Flooring Template For Doorways

Abstract

A rigid flooring template and method of using the same seamlessly join two different floorings along a flooring joint line within a doorway. The flooring template is provided as a thin, rectangular manufacture having two rectangularly notched corners along one long edge. The template and the notches are dimensioned so that, when the template is inserted into a doorway, the notches simultaneously and securely engage with the opposing door stops. When so placed, the non-notched edge may engage with the opposing door jambs approximately halfway between their exposed surfaces, thus providing a physical referent for the flooring joint line. This referent may be used for painting, or to manually trim or cut flooring underneath it with a cutting tool, the painting or cutting action yielding a straight line because the template is securely engaged with the door frame via the door stops.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/721,906, filed Aug. 23, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The disclosure pertains generally to an implement for finishing work on buildings, and more particularly to a manufacture for joining two different floorings between door jambs in a doorway.

BACKGROUND

FIG. 1 schematically shows, not necessarily to scale, a plan view of a portion of a typical boundary between two spaces such as rooms 12 and 14. The rooms 12 and 14 are separated along their shared boundary centerline 10 by a divider, such as a wall 16, of which portions 16a and 16b are shown. A passageway between the rooms 12 and 14 divides the wall 16 and is framed to receive and support the weight of a door. The frame includes opposing vertical jambs 18a and 18b and opposing door stops 20a and 20b. A door 22 may be attached to the jamb 18a using a hinge 24 or similar device, so that rotation of the door 22 into the room 12 is stopped by the door stops 20a and especially 20b when the door 22 is being closed. It is appreciated that the frame may be made from several pieces of wood, a single piece of metal, or other materials or constructions. Various door framing components not bearing on the disclosure (e.g. wall studs, cripple studs, top plate, door header, and so on) are omitted for clarity.

Flooring has innumerable uses and comes in a wide variety of materials and shapes, such as hardwood, cork, carpet, laminate, ceramic tile, concrete, glass, stone (including aggregates like terrazzo), linoleum, marmoleum, solid vinyl, vinyl composite tile (“VCT”), and rubber, among others. Thus, it is appreciated that interior designers may require that the floors of the rooms 12 and 14 are topped by different flooring materials based on their respective functions, or for stylistic reasons. For example, room 12 may be a bedroom with carpet floors, while room 14 is an en-suite bathroom with tile floors. In such cases, the designer may wish that, when the door 22 is closed, persons in rooms 12 and 14 each see only one respective type of flooring. To meet this aesthetic goal, the floorings of the rooms 12 and 14 must join approximately halfway between the two room-facing surfaces of the door 22, as indicated by the dashed flooring joint line 26. Precisely tailoring each flooring to be flush against the other flooring along the flooring joint line 26 is critical to provide the proper aesthetics.

Builders wish to avoid unnecessary construction time and expense in forming flooring joints. Thus, floorings of different types may be joined along a line within a doorway by the following typical, multistep process. First, an excess of the first flooring is placed in or installed through the passageway. The location of a joint line is marked on this flooring, for example using a scoring device (such as a knife), or a chalk line, or a straightedge (such as a ruler) with a pencil, pen, or other marker. The relevant length of the line, and the lengths from the line to the door stop and interior wall are measured, and the first flooring is trimmed to (and perhaps glued or otherwise permanently affixed along) the line. The measurements are then transferred to pieces of the second flooring (e.g. tiles or carpet squares), which are cut to match these measurements, for example using an electric saw or a utility knife. Finally, the trimmed or cut pieces of the second flooring are installed abutting the cut edge of the first flooring along the joint line. Installation may include, for example, applying glue, epoxy, or a thin-set mortar.

The above process suffers from several disadvantages. The process is time consuming and prone to errors. Marking the location of the joint line may be difficult for a non-craftsman; for example, chalk lines may be difficult for a single person to operate efficiently without significant practice, requiring a second person to assist. Also, a non-rigid straightedge, such as a retractable tape measure that is occasionally used for this purpose, may deform under the pressure of marking, causing the drawn line (or worse, the score mark) to be crooked. When the door jambs are not parallel, as is common, the joint may be marked so that it is not hidden by the body of the door. The processes of transferring measurements and trimming flooring pieces are imprecise and lend themselves to visible imperfections in the flooring joint such as overlapping or gaps. Such imperfections require discarding wasted, possibly expensive flooring and reinstallation of either or both of the flooring materials. Reinstallation itself may be expensive or time-consuming, depending on the flooring materials and the effort and tools necessary to trim or cut them. Finally, transferring measurements onto a flooring piece for trimming requires inefficient movement of the flooring between the door frame and the trimming tool, adding to installation time and labor costs.

SUMMARY OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed embodiments provide a rigid flooring template for doorways and a method of using this template that addresses the disadvantages described above. In particular, the template is designed to be inserted securely within a doorway with repeatable accuracy and provides a rigid straightedge for use in creating a flooring joint line. Repeatable insertion security is provided by dimensioning the template to register with door jambs and door stops simultaneously on both sides of the door frame. Templates may be provided in standard sizes or may be adjustable to fit non-standard frames. The disclosed template allows a builder to trim rough flooring from both rooms or sides to a precise edge in place, thereby avoiding the need to mark the flooring and remove it for trimming elsewhere (if the flooring material permits).

Embodiments are simple enough to permit a non-craftsperson, such as a do-it-yourselfer, to lay flooring along clean joint lines without the frustration and extra effort of using other known tools and techniques. In particular, embodiments may reduce the need to use chalk boxes or other awkward marking instruments.

Embodiments also may reduce the costs of discarded material and labor, enabling a tradesperson to submit more competitive bids for flooring work.

Embodiments further may reduce marking errors caused by using non-rigid marking reference tools, and in door frames for which the opposing door jambs or doorstops are not precisely parallel.

Embodiments separately may reduce installation errors caused by improper use of a trimming or cutting tool to cut flooring inexactly along a prior marking, even if that marking was made correctly.

Thus, a first embodiment is a manufacture for secure insertion into a doorway having opposing door jambs and opposing door stops. The manufacture is made of a rigid material in the shape of a rectangle having an overall length and an overall width. Two corners along one edge of the rectangle are rectangularly notched according to a notch length and a notch width. The overall length is greater than a distance between the opposing door stops and less than a distance between the opposing door jambs. Each notch length is at least a length of a corresponding door stop. The overall width minus the notch width is approximately one half of a distance between an edge of one of the door jambs and an edge of a corresponding door stop.

In some embodiments, the rigid material is aluminum or steel.

In some embodiments, the rigid material has a thickness of ⅛″.

In some embodiments, the overall length is between 35⅞″ and 36″.

In some embodiments, the overall width is between 1⅞″ and 2″.

In some embodiments, the notch length is between ½″ and ⅝″.

In some embodiments, the notch width is between ⅞″ and 1″.

In some embodiments, the overall width minus the notch width is approximately 1″.

A second embodiment is a method of finishing an edge of a first flooring of a first space that abuts a second space within a doorway between the spaces. The doorway has opposing door jambs and opposing door stops. The method includes first placing the first flooring in the doorway, the first flooring including a first excess portion. Next, the method includes resting, on the first flooring, a rigid flooring template in simultaneous registration with the door stops, an edge of the flooring template forming a flooring joint line between the door jambs. Finally, the method includes trimming the first excess portion using the edge of the rigid flooring template, thereby forming a finished edge of the first flooring.

In some embodiments, the first flooring comprises: hardwood, cork, carpet, laminate, ceramic tile, concrete, glass, stone, linoleum, marmoleum, solid vinyl, vinyl composite tile, or rubber.

In some embodiments, trimming the first excess portion comprises cutting or scoring the first flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a knife, or marking the first flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a pencil, or a pen, or a permanent marker.

Some embodiments further include installing a second flooring along the finished edge of the first flooring.

In some embodiments, installing the second flooring comprises either painting a portion of a floor of the second space up to the finished edge of the first flooring, or applying, along the flooring joint line, a glue or an epoxy or a thin-set mortar.

In some embodiments, installing the second flooring comprises three additional steps that are similar to the first three steps of the method. The first such step is placing the second flooring in the doorway, the second flooring including a second excess portion. The second such step is resting, on the second flooring, the rigid flooring template in simultaneous registration with the door stops, the edge of the flooring template reforming the flooring joint line. The third such step is trimming the second excess portion using the edge of the rigid flooring template, thereby forming a finished edge of the second flooring.

In some embodiments, trimming the second excess portion comprises scoring the second flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a knife, or marking the second flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a pencil, or a pen, or a permanent marker. Some of these embodiments also may include cutting the second flooring according to the mark, using a cutting tool located outside the doorway.

Some embodiments further include installing the finished edge of the second flooring in the doorway flush with the finished edge of the first flooring along the flooring joint line. Some of these embodiments still further include installing a transition strip covering the flooring joint line.

A third embodiment is an adjustable manufacture for secure insertion into a doorway having opposing door jambs and opposing door stops. The manufacture includes a first rigid material having a first edge, a first corner of the first edge being rectangularly notched according to a notch length and a notch width. The first rigid material has a channel along its length. The manufacture also includes a second rigid material having a second edge, a second corner of the second edge being rectangularly notched according to the notch length and the notch width. The second rigid material has a slider along at least a portion of its length. The slider is shaped so as to be insertable into the channel to hold the first and second rigid materials for lengthwise, sliding, relative motion of the first and second corners along a straight line. The manufacture also includes a fastener configured to releasably fasten the first rigid material to the second rigid material when the slider is inserted to temporarily prevent such sliding relative motion.

In some embodiments, the fastener comprises a set screw or a clamp.

Some embodiments of the adjustable manufacture are dimensioned so that they mimic the shape of the first manufacture embodiment described above, or perform the functions of the second method embodiment described above. In particular, in various embodiments the length of the first rigid material plus the length of the second rigid material may be at least a distance between the opposing door jambs. The notch length may be at least a length of each door stop in the doorway, and a width of either the first or the second rigid material, minus the notch width, may be approximately one half of a distance between an edge of one of the door jambs and an edge of a corresponding door stop.

A person having ordinary skill in the art may appreciate other embodiments in accordance with the concepts and techniques disclosed herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The manner and process of making and using the disclosed embodiments may be appreciated by reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically shows a plan view of a portion of a typical doorway between two spaces as known in the art;

FIG. 2 schematically shows an illustrative template in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for a method of using the illustrative template of FIG. 2 to lay flooring; and

FIGS. 4A through 4H illustrate processes in the method of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 2 schematically shows, not necessarily to scale, an illustrative flooring template 30 in accordance with an embodiment. The flooring template 30 may be manufactured from any rigid material known in the art, such as aluminum or steel, that may be chosen to minimize the costs of its material, its durability under heavy or repeated use, its known manufacturing processes, or any combination of these. The flooring template 30 has a thickness that is large enough to prevent bending of the material but small enough to minimize weight and material cost, for example ⅛″ for an aluminum construction.

The flooring template 30 is generally rectangular, having an overall length 32 and overall width 34. The overall length 32 is chosen so that the flooring template 30 fits comfortably between the two door jambs of a door frame, and is at least the distance between the two door stops to ensure the template securely registers with both door stops upon insertion into the frame. For a standard door frame, the overall length 32 is 36″. The overall width 34 may be chosen to fit a standard door frame, for example 2″.

It is appreciated that door frames come in a variety of standard and custom sizes, so a flooring template 30 may be provided with an overall length 32 and overall width 34 to fit any door frame. For this reason, the dimensions given above should not be considered to limit embodiments. It is appreciated that the flooring template 30 may have an adjustable overall length 32 or an adjustable overall width 34 or both, wherein adjustment of the length or width may be made using any means known in the art.

Two rectangular corner notches 36a and 36b are cut from the otherwise rectangular form of the flooring template 30. The dimensions of these notches 36a and 36b permit secure, simultaneous contact of the flooring template 30 with two respective door stops (e.g. door stops 20a and 20b), and in some embodiments with two corresponding door jambs (e.g. door jambs 18a and 18b).

The length 32 consists of a length 32a of the first notch 36a, plus a non-notch length 32b, plus a notch length 32c of the second notch 36b. The lengths 32a and 32c of the notches are chosen so that the non-notch length 32b fits comfortably between the two door stops of the door frame. That is, each notch length is at least a length of a corresponding door stop. For standard ½″ long door stops, each length 32a and 32c may be ⅝″ (for example) to permit the flooring template 30 to be centered between the door stops with a minimum of effort.

Similarly, the width 34 may be viewed as consisting of a first notch width 34a plus a non-notch width 34b. The non-notch width 34b (that is, the overall width 34 minus the notch width 34a) is chosen as one half of the width of the door to be mounted in the frame. For a standard 2″ wide door, the non-notch width 34b is 1″.

The above illustrative dimensions apply to a standard size, flush-fit doorway. For flush-fit doorways generally, the door width equals the distance between an edge of one of the door jambs and an edge of the corresponding door stop. With this width, when the door is closed it will be flush against both door stops and level with the wall exterior to the doorway. Thus, the non-notch width 34b may be chosen as one half of the distance between the door jamb and the door stop.

It is appreciated that other non-notch widths 34b may be chosen to place a flooring joint line at a different place. Thus, for example, the non-notch width 34b may be chosen as the width of the door to be installed, so that the flooring joint line is level with the exterior wall, rather than along its center. A person having ordinary skill in the art may use other choices of non-notch widths 34b without deviating from the concepts, structures, and techniques disclosed herein.

It is appreciated that in practice not all doors are precisely framed, and that some tolerance may be required in both length and width to ensure that the flooring template 30 may be inserted into the door frame without difficulty. Thus, the overall length 32 and overall width 34 each may be (for example) up to ⅛″ shorter than the corresponding dimensions of the door frame and the door to be hung therein. Thus, in embodiments suited for secure insertion into a standard door frame, the overall length 32 may be between 35⅞″ and 36″, while the overall width 34 may be between 1⅞″ and 2″.

With these dimensions, the flooring template 30 may be easily inserted into a door frame so that the lengthwise edge of each notch 36a and 36b securely engages a lengthwise edge of a respective door stop. When so inserted, the longest rigid edge of the flooring template 30 will be located under the center of the door to be mounted, and thus indicates the flooring joint line for use in further construction.

It is appreciated that doors come in different widths, and that door jambs and door stops may be non-uniformly constructed. That is, when the flooring template 30 is inserted into a doorway for use, its longest rigid edge may not be located exactly halfway between the edge of door jamb and the edge of the door stop. It thus suffices for the non-notch width 34b of some embodiments to be merely approximate (e.g. within manufacturing tolerances), so long as the flooring joint line produced by use of the flooring template 30 is hidden by the door hung in the door frame.

The flooring template 30 may be provided in two rigid materials that slide lengthwise along each other so that one piece registers with one door stop and jamb while the other piece registers with the other door stop and jamb. Each rigid piece may have a rectangular notch 36; that is, the first piece may have the notch 36a and the second piece may have the notch 36b. To permit secure registration of the two pieces during sliding, the first piece may have a channel along its length and the second piece may have a slider along a portion of its length, where the slider is insertable into the channel to hold the pieces together for lengthwise sliding motion. The slider preferably runs along the entire length of the second piece to permit a maximum length of slide travel.

Such an adjustable flooring template 30 may be provided with a fastener, e.g. a set screw or a clamp, for holding the two rigid pieces in place relative to each other when a portion of the slider is inserted into a portion of the channel. The fastener may be affixed to one or the other of the rigid pieces. For example, the first rigid piece may include the channel on its bottom, while the second rigid piece has a slider on its bottom for sliding through the channel, and a set screw penetrating the bottom slider into the channel, the set screw having a knurled or stippled grip protruding from the top of the template 30 to permit finger tightening. It is appreciated that other means known in the art for fastening two pieces against relative linear motion may be used for this purpose.

Using the channel-and-slider construction, an individual may adjust the length of the flooring template 30 to match the length of any doorway, lock the two pieces against further linear motion using the fastener, then use the locked template as described elsewhere herein. When work on the doorway is complete, the worker may release the fastener to permit the adjustable flooring template 30 to be resized for use in another doorway.

The flooring template 30, whether adjustable or not, also may be ruled for use as a ruler. An exemplary rule is indicated by arrow 38. Ruling of the flooring template 30 may be used, for example, to permit a construction worker to mark locations within or exterior to the door frame for installing or referring to non-flooring components relative to the door jambs or door stops. Each rule may be labeled with a corresponding distance number (numbers omitted from FIG. 2 for clarity).

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for a method of using a flooring template, such as the illustrative flooring template 30, to lay flooring within a door frame. FIGS. 4A through 4H illustrate processes in the method of FIG. 3. The method of using the flooring template 30 permits seamlessly joining a first flooring 60 of a first space (such as space 12) to a second flooring 64 of a second space (such as space 14) within a doorway between the spaces. The doorway has opposing door jambs (such as vertical jambs 18a and 18b) and opposing door stops (such as door stops 20a and 20b).

A process 40 includes placing the first flooring 60 in the doorway, the first flooring 60 including an excess portion 62. By “excess portion” is meant that portion of the first flooring material 60 that extends past a flooring joint line 26 as described above in connection with FIG. 2. This excess portion 62 will be trimmed off and forms no part of the final installed flooring.

A process 42, illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, includes securely resting, on the first flooring 60, a rigid flooring template 30 in simultaneous registration with the door stops 20a, 20b. An edge of the flooring template 30 thus forms a flooring joint line 26 between the door jambs 18a and 18b. It may be appreciated by studying FIGS. 4A and 4B that the flooring joint line 26 meets each door jamb 18a, 18b approximately halfway along its exposed portion on the side of the frame into which the door will be eventually installed, and forms a reference line dividing the excess portion 62 from the remaining first flooring 60.

A process 44, illustrated in FIG. 4C, includes trimming or cutting the excess portion 62 away from the first flooring 60 along the edge of the rigid flooring template 30 that forms the flooring joint line 26. Trimming or cutting may be performed using a cutter 64, such as a utility knife or any other suitable tool. Advantageously, the cutter 64 may apply significant lateral pressure against the flooring template 30 without moving the template, which is rigid and in secure registration with the door stops 20a and 20b. Thus, hand-cutting using the flooring template 30 with a standard cutter 64 may achieve a linear precision that is unattainable by manually cutting along a chalk line, and may be performed in place without removing the first flooring 60 from the doorway. Alternately, the first flooring 60 may be marked or scored along the edge of the flooring template 30 with a pencil, pen, or permanent marker, or a scoring tool, for removal and trimming elsewhere.

FIG. 4D shows the doorway after removing the excess flooring material 62, and affixing the first flooring 60 to the subfloor (e.g. using glue, epoxy, thin-set mortar, or another adhesive). After performing processes 40 to 44, the first flooring has been installed along the flooring joint line 26.

An optional process 46 includes installing the second flooring along the finished edge of the first flooring. In some cases, installing the second flooring includes painting the second space up to the finished edge of the first flooring (i.e., the flooring joint line 26). However, when the second flooring also is overlaid, a different technique must be used. As the flooring joint line 26 is precisely positioned using the flooring template, taking the above processes 40-44 collectively as the process 46 suffices to advantageously install a second overlaid flooring along the exact same flooring joint line 26, without the need for further measurement. This embodiment is described below.

Thus, repeating process 40 as illustrated in FIG. 4E includes placing the second flooring 66 in the doorway, the second flooring including an excess portion 68 that forms no part of the final installed flooring. Repeating process 42, as illustrated in FIG. 4F, includes resting, on the second flooring 66, the rigid flooring template 30 in simultaneous registration with the door stops 20a and 20b, the edge of the flooring template reforming the flooring joint line 26. Repeating process 44, as illustrated in FIG. 4G, includes scoring (or in some embodiments, trimming) the second excess portion 68 along the edge of the rigid flooring template. Note that the second process 44 is performed precisely along the flooring joint line 26, despite the fact that the flooring joint line 26 is not visible. Finally, FIG. 4H shows the doorway after removing the excess flooring material 68.

It is appreciated that two floorings 60 and 66 that are joined flush along a flooring joint line 26 may nevertheless form an unfinished flooring. The flooring joint line 26 disadvantageously may be visible to persons in the spaces on either side of the doorway, or may be exposed to “wear and tear”, or may present a tripping hazard. Thus, after installing the first flooring 60 (and perhaps the second flooring 66), an optional process 48 includes installing a transition strip covering the flooring joint. Such transition strips are known in the art, and may include for example rubber stripping.

It is appreciated that the above concepts and techniques may be used with floorings that may require removal from the doorway for trimming or cutting. Thus, the process 44 may include marking the flooring along the edge of the flooring template 30, while process 46 may include trimming the flooring along the mark using a trimming tool. For example, a knife may be used to make a score mark. Alternately, a pencil, pen, or permanent marker may be used to make a surface mark. Once removed, the flooring is cut in process 46 with a cutting tool; for example, ceramic tiles may require cutting by an electric saw. Once the flooring is cut, it may be installed in the doorway by applying a glue, an epoxy, or a thin-set mortar.

In the foregoing detailed description, various features are grouped together in one or more individual embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, inventive aspects may lie in less than all features of each disclosed embodiment.

Having described implementations which serve to illustrate various concepts, structures, and techniques which are the subject of this disclosure, it will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other implementations incorporating these concepts, structures, and techniques may be used. Accordingly, it is submitted that that scope of the patent should not be limited to the described implementations but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A manufacture for secure insertion into a doorway having opposing door jambs and opposing door stops, the manufacture comprising:

a rigid material in the shape of a rectangle having an overall length and an overall width, two corners along one edge of the rectangle being rectangularly notched according to a notch length and a notch width;

wherein the overall length is greater than a distance between the opposing door stops and less than a distance between the opposing door jambs;

wherein each notch length is at least a length of a corresponding door stop; and

wherein the overall width minus the notch width is approximately one half of a distance between an edge of one of the door jambs and an edge of a corresponding door stop.

2. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the rigid material is aluminum or steel.

3. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the rigid material has a thickness of ⅛″.

4. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the overall length is between 35⅞″ and 36″.

5. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the overall width is between 1⅞″ and 2″.

6. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the notch length is between ½″ and ⅝″.

7. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the notch width is between ⅞″ and 1″.

8. The manufacture of claim 1, wherein the overall width minus the notch width is approximately 1″.

9. A method of finishing an edge of a first flooring of a first space that abuts a second space within a doorway between the spaces, the doorway having opposing door jambs and opposing door stops, the method comprising:

placing the first flooring in the doorway, the first flooring including a first excess portion;

resting, on the first flooring, a rigid flooring template in simultaneous registration with the door stops, an edge of the flooring template forming a flooring joint line between the door jambs; and

trimming the first excess portion using the edge of the rigid flooring template, thereby forming a finished edge of the first flooring.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first flooring comprises: hardwood, cork, carpet, laminate, ceramic tile, concrete, glass, stone, linoleum, marmoleum, solid vinyl, vinyl composite tile, or rubber.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein trimming the first excess portion comprises cutting or scoring the first flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a knife, or marking the first flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a pencil, or a pen, or a permanent marker.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising installing a second flooring along the finished edge of the first flooring.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein installing the second flooring comprises either painting a portion of a floor of the second space up to the finished edge of the first flooring, or applying, along the flooring joint line, a glue or an epoxy or a thin-set mortar.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein installing the second flooring comprises:

placing the second flooring in the doorway, the second flooring including a second excess portion;

resting, on the second flooring, the rigid flooring template in simultaneous registration with the door stops, the edge of the flooring template reforming the flooring joint line; and

trimming the second excess portion using the edge of the rigid flooring template, thereby forming a finished edge of the second flooring.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein trimming the second excess portion comprises scoring the second flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a knife, or marking the second flooring along the edge of the flooring template with a pencil, or a pen, or a permanent marker.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising cutting the second flooring according to the mark, using a cutting tool located outside the doorway.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising installing the finished edge of the second flooring in the doorway flush with the finished edge of the first flooring along the flooring joint line.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising installing a transition strip covering the flooring joint line.

19. An adjustable manufacture for secure insertion into a doorway having opposing door jambs and opposing door stops, the manufacture comprising:

a first rigid material having a first edge, a first corner of the first edge being rectangularly notched according to a notch length and a notch width, the first rigid material having a channel along its length;

a second rigid material having a second edge, a second corner of the second edge being rectangularly notched according to the notch length and the notch width, the second rigid material having a slider along at least a portion of its length, wherein the slider is shaped so as to be insertable into the channel to hold the first and second rigid materials for lengthwise, sliding, relative motion of the first and second corners along a straight line; and

a fastener configured to releasably fasten the first rigid material to the second rigid material when the slider is inserted to temporarily prevent such sliding relative motion.

20. The manufacture of claim 19, wherein the fastener comprises a set screw or a clamp.