Laminate and transition into tiles

[pitabread]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and glad I stumbled upon it, there is lots of good information on here. I'm wondering if anyone has advice on what I want to do as part of my renovation project.

I've seen some show homes that have no transitions between laminate and tiles.
how can this be accomplished? Do they use matching grout color silicon between the tiles and floating laminate or do they glue down the laminate? Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this and some advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

 

[Ken]

Do NOT install laminate flooring without transitions. That is NOT the correct way to do it. They make them for a reason.

 

[highup]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and glad I stumbled upon it, there is lots of good information on here. I'm wondering if anyone has advice on what I want to do as part of my renovation project.

I've seen some show homes that have no transitions between laminate and tiles.
how can this be accomplished? Do they use matching grout color silicon between the tiles and floating laminate or do they glue down the laminate? Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this and some advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Describe more about the project. Is it a single door opening that might need a transition to the tile? Or a front entry in tile that has 3 exposed sides of tile?
Is the laminate area just one small room, or a large room, or multiple rooms?

 

[pitabread]

Do NOT install laminate flooring without transitions. That is NOT the correct way to do it. They make them for a reason.

Thanks for the feedback. Assuming it'll be the same level, can you explain a little more as to why it's not recommended?

Describe more about the project. Is it a single door opening that might need a transition to the tile? Or a front entry in tile that has 3 exposed sides of tile?
Is the laminate area just one small room, or a large room, or multiple rooms?

Sure. There will be a few areas that will need transitions into tiles. I created a diagram to hopefully explain things better.

The areas in green will be laminate, the area in red has tiles and the yellow lines are where the transitions or no transitions will be.

 

[Ken]

Laminate behaves differently than wood in that it moves as a unit. You need transitions to maintain the proper expansion gap in all areas so that the "unit" is not pinned down.

 

[highup]

The image helps a lot.
I did a large living room once (18 by 22) and it had a 6 foot long step down into an entryway. I nailed down a flush mount stair nose to that edge, then splined and glued the first piece of laminate to that. Fastening one edge down can be done but you really have to understand how the floating floor moves or you are destined for failure. What I did was not for beginners and more than 10 years later, it's still like new with no problems.
....... I wouldn't recommend doing anything like that, especially in your layout. Like Ken said. Use a transition molding in the tile areas.
Personally after a very careful layout to be absolutley sure of being parallel with the back most bedroom walls, I'd make a parallel line in the hallway, start there and work into the bedrooms and not use transitions there.
That said, you need to plan in advance exactly where the planks will connect in those doorways and know how to make the connection. I say this, because you cannot lift an edge and "click" the doorway joint together because you will undercut the door casing and slide the pieces under the casing. The doorway joint must be glued lightly and carefully tapped together. The manufacturer will have a recommended method to make connections like this.
What is the product?

 

[Ken]

Highup, if you did that over ten years ago I'm assuming it was the old style laminate that was glued together and not locking?

 

[highup]

Highup, if you did that over ten years ago I'm assuming it was the old style laminate that was glued together and not locking?

Nope............. It was my first click job. Armstrong I think. There was about 45 boxes total, and the job failed because the locking joints were milled incorrectly. The long joints started sliding around and even slid totally out from under a "T" molding in a 40 foot long hallway.
There was also a "T" molding between the long hallway and the room I mentioned.............. adding that room would have made the total length over 60 feet.
The homeowner would not allow Armstrong to replace that room that I locked in place................... because it was the only area that did not fail.

I got my tricks.
.......for $50 in unmarked bills. I'll tell you more.

 

[pitabread]

Thank highup and Ken for the assistance and recommendations. I'll use the transitions in the tile areas when I get around to do the floors.