Trim moldings can help you transition from one room to another. They can also help you cover up the expansion gaps that are necessary to leave when installing a hardwood floor.
Click here to browse our selection of trim moldings, which come in a variety of species and types.
Different moldings are made for different parts of the house, and different parts of a room. There are a lot of moldings out there, which can make things confusing and complicated. But we’ll cover some of the most basic types and their purposes here.
Quarter Round: A quarter round molding is one of the most common types of molding you’ll come across. It’s typically ¾” inches by ¾” inches and is used to cover the expansion gap between the floor and a wall, baseboard, or toe kick. The installation of a quarter round molding is quite simple; just nail it into the baseboard or the wall using a finish nails.
Shoe Molding: Serves the same purpose as a quarter round, but typically with a more subdued appearance.
T Molding: This type of molding resembles a capital “T” and is used to bridge a gap between one floor and another. They are commonly used to connect a tiled surface and a wood floor, but can also be used to bridge the gap between two wood floors. To install, it’s imperative to make sure that the two surfaces being bridged are an equal height, otherwise the molding might crack with repeated use. Leave a space between the two floors and glue it down using a strong construction glue, or nail it in with finish nails.
Threshold – Sometimes referred to as a Baby Threshold, Thresholds are used in situations where a hardwood floor is meeting up with a second floor of a different height. A Threshold creates a smooth transition between the floor and the second surface. To install a threshold, glue it down and/or face nail it into the subfloor.
Overlap Reducer: Used to smoothly transition between a floating floor and another floor, like vinyl, carpet, tile, etc. without taking away the floating floor’s much-needed expansion gap. To install an overlap reduce, face nail it into the subfloor––it is not intended to be installed directly into the floating floor, it’s just supposed to lay on top to cover the gap.
Flush Reducer: Use to transition between a hardwood floor and another flooring type like vinyl, tile, or carpet. Can be glued down to the subfloor or nailed in.
End Cap / Square Nose Reducer: Looks similar to a threshold, but with a squared-off edge. Good for covering an expansion gap between a floor and a vertical obstacle in any situation where a quarter round wouldn’t quite cover it, like a fireplace.
Flush Stair Nose (AKA Bull Nose or Starter Step): Used to cover the front edge of the step to create a seamless transition to the end of the step while providing an expansion gap. You can glue this down to the subfloor of the stair and face nail it as well for extra support.
Wall Base (AKA baseboard): Used to cover an expansion gap between a wall and a floor, and usually painted/stained the same color as the trim throughout the rest of the room. Baseboards can be plain or decorative. Install using finish nails, and can be used in conjunction with a quarter round or Shoe Molding.
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