Edge of the Wood Flooring

[Tom Bender]

We are having the vinyl in the kitchen replaced with similar. The hardwood adjacent is higher by about 1/4" but it varies by an eighth either way. Without correcting the heights of the flooring, what is the best way to trim this? Last time I hand planed the piece the flooring guy installed to make it better but would like to do better. I can make something custom but would like to minimize the bump.

Also, what finish will show the gloss of the refinished Oak?

[Tom M King]

I would put a wedge shaped piece under the new vinyl, and not have any threshold. I've done this quite a number of times. I avoid transition thresholds where possible.

These pictures are wood to tile, and tile to laminate (in a closet). The wood to tile transition required a wedge under the wood, which is about 1/4" just in the thickness of the wall, and no one notices it. The laminate also required a thin wedge under it.

This was discussed here, a while back, so I already had the pictures in the gallery here.

[David Utterback]

If I understand your situation, across a door opening, the existing wood flooring height varies between 3/8" and 1/8". Was that the case with the old flooring? You would like to have a transition between the floors. Your possible solution would be simpler if the height difference is essentially a plane. A more irregular the height difference seems like a greater challenge. When faced with this problem, I did as you did which is plane the underside edge of the transition.

[lowell holmes]

I have one of these that will do what you want.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnpla/36566743?affiliate_id=43737&click_id=2898368339&cid=af_q218&clickId=2898368339

[Mel Fulks]

Tom, I don't mind transitions, and where there are sound proofing sweeps they are helpful. But that is a good look,and
beautifully neat.

[Edward Dyas]

We are having the vinyl in the kitchen replaced with similar. The hardwood adjacent is higher by about 1/4" but it varies by an eighth either way. Without correcting the heights of the flooring, what is the best way to trim this? Last time I hand planed the piece the flooring guy installed to make it better but would like to do better. I can make something custom but would like to minimize the bump.

Also, what finish will show the gloss of the refinished Oak?The box stores normally carry a cheap 1/4" plywood called underlayment for that purpose. Saves a lot of work cleaning the old floor too. Some people use a wood or metal transition strip to cover the seam where the two floors meet.

Not sure what you mean about showing the gloss of the refinished oak. I would make the sheen of the vinyl pretty similar to what the sheen of the wood floor was.

[Bill Dufour]

You could build the taper out of bondo or tile grout keeping it the 1/8 below the wood so the top surfaces match.

[Tom M King]

Tom, I don't mind transitions, and where there are sound proofing sweeps they are helpful. But that is a good look,and
beautifully neat.

Thanks. That's in an addition on our house. Those floors would have been flat, flush, and I planned for the differences when I framed that addtion, but my Wife decided, in the middle of the process, that she wanted a heated floor in the bathroom.

[Frank Pratt]

As Edward suggested, I'd go with raising the level under the vinyl. If not, go with a transition strip.

In my daughters kitchen, they replaced vinyl with ceramic tile. The backer board & tile brought the level to a little over 1/4" higher than the hardwood floor. I made a tapered transition 2" wide out of red oak (same as the hardwood floor). By using dye & a semi-gloss poly, I was able to match the 50 year old hardwood dead on. It looks great & is comfortable to walk on.