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how do i transition from tile to hardwood.

7 years ago

I am replacing our hardwood in kitchen with a concrete looking tile. The rest of house is hardwood. We have 3 dogs and they enter and exit thru door wall in kitchen. They have totally trashed the floor, and I want these hardwood floors gone! But how do I transition from different flooring types? And can I use 24x24 tiles or would that look funny

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Comments (4)

User
7 years ago
The joint between different flooring is usually covered with a transition strip. Transition strips are made from wood, metal, or various other materials. There are strips designed to transition between hard flooring and carpet, wood to tile, and even different height types of flooring like ceramic tile to vinyl flooring.

As for the size of the new flooring, larger tile generally looks better than smaller in entry areas. However, large tiles will require a more stable subfloor/underlayment combination to prevent cracking.
indahowz thanked User
PRO
User
7 years ago
Hi there, you can use any size tile you like. Large format tile is very trendy right now, as far as style goes. Transitions all depend on the height of each floor. First, I'd have to ask if your hardwood flooring is solid or engineered. (because the subfloor would typically be different for each) If you have a cement/concrete subfloor, chances are, there won't be a huge height difference once the new tile is installed next to your hardwood (if it's engineered. Therefore, you'd be able to use traditional transitions like T-Moldings or multi-purpose reducers, you can even use a saddle (whatever look you like more).

If you have solid hardwood flooring over plywood, the floor prep for tile is a little more involved. There are 2 ways to go about it; 1, install wire mesh (to act as a skeleton) and pour a self-leveling cement for your tile to be installed on to p of. This would add between 1/4" to 1/2" on top of the plywood subfloor, then your mortar and large format tile. The other way to install tile on top of a plywood subfloor would be to use cement board. You could install the cement board, and patch whatever discrepancies there are to make the subfloor nice and flat for your tile. After that, you're all set to install the tile. Always plan ahead for which transitions you'd like before the install starts. You have to make sure that the ones you want, will work out with the heights, and location of the flooring. (like where the old floor ends, and the new tile flooring begins)

I hope this helped!

The Couture Floor Company

The Flooring Blog (You can check out our trending for 2017 blog here for ideas for your new flooring)
indahowz thanked User
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it's the standard way flush transitions are addressed in new tile and hardwood isntallations without placing other products under the tile to create a ramp that may or may not sacrifice the stability of the installation in the future. it depends on the thickness of the tile itself. what do you consider "quite a bit" ? also it needs to be asked, do you really want a ramp under your tile ? if you have a 1/4" tile with a setting bed made from a 1/4" notched trowel, the total thickness comes in just below a half inch. Using a 3/8" notched trowel increases that by 1/8" Using a 1/2" notched trowel increased that by 1/4" Plus with thinset you can squeeze the tiles down and butter them up alot more effectively to achieve the flush transition. this doesnt necessarily have to be accomplished throughout the entire install. It could be spread accross the last few rows to accomplish the flush transition. Mortar sticks to mortar alot better than any 3rd prty ramping product. This is the way flush transitions are supposed to be accomplished in tile isntalls.
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Hi first its depends how you going to dived the are even that its open area the question is if you going to have a island in the kitchen that will separate between the living room to the kitchen or every thing will be open kind of big loft, I saw houses with three deferent kind of floor some times is good some times is so so, depends how you do the connection between them You donÂt have to go with a high price wood for the kitchen; there is many kind of wood that will be chipper then tile for the kitchen, oak, pine or Bamboo in good quality (not the 99c or $1.30). Hope its help, and like you say its hard to say with out the floor plan. Jacob
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It needs to be flat not necessarily level. If it is not prepped and flat you very well may end up with cracked broken tile over time.
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PRO
Uptown Floors
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Yes plan ahead. I despise common transition strips. With higher end or
professional work you will often see these kind of transitions.

Ken Fisher

Uptown Floors
indahowz thanked Uptown Floors
PRO
Mint tile Minneapolis
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
@ Uptown..Nice silicone expansion joints

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