Installing new flooring is one of the best projects we can do around the home. It makes the home beautiful, livable, and comfortable. Unless you are installing the same type of flooring in every room, however, you’re going to end up with some transitions along the way.
Choosing the proper transition from one type of floor to another or one area of the home to another is just as important as choosing the floor itself. It is typically where the eye is going to be drawn when we look down to the floor, so having a nice transition means having a nice floor.
How To Transition Vinyl Planks To Stairs/Doors/Carpet/Tile
Generally speaking, transition strips are used to make the transition from one floor to another. It may help to make a smooth transition from one height to another or from one type of floor to another. A properly installed transition strip also adds to the safety of the home, because it reduces or eliminates a tripping hazard.
It would be nice if everything we did around the home fit into a one-size-fits-all package. The reality of it is, however, there are going to be different types of transitions, depending upon the flooring, the area of the home, and even the style of installation.
The following are some of the most common areas of the home that would require a transition. As you will see, there are similarities from one to another but there are also differences that need to be considered for a proper and beautiful installation.
How Do You Transition Vinyl Planks To Stairs
Making the transition from vinyl planks to stairs requires a special piece of material known as a stair nose piece. The options include a flush mount and overlapping stair nose, with a flush mount being used for glue down vinyl and an overlapping being used for a floating floor.
It is important to choose the proper type of transition strip because the transition from the floor to the stairs is one of the most noticeable and potentially dangerous areas of the home. You need to consider a number of factors when choosing the stair nose piece, including the type, size, and color.
There are two basic styles of stair nose transition strips that you may need to get. A flush mount is one that butts up directly to the floor and the overlapping also butts up to the edge but it has an overlapping lip that covers a small portion of the floor.
Either of these can work well, but the overlapping is best used for a floating floor because it can move and expand/contract, depending upon usage and the time of year. If you use a flush mount stair nose piece with a floating floor, you are likely to have a gap that is larger at certain times of the year.
One of the most important things to avoid is nailing down the stair nose transition through a floating floor. If you do so, you are eliminating the benefit of having a floating floor and you could end up with problems if the humidity gets too high.
How Do You Transition Vinyl Planks To Doorway
Making the transition from one type of flooring to another often occurs at the doorway. The transition from vinyl planks to any other type of flooring would often require a transition strip. Choosing the right transition strip can make the job seamless, as well as reducing a potential tripping hazard that could occur when you are going from one floor height to another.
In any type of transition strip at the doorway, you would want to avoid putting nails through a floating vinyl floor. There are transition strips that butt directly into the vinyl flooring and others that have an overlap. The transition strips that have an overlap work well for a floating vinyl plank floor because you can nail through the strip and have the overlap overtop of the edge of the vinyl, allowing it to move and expand or contract.
One of the common types of transition strips is when you’re going from vinyl plank flooring to carpeting. This doorway transition is a simple one, but you need to choose the right one for the job. After all, making the transition to carpet is often a matter of a significant change in height, so you want the strip to hide the transition as much as possible.
Another type of transition strip is when you’re going from vinyl floor to vinyl floor. Some homeowners choose to use a transition strip rather than installing some of the vinyl floor planks backward. It works well because you can install each room individually and independently of each other. The problem is, you will have a noticeable transition strip so the job will not be seamless.
Making the transition from vinyl floor to tile is similar to making the transition from vinyl plank flooring to carpet. It’s a single transition strip that is installed to act as a reducer so you are going from one level to another seamlessly. Depending upon the thickness of the tile and the vinyl plank, you will have to choose a transition strip that works well.
How Do You Transition Vinyl Planks To Exterior Door
Making the transition from a vinyl plank floor to an exterior doorway requires a different threshold than you would use in other parts of the home. A threshold eliminates the gap between the door and the floor, providing a good seal and reducing the possibility of rainwater or other elements getting inside the home.
Although an exterior door transition tends to be more heavy-duty than what you may have at an interior door, it’s still important to consider the way that it looks. Most vinyl plank flooring will have thresholds specifically made for them. If at all possible, use one of those thresholds because it will typically be your best option.
There may also be times when you need to use a heavy-duty threshold, depending upon code and exposure to the outside. A number of different options are available, but it’s always best to have one that floats overtop of the edge of the vinyl plank rather than nailing down through it.
You should also leave an additional 1/4 inch gap between the interior edge of the door and the edge of the vinyl floor. This will typically be covered by the threshold, which butts up against the edge of the vinyl and then covers over it to allow for expansion and contraction.
How Do You Transition Vinyl Planks To Carpet
Most homeowners will use a transition strip that covers both the edge of the vinyl plank and the carpet when transitioning from one surface to another. It tends to be the easiest choice, as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing option that most homeowners are able to do on their own.
If you are using a single transition strip, choose one that is the same color as the vinyl planks. The transition strip will butt up against the vinyl plank and nail down through the subfloor. You will not nail down through the vinyl plank, as it needs to expand and contract with the rest of the floor as the humidity changes in the room.
Another option is to use an end cap. This type of transition covers over the edge of the carpet and butts up against the edge of the vinyl tile. It’s a good option if the edge of the vinyl tile is perfectly flush at the doorway. You also need to ensure that it is installed properly so you don’t have an edge of the vinyl plank visible that could be damaged.
How Do You Transition Vinyl Planks To Tile
Most vinyl plank manufacturers make a transition strip that is specific to the style of vinyl tile being laid. It makes for a seamless transition from vinyl plank to tile, either with a reducer that makes the change in elevation seamless or as a piece that crosses over from vinyl to tile if it is at the same elevation.
The key to making the transition from vinyl plank to tile is leaving a gap between the two different types of flooring during the installation process. The transition strip will slip down between the two types of floor and then it will cover the edges by floating above both the tile and the vinyl. It makes for a seamless transition, but one that also allows the vinyl to move as it expands and contracts due to changes in the humidity.
In most cases, the transition strip is going to be nailed through that small gap between the vinyl plank and the tile. The nail will go down into the subfloor but will not pass through either type of floor in the process.
It is also possible to use a tile transition strip that butts up against the edge of the vinyl tile. As long as the edge of the vinyl plank flooring is flush, it can work well but there is going to be a gap that tends to expand during certain times of the year.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on April 25, 2021.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on April 25, 2021.
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