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Hardwood floor transition strip ideas

scoutmaster55 | Posted in Construction Techniques on December 14, 2005 02:53am

I just got a deal on some 3/4″ X 3-1/4″ prefinished hardwood floor, European Red Beech, that I will be installing over the Christmas break. I have several transition pieces I will have to make and would like to get ideas from those that do this kind of thing regularly.

I will have a transition to approx. 3/8″ high tile. The transition line will be perpendicular to the hardwood length. I envision a piece of the flooring that is turned perpendicular to the hardwood has been beveled down to the height of the tile and butted up to the tile. Or, I see a piece that has been beveled on the top down to about 1/8″ above the tile height and rabbitted on the bottom to overlap the tile. What is preferred by hardwood installers or is there another option?   

I also have a transition to a bathroom vinyl floor that will be parallel to the hardwood length. I think the only choice here is a piece that has been beveled and rabbitted to overlap the vinyl. My question here is how sharp to make the bevel.  Should I bevel right down to a sharp edge or have it start with a small radius or what?

I have a transition to an entry door threshhold and have no idea what this will be like yet?

There is also a transition to carpet, but it looks like I can just end the hardwood and the carpet will be tucked between the hardwood and the tack strip. I don’t see much of an issue with height differences here.  

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  1. User avater
    RichBeckman | Dec 14, 2005 03:11am | #1

    At the tile I would go the first choice and not quite butt up against the tile IF I can find some caulk that matches the grout and then cauld the 1/8" or so gap.

    If you can't match the grout, then go the second choice and overlap the tile a bit.

    At the vinyl, a small radius is a good idea. Certainly don't bevel it down to a sharp edge. It won't hold up.

    Please note that my experience is limited (maybe 2500 sq. ft of hardwood installation to my credit).

    Rich Beckman

    Another day, another tool.

    1. IdahoDon | Dec 14, 2005 05:35am | #2

      Rich is right on the money and I'll second everything he said, except perhaps the transition that overlaps the tile.  It's hard to get good contact with the tile and it won't look quite right with the tile edge disappearing instead of having the grout line.  Colored sanded caulking is available in a zillion colors--see a tile supply store.  If your color is between commonly available colors simply combine the contents of the two tubes, mix well and reinsert into cleaned tubes.

      When making up transitions at work I'll usually make a sample of two designs and look at them on the floor.  It will usually be instantly clear which is the better choice, or what needs a little more tweaking.

      Best wishes,

      Don 

  2. User avater
    JDRHI | Dec 14, 2005 07:29am | #3

    Previous posts sound good. Taper your strips to no less than 3/16" with a radius.

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

  3. notascrename | Dec 14, 2005 05:52pm | #4

    I'd make the transition to tile with a butt joint, seeing if i couldn't lay out the job so that the end splines on the flooring could meet the groove side of the transition strip [ie, lay the floor starting each run from the transition side].against tile its important to seal the edge of the wood to prevent staining of the wood when the tile is mopped and the grout is leaking all kinds of mean nasty ugly things which love to soak into wood. make sure you can get a reasonsable finish match from your prefinished wood to any machined shapes you make, this may be the hardest part of the job. Eassier to sand the finish completely off any piece you will be machining and start from scratch than try to match a newly machined edge to an unknown existing finish. at the vinyl i' use the rabitted transition. make sure the transition strips are wide enough so you have level bearing on the back side. install your transitions first and work to them.don't be afraid to use glue where a cut end meets a transition, I've used both subfloor adh. and yellow glue at the same joint with good results. be carefull not ot "over nail" at the transitions. the temptation is to really lay on the hammer at the transitions . use a little glue and don't push the wood around to far. good luck,jim

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