Between two rooms utilizing the same flooring material. While you may be able to get away without a transition strip in these spaces, using one can better allow for expansion and contraction over time. This is particularly important with wood plank, vinyl plank or tile materials.
What is a Flooring Transition? Flooring transitions are used anytime two different floors come together. This can be to bridge the gap, if the two floors are of different thicknesses or to create a smooth boundary when floors of different materials meet each other.
A flush reducer or flush mount reducer makes a smooth, arcing transition from nail-down hardwood flooring to a low-profile surface such as vinyl or concrete. It makes a flush ramp down to the lower floor. The advantage is that it mounts flush to the floor's surface, butting up against the wood.
If you are only installing vinyl planks in a single room, you will want to install transitions at the doorways. Transition pieces give a clean appearance where one kind of flooring meets with another.
You should not change the direction of hardwood flooring between rooms—the reason why is that it causes visual disharmony. Placing hardwood flooring in the same direction that follows your space is best.
Flooring is typically installed in the same direction of your leading source of natural light, and the same goes for luxury vinyl. If you have large windows in a living room or an entryway that allows a flood of natural light, then run your planks in the same direction.
Transition strips are especially important when you are going from one thickness of floor covering to another. It's common to have an area that has thick carpet that transitions to concrete or carpet that transitions to another hard surface like wood, laminate or linoleum.
Can you mix two different hardwood floors side by side? Yes, you can mix two different wood floors side by side. However, whenever homeowners have two different hardwood floors adjoining each other, they often try to match the colors for continuity in visual aesthetics.
The big question is, should flooring be the same throughout the house? The quick answer is YES! Using the same flooring throughout ties rooms together, improves flow, makes the home seem larger, simplifies cleaning and maintenance, and is often easier on the budget.
The simplest way to install a threshold is to use field tile from one floor or the other, or even an entirely new type of tile. You can cut the pieces down into strips that are as wide as you want the threshold to be and then install them in a bed of thinset mortar applied with a notched trowel, says FlyingSelfies.com.
Transition strips for laminate flooring
They ensure a smooth transition between different floors, from a room to another, or inside a room if different floors are used.
The tongue is the side that you will want to place against the wall as you start your laminate-flooring installation.
The installation starts in the corner of the house and proceeds through the first room until the edge of the flooring extends beyond the walls. It then continues straight into the adjoining rooms unless you change direction with a transition.
When placing wood floors in multiple rooms and a connecting hallway, the boards should all be directed away from the main entrance to the hall, and adjoining rooms should continue in that same direction.
Strip flooring can be installed in any direction in any room, however the convention is to run parallel with the longest wall in most situations. Rarely is this type of flooring run perpendicular to walls in a hallway.
Is it necessary to place T-molding transitions and expansion breaks in floating floors? Yes, when directed by the manufacturer T-molding transitions and expansion breaks must be used. The reasons manufacturers recommend expansion breaks and doorway transitions in floating floors is three-fold.
A flooring threshold or edging strip might be needed to complete your vinyl flooring job. These help create a neat and safe transition from the flooring of one room to the next and some thresholds are designed to help even out adjoining floors of different heights.
I would imagine it's a matter of preference, but IMO the transition is part of the floor and the baseboard is part of the wall. Given that the transition will blend in with the floor, I'd be inclined to put the baseboards on first and then cut the transition to fit.