-notch out to fit the plank around the pipe and gluing that piece back in afterward — which never sits perfectly flush — cut two slits from the plank's edge to the drilled hole, leaving two hinged flaps that close around the pipe and tap flush with a hammer and block.
cut flooring around pipe, flush fit floor plank pipe, radiator pipe flooring gap, flooring hole around pipe not lining up
The Problem
Fitting a floor plank around a pipe usually means drilling a hole, cutting a V-shaped notch from the plank's edge to that hole so the plank can slide into place around the pipe, and then gluing the cut-out V piece back in afterward. That glued-in piece rarely sits perfectly flush or aligned, and it's an extra step every time.
The Technique
- Drill a hole for the pipe at the correct spot on the plank, same as you normally would.
- Instead of one straight cut from the plank's edge to the hole, cut two slits forming a narrow V from the edge to the hole, splitting that section of the plank into two separate flaps.
- Slide the plank into place, opening the two flaps around the pipe as you go.
- Tap the plank fully home with a hammer and a block to protect the edge.
- Close the two flaps back down around the pipe — they hinge shut since they're still part of the same plank, so there's no separate piece to align or glue back in.
Pro tip: Because the flaps are still attached to the plank rather than a separate cut-out piece, there's nothing to shift out of alignment later — the traditional glued-in V-piece can work loose or drift slightly out of place over time, and this method removes that failure point entirely.
DIYsolvr helps you find the best DIY videos. Browse all 526 techniques