Besides the installation and finishing process, helping clients pick the perfect wood floors for their homes is also part of a professional’s job. When it comes to complete floor installations for a home, wood flooring is not enough to finalize the work; you also need tiles. Inevitably, the two floor types will eventually meet, and we have to make sure the transition is as seamless as possible, and does not disrupt the overall space.
Floor transition pieces should complement spaces, rather than be obstacles or out-of-place items. There are countless flooring types you can merge, including hardwood with granite, engineered wood with tile, carpet with wood, or even wood with wood. You can achieve quality transitions by playing around with different materials and creative ideas on how to properly mix and match floorings. Depending on the space you’re working in, you can use moldings, grouts, accent borders and even place furniture where the floor transition is taking place.
The crew at First Atlanta Flooring put together a few ideas on how floor transitions should be done right, in order to help professionals improve their skills and learn a few new tricks. In this article, we’re going to explore different approaches to floor transitions, so keep reading if you want to learn more.
How to execute different types of floor transitions
Before embarking on any project, first and foremost you have to make sure you have everything planned out. Regardless of what type of floor transition your crew is planning, a clear outline is a must and the right materials have to be bought in time. This way, you won’t have unpleasant surprises down the line. Keep in mind that each transition type requires different materials.
- Wood-to-wood transitions
When it comes to wood-to-wood transitions, there are rare instances when moldings are used to connect floors—unless you’re connecting two different types of woods, or doorways. As you may know, using two different wood types in large or small spaces as flooring can look a bit out of place, but if you find yourself in a situation where a client asks specifically, you can connect the two floors with a T-molding. You can also use a T-molding to connect wood floors under a door, use an accent border for the split between the two wood types, or create a buffer zone with a small carpet.
- Tile-to-engineered-wood transitions
Matching tile and wood isn’t hard, but if your client wants the transition to be aesthetically pleasing, you have to be aware of certain tricks. If aesthetics aren’t a priority, you can use metallic, plastic, or aluminum moldings to get the job done, but if you want to achieve a seamless and borderless transition, you’ll have to use grout. Grout in a narrow joint can make the transition look very natural and professional. Plus, if you’re working with hexagon tiles, you can create a unique pattern and an irregular transition, and even cut out and place a couple of tiles between the hardwood plank.
- Hardwood-to-stone or granite transition
With these materials being heavier and bulkier than regular tiles and engineered wood, this type of transition usually looks good with grout separation and aluminum or metallic T-moldings. A grout transition looks much more natural if the separation takes place in the same room, while a metallic, aluminum or even wood molding can come in handy if the transition is between two rooms or an outdoor terrace.
- Wood-to-carpet transition
Wood-to-carpet transitions are rare, but you could still get a request of this sort from clients. These transitions are done with the help of transition strips. You can achieve the split with a straight transition, or can do custom designs, like a zig-zag or irregular transition. If the transition is irregular, the job becomes much harder and frustrating. This type of transition is a bit outdated, so if you can convince your client to consider something else, it’s a win-win for both of you.
Final notes
When matching floors, you can also play around with different colors and shapes, especially when it comes to wood and tile transitions. You might also need to connect two floor types that are uneven; for this, you can use special moldings and transition strips to get the job done. All in all, floor transitions are not rocket science, however, the job becomes much easier when you have a clear understanding of the process.
Are you looking for quality wood flooring options?
If you and your team are embarking on a project and need durable hardwood and engineered wood planks, make sure you check out our website. We are a group of highly passionate people who love what we do and strive to supply premium-grade flooring options, moldings and finishing products to professionals. If you need any help with your shopping, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we’ll try to assist you with anything you need.
