Thresholds and Shoe Molding

To complete the look of the floor, I needed to add thresholds to the areas where the tile ends. I also decided to do away with the white shoe molding that I removed prior to removing the previous floor.

The previous threshold at the carpet was the gold metal strip kind, and it gave the tile/carpet transition a "cheap" look. I decided to update this look with a wooden strip and also added the same type of threshold at the other transition points.

These transitions are good for when one floor surface is higher than the adjacent surface. In my case, the pile carpet rose much higher than the tile surface, so this was perfect.  For the other (hardwood-tile) transitions I used a threshold with a level bottom.

These strips come in varying lengths and can also be purchased in various wood types and finishes. I opted for the cheaper alternative and decided to go with the unfinished oak, and got a small can of Minwax polyurethane in a walnut finish to complement the color of the tile.

After a quick coating (per the instructions on the can), cut the slats to size. If you need to join two different lengths to join, use a miter block and join using 45 degree seams. This is good to minimize the appearance of the joint, and also allows for expansion/contraction of the wood.

Same procedure (using the miter block) can be used to cut the shoe molding to size and fit along corners to make sure that the molding fit flush on each other.

This small change-out of the shoe molding color dramatically changed the feel of the room, and can be done for around $50-60, counting the miter block, stain, brushes and all materials.

Pictures of the finished product to follow.