What can I do for a transition piece (threshold) that has a 3/8" difference in height? It goes from a tiled family room to an entry way that has oak laminate. The opening is 5' wide. The contractor left a gap of about 1/2' wide to accommodate a track between the tile and the wood laminate. I've been told that I would need something called a "reducer". Where can I find an oak transition reducer with a 3/8' offset that is 5' wide? I haven't had any luck finding something like that in my area. Portland, OR. Area. Any ideas? Thanks!

Are you saying that you had a contractor install laminate flooring and the contractor was too lazy, to dumb, or just too much of a scum bag to install a threshold in a door opening. He then calls it a reducer to make you think it was something special that you should go out and find and install?

Would this happen to be Bruce pre-finished hardwood flooring.

Pullingmyhairout

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Well, he didn't install the laminate, the laminate was already in place. It used to go from the laminate into our family room which had carpeting; we tore out the carpeting and the contractor installed tile, which made the tile floor higher than the laminate by 3/8" of an inch. Plus there is a 1/2" gap between the new tile and the existing laminate. He told us that there is a threshold that requires a track that goes into this gap, then the trim piece snaps into the track. I called Home Depot and I think what he was talking about is something called "fast-trim". It not real oak but looks like oak. The only problem is the longest piece they carry is 47" long and I need a threshold at least 60" long. If you know of a solution, I would sure appreciate any advice.!


Bruce pre-finished hardwood flooring is regular tonge and grove hardwood flooring, 3/4" thick and finished before installation.
Laminate flooring is usually 1/4" thick, several types, some snap togeather some glue together. Usually the laminate is not nailed or glued down, it just lays there and is referred to as "floating".
If the tile is higher than the wood flooring I am assuming you have the laminate type.

After my first post I had to make a return to Home Depot. While there I decided to look in the flooring section to see if there was anything there referred to as a "reducer" To my supprise there is a edge tirm piece by Bruce called a reducer. It is just a beveled transition piece of tim to go from one level to another. A drawing is shown below.

Laminate flooring would also have an equivalent piece. However, most likely they will be designed to go to a lower surface. You need something that goes to a higher surface. And as you noted it is unlikely a single piece 5" long will be available. It may be by special order.

What you will probably have to do is try to determine the brand of laminate floor you have in order to match the color and use a piece of T molding, shape of which is also shown below. The fact that it slopes frof on level to the other should not be distracting.

Your other option is to purchase or make a threshold. Something a reasonably competant woodworker can do with a table saw. Your problem with this approch will be matching the color. Most commerically wood products are finished with a a tinted lacquer or polurathane finishing product. It can be very difficult to match the color using the commonlly available wiping stains. With patients it can be done. You most likely will not be able to match the color exactly but will be close enough to not be distracting.

My personal opinion is that a real threshold 4 1/2 or 5" wide with a reasonable matching stain and a high sheen finish will look better than the cheep little transitions strips that the laminate floorings use.

If you have a dark colored flooring the color variance will be less noticeable. If you have a light colored flooring it is probably in the "Golden Oak", "Natural" color range.

Fortunately oak stains quite easily. To come close to the sheen of the flooring you will have to sand the threshold material to 220 or 340 grit. Then stain and finish with several coats of spray polyuarthane. When you apply the finish the appearance of the stain always changes slightly so you have to go through the complete process to see just what it is going to look like.

As previously stated making a threshold is a relatively easy project for a woodworker, do you have a table saw or have a friend with one. The finishing is easy, it's just getting the stain right that is tedious.

If this is more than you want to undertake, I suggest that you look at the Bruce flooring T strips and see if you can match the color well enough.