Each room in your home is its own unique space, working together to bring your entire vision into focus. Even with open concept homes, it’s important to transition flooring types from one room to the next. But why should you transition flooring between rooms? Read on below.
Practical reasons you should transition flooring
Hardwood flooring is an organic material, meaning it expands and contracts due to changes in the environment. To avoid buckling and bumps, flooring is laid with a small amount of excess play to accommodate for the changes. Transitioning flooring between rooms allows you to strategically place gaps in a way that’s inconspicuous to the naked eye.
Transitioning flooring is also important when dealing with floor types of different materials that have different heights. In these cases, you’ll need transition strips so that there aren’t any abrupt height changes when going between rooms.
Aesthetic reasons to transition flooring
Most people don’t want the exact same flooring throughout their entire home. Plenty of homeowner’s want to have different types of flooring to better fit the mood or aesthetic of a specific room. It’s important to properly transition between these flooring types, so you can have the visual break while keeping the home’s flow intact.
How to transition flooring from room-to-room
Make a plan
Before you start ripping up and laying down, make a plan first. Visualize what you’d like your floor to look like, the types of flooring for each room, and other elements such as budget and time.
Choose a direction
When it comes to laying down hardwood flooring, you’ll want to pick a direction the planks will lay. Typically, floor planks run the length of a room. However, for small rooms this may not be the best option. A professional flooring team can work with you to determine the best flooring direction.
Laying the flooring
Starting at the furthest part of the room, make your first line against the wall while leaving space for the expansion gap. Continue to lay the flooring in a staggered pattern, cutting notches in the flooring to fit doorways.
Transition pieces and thresholds
Transition strips should be used in places:
- Where your flooring meets another flooring type
- In between rooms that need an expansion gap
- Where floor heights change
- Along baseboards
- To break up plank lengths of 30 feet
Professional flooring help
Well-installed flooring can greatly enhance the look and feel of your home’s layout. For the highest quality, we recommend going with a professional team to take on this kind of work, especially through different rooms. At Flohr, we’ve got over 20 years of professional experience in supplying and installing flooring. Schedule yourself a FREE private consultation with us to get an estimate on your next project.
