Transitions White Paper

The following information is to be used as a guideline to determine whether transitions are needed when there is a change in height between two flooring surfaces.  To determine the height of your flooring surface refer to total thickness on the product specification. This guideline covers all flooring types (including hardwood, resilient, carpet and ReWorx). ReWorx should be treated like a hard surface due to the rigid construction of ReWorx.

Ultimately, this is a decision to be determined by the end user. The following are our recommendations on best practices to be followed. Transitions must always meet guidelines of local, state and federal codes. This may supersede Shaw’s recommendations. 

No transition strip is needed when ALL the following conditions are present: 

• The hard surface is not higher than carpet height and 

• The height of the two surfaces has less than ¼” differential 

• Both flooring products are installed using full spread glue. 

NOTE: If installing two flooring products with different heights, we advise that the subfloor is built up to make the heights equal at the transition. For example Resilient / Resilient and Carpet / Carpet, building up underneath product to achieve equivalent height. Suggested methods such as use of under floor leveling transition, leveling compounds, etc.  When transitioning broadloom to carpet tile apply 8300 seam sealer. When transitioning between all other flooring surfaces, use LokSeam. 

Full Transitions should be used when: 

• Either floor is floating 

• Differential in height between floors is greater than ¼” 

• Hard Surface height is higher than Soft Surface height 

• Installed Flooring Product to subfloor: requires the use of an overlap reducer 

• Metal Trim – Flooring product should not exceed the height of the trim.  Seam seal broadloom edge using a latex seam sealer and Shaw 8300 for carpet tile. 

          Floating Floors - transitions and wall molding requirement: 

• Floating floors require perimeter expansion at all vertical surfaces always. 

• This space is generally covered with wall base, quarter round. 

• Transition to other floor covering is also required using a T-mold, overlap reducer or baby threshold.