It is a fact, (with a few exceptions) that wherever there is a change in flooring, floor height, or room, you will need a transition strip. But there are so many to choose from, and you don’t want to choose the wrong one because you don’t know your options. I am here to explain each transition strip and bar to hopefully give you some clarity and direction in your decision-making.

T-Bar

 T-Bar is a low-profile transition strip that sits between two floors that are the same thickness or height. As long as the floors are exactly the same heights, this strip will work for you. It is meant to cover up the edges of connecting floors. They are usually incredibly low profile, so these transitions are perfect for those who have mobility issues, or want something that wont draw too much attention to itself. You can often get matching T-bar, or T-molding, when your purchase your floors, and these are made of the same material as your flooring choice (vinyl, MDF, or wood) Most of the time though, these transitions are made of metal, with a few different colour options. We carry at least three colour options but most commonly, people choose to use a T-bar that resembles stainless steel. Sometimes they will include a track, made of metal or plastic, to snap into, but if your floor is not the same height or depth of the trims, you’ll have to build up under the track, or simply glue the trims in place. We usually glue them in place to prevent them from popping out of the tracks and to avoid fiddling around. We use regular old PL in these cases because it’s easy to pipe into the seam between floors.

Metal Reducers or Bevel Bars

 Metal reducers are a great solution for many different areas. They work if you are connecting two floors of different heights or if you are connecting two floors of the same height but are farther apart. These strips come in 1″-2″ sizes and are available in metal as well as some matching profiles, like the T-bar. The reducer is designed to blend floors together and reduce tripping. With a slight bend or slope, it joins two floors, covering the raw edges and creating a seamless visual. There is a bit of a difference between the effect of the metal bar and the matching strip. The metal bar is a bit more severe, but it is also lower profile because of how thin it is. While the matching reducer has a smoother slope, it is thicker and sits above the floors a bit. You should be able to see what I mean in the picture above.

Nosings

 If you have a room that steps down into the next one, perhaps because of an addition, or layers upon layers of old flooring, you will need a stair nose. Typically, we use a metal nose because they are way less expensive (on average about $60 cheaper than matching) and they are simpler to install. The matching nosing usually comes in the full width of a board and they must click into the rest of the floor, causing you to work backwards. This is not the case for all nosing, but like most matching trims, they are bulkier, so our choice will always be the metal nosing.

Carpet Transition Strips

 The transition between carpet and hard surface floors can have you scratching your head a bit. There are a couple of solutions, depending on the floor that your carpet is connecting to. If the other floor is lower than the carpet, perhaps a sheet vinyl, you can use a pinned reducer. This slides under the edge of your carpet, gripping the woven backing, and once you tap the top bar into the carpet it pinches the carpet in place. The transition for flooring that is a similar height is like a hybrid of the pinned reducer and a T-bar. There is a T on top and a flat bar on the bottom with the option to either use your own carpet tack strip or get the pinned version for a higher price. From the side, it ends up looking something like a squared-off capital letter J. It does its job and creates a seamless transition.

No Transition Strip at All

 In some instances, when installing the same hard surface flooring in multiple areas, you don’t need to install a transition strip between rooms. As long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, many vinyl planks and laminates allow you to install up to a certain square footage without a transition. We always recommend using a transition anyway. It reduces the risk of buckling and other defects in the floor, plus it’s just simpler to install in separate segments. It is very difficult to run plank flooring through doors, and if there is ever any damage to your floors and you need to repair them, it is much easier to tear up a small segment, than an entire floor of your house. But in the case when it is two small rooms, say a hallway and bedroom, or an ensuite and bedroom, you have the option to keep the floors going.

Low Profile Tile Edging

 Sometimes your tile is the same height as the flooring on the other side of the door, this can make for a very slick transition. You can use a tile edge trim to keep everything very low profile. This trim requires grout on the tile side, and you may need to grout the other side as well, to protect the raw edge of your adjoining floor. The trim lays flat against the floor, making the transition seamless. This method can be a bit tricky, and it won’t work for every floor, but if you have the opportunity, it can be beautiful. We use Schluter Systems’ trims and accessories for any type of tile application.

Matching 5-in-1 Transitions

 Our all-time favourite transition strip to use combines all of these trims listed. It is the Mohawk 5-in-1 matching trim. There are over 60 colours available, and even though it is constructed as a laminate product, you can pair them with products outside this line, including laminate, hardwood, and vinyl plank. By following the grooves that are in different places on the trim, you can slice through the lamination and create the trim that you need. This technology is unique and really very simple to use. Be careful if you use these though, as the cut edges are incredibly sharp, that’s why there is a slice of sandpaper included in the blade handle. These trims are so versatile, easy to use, and visually sharp, that we try to use them whenever we can.

 So there you have it, A transition strip for every need. Everything from bulky to slim, tall to short, and matching to stand out. There are always options, and now you will know the right words when you need to transition between rooms. Send us an email, or visit us in-store to discuss how to transition between what’s under your feet!