How to transition between two different wood floors in 2023?

Renovation is not an easy thing to do. There are lots of different little things that you have to pay proper attention to. The transition between two different floors in different rooms or even within the same room is a really important part of the renovation.

When using wood as the main flooring material, it is important to understand how to make the transition correctly so that it blends seamlessly into the overall interior, is comfortable, and does not hurt the eye.

Is transition always necessary?

Repairs throughout the apartment involve the use of different materials in different rooms. For example, in the bedroom it is impossible to put tiles, because it will be cold, as well as in the bathroom to put a wooden floor – it will get wet and will deteriorate.

Therefore, the transition of the floor is necessary for any renovation. Even though the new floor trend are floors without transition in modern design, they are necessary, even if without a transition strip, but they are required. And so you need to think about this detail of the renovation too.

What flooring material is right for your room?

If you are interested in the question of the transition between floors, it is probably already solved. However, it is worth knowing a simple rule of thumb, by adhering to which your wood floor will not visually narrow the space, and the result will look great.

Light wood flooring

It is ideal for small rooms. It creates a cozy atmosphere and does not narrow the space. As an example of great light wood flooring materials: birch, pine or white oak. Floor transition is also simple, so it’s not likely to be difficult: just one transition strip could fix everything.

Natural light in rooms with this flooring is not absorbed into itself, but on the contrary is reflected, endowing the room with a pleasant light.

Dark wood floor

Brazilian walnut or redwood can be used for larger rooms. Dark colored wood floor looks luxurious and expensive, but can ruin a small room in terms of lighting. South facing rooms could meet this problem too, so be careful!

How do you transition two types of flooring?

There are several common and experience-tested options for the transition between different floors, which will be discussed in more detail below:

Idea 1 – Irregular transition

Your interior designer’s thinking may stop at this option. Perfectly matches in most cases of floor transitions, when an even transition does not fit in the overall picture. Carpeting or accent tiles can create an uneven and interesting transition. More examples can be seen online, because this type of flooring can be very different.

People with a strong imagination can come up with something extravagant, and the highlight of this type of transition is that the transition can also be an uneven line. You can use an unfinished transition strips or even put it in a wavy line.

It is not recommended to use irregular pattern in large rooms. Irregular shape can be difficult to fit into the big picture. But it would look cozy in a smaller rooms.

Idea 2 – Transition with furniture

Closet, hallway furniture, or kitchen furniture can delineate two different wood floors in the same room if there is a reason to use two flooring types. This would fit perfectly into the creation of dining room inside other room.

In such a case, it is important to use the right colors. The color scheme of the furniture should harmonize with the flooring so that the transition is noticeable. Break the boundaries and go beyond the usual transition strips! This is considered very trendy and popular. It looks fantastic.

Idea 3 – Third flooring

If you have a relatively wide or long area between two rooms, where neither furniture nor transition strips will fit, you can use a buffer zone. By using a third material, such as tile, you don’t risk ruining the overall look of the renovation, and you don’t have to figure out how to smooth out the transition.

In this method, you can use different flooring materials, especially if the two hardwood flooring do not go in the same direction. Neutral material will not ruin the overall picture of the interior. Great example: laminate floors or tiles.

Idea 4 – Highlight Intersection

This method will work where none of the other methods work.

Even if you have completely different floorings, no door or doorway, this method will work and smooth out the sharp transition between floors.

A very similar method to the previous one, in which a bright transition strip can be used instead of a neutral material. It can blend in with the interior of the room or be used as an accent border, a design move.

Such a threshold will focus attention on itself.

Maybe such a solution will fit into your interior much more interestingly than a wooden transition strip or a cold metal one?

How to transition between two different wood floors? – how do you blend different wood floors?

All of the methods described earlier can also be applied to situations with two wood flooring, but it all depends on the situation. But how to transition between two different wood floors? There is a solution that can be applied specifically for this case.

Flooring transition strip that separates the two flooring without any problems. It also has quite a few types and it is worth understanding what will be in harmony with the interior and wood floor.

Seam Binder is not only suitable for simply joining two different wood floors together, but also for hiding all seams and irregularities. True, of all the other options, seam binder is not highly durable, and therefore there is a chance that you may have to repair or replace it.

A simple, fast and effective way to connect two wooden floors. For those who don’t want to bother with every little detail, seam binder is perfect.

T molding has a name that comes from its T-shaped form. They differ from seam binders in that they have a protrusion. The “foot” of this transition strip is inserted into the space between two different wood floors. This seam is slightly elevated above the floor, but due to this has high strength.

In addition, T molding can bring a small advantage in the form of noise insulation. Albeit slightly, but with this seam reduces the distance between the door and the floor, and due to the rounded edge is able to reflect some of the sound back.

Transition strips can be used when you quickly and easily need to close the gap between two floors. The most versatile, cheapest and reliable way to eliminate the appearance of seams and the transition between the two floors.

Floor transition strips can be made of different materials. You should understand that iron or aluminum thin metal transition is more likely to fit in an office than in a home, especially between two wood floors. Vinyl transition strip is not very durable, although it can be used at home. Whereas wooden ones are ideal both in durability and appearance.

They can be made by yourself from leftover hardwood floor or purchased at a construction store. Flooring transition strip could be made of different types of wood, so it can fit almost every wood flooring and you easily can with same material sample.

Transition strips are suitable if you need to connect two different wood floor in a doorway or make a sharp transition between rooms. It should be noted that this kind of transition is relatively high and may not be suitable for all apartments or houses.

How do you transition between two different hardwood floors from one room to another?

Hardwood flooring is quite a complex process, which should be taken seriously even before you start installing it. It is better to open concept floor plan and guided by it to know how much material is needed, what material, as well as to think at once how there will be transitions between the rooms.

Usually, the transition between two hardwood floors is uniform: smooth transition where two floors meet each other without the use of auxiliary things or floor transition strips. It connects to the existing flooring. But sometimes it happens that the direction or material in the rooms is not the same. So how do you connect hardwood flooring?

It’s easier to work with one wood floor, but sometimes, it will be a good idea to use a different direction of the boards to divide the rooms.

If wood floors are vertical in one, you can put horizontally in the other. Either of the previous methods can be used to hide the seam between the two wood floors, if there is one left.

Even so, it is advisable to use a material close to the previous one, if not the same. This will not create a strong abstraction between the two rooms, as if they were not from the same interior.

Be careful with the choice of color, decide what color will work in this or that room and using the overall plan, select the shades that will work in all rooms.

Seams can be avoided at all between hardwood floors, with modern technology, with the right experience or with an experienced craftsman, so you can consider this option too.

How do you transition to a different floor level?

Two floors will not necessarily be the same height or thickness, and therefore it is not uncommon to have to connect two floors of different heights. That’s why there are ready-made solutions for this as well, although very few of them exist. You need to consider factors such as the difference in height, as well as how the material of two floors fits together.

T molding has a counterpart that is designed to cover corners. A corner molding will fit to smoothly cover the difference of a few inches. Wooden corner moldings are durable, and the market is filled with a variety of colors and types of wood, and therefore it can fit almost anywhere.

It is worth noting that if the height difference is significant, then you can emphasize the lower field, which is already existing floor, as the transition will already be sharp and it is unlikely to get it smoothly combined.

If you want to make the transition between two different floors at a higher height, you can already use a step. It can also be made of floor material. This can save leftover material and also reduce the time it takes to find it. In case the material is not available, the building store may have blanks for the steps in your type of wood.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to use other transition pieces than corner moldings. Uneven transitions will also have to be forgotten – only a straight lines.

How to combine an old and modern wooden flooring materials

The question is quite complicated, because it should be one small detail that will create a boundary between the old and the new flooring. In that case, it would be ideal to use hardwood transitional zones. In a small hallway may be suitable buffer zone, which will be made of a third neutral material.

It is not recommended to do a mixture of old and new within the one room.

Metal transition piece would also not work, because there would be a high contrast. Most likely, you will have to abandon the old floor in favor of modern materials.

It is worth remembering that in today’s design it is difficult to combine the old and the new-fashioned. Maybe you should use a different floor type, because it is difficult to combine even different woods, and different times even more difficult.

If we are talking about an old-fashioned floor, then ancient furniture in good condition will only emphasize the luxury of the place. Such a floor needs proper care so that it does not look awful and poor, but rich and exotic. In this case, a not worn but old floor in good quality will be easy to combine with modern flooring materials.

If there are heat stains on your old wood flooring, they can be easily removed. Find out how to do it in our new guide from professionals.

Conclusion

Floor transitions it is an integral part of any renovation. Seemingly simple little thing, but it can ruin or improve any room design. So take the choice of transitions between floor coverings with sufficient care. Thank you for reading, I look forward to your feedback.

If you find out also how to install toe kick lighting it will help to highlight wood flooring with the right lighting.