Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (2025)

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Last updated on February 27th, 2024 at 07:57 am

How To Install Laminate Transition Strips In Doorways

Installing new laminate flooring and wondering where to put the transition strip in the doorway? I’ve got you covered! Here is where you should place transition strips in a doorway:

Transition strips should be placed in the center of the door opening where the opening is the smallest. In this placement, the transition strip will not impact the door’s ability to close regardless of which way the door swings.

Pictures are always more useful in my opinion though, so I’ll show you exactly where I’m talking about below!

Let’s dive in!

Quick Navigation: Laminate Floor Transition Strip Placement

  1. Step One: Measure Inside Of Doorway
  2. Other FAQs About Transition Strips In Doorways
  3. Final Thoughts
  4. Related Laminate Flooring Articles

Subfloor TypeLevel Of DifficultyTime To Complete
WoodEasy10 minutes
ConcreteMedium20 minutes
Material ListTool List
Transition strip (with metal rail and screws)Drill
Contractor PencilImpact driver
(For concrete) Concrete anchorsBandsaw
SharpieTape measure
Miter saw or circular saw
(For concrete) Masonry drill bits

Where To Place Transition Strips In Doorways

I broke this tutorial up into pictures below to help you figure out exactly where to install transition strips in your doorway.

Step One: Measure Inside Of Doorway

The first step to installing a transition strip in a doorway is to measure the inside of the door opening.

The smallest, center part of the door opening is where you want to measure and place the transition strip because the door will never swing over that area.

Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (1)

Plus, centering anything in an area is always the most aesthetically pleasing look. Transition strips in doorways are no different.

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Once you have that measurement, it’s time to move on to the next step.

Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (2)

Related Laminate Flooring Articles

  • Do You Have To Undercut Door Jambs For Laminate Flooring? (+ How To!)

Step Two: Cut Metal Rail & Screw Into Subfloor

The next step toinstalling a transition strip in a doorway is to cut the metal rail of the transition strip and screw it into the subfloor.

The easiest way to cut the metal rail is to use a bandsaw. A bandsaw like this one found at Amazon will slice through the metal easily and leave a clean cut.

Take your doorway measurement, make a mark on the metal with a sharpie, and cut away.

After that, it’s time to screw the metal rail into the subfloor.

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How To Attach Transition Strips To A Wood Subfloor

If you have a wood subfloor, then you’re in luck and this process will take 2 seconds.

To attach the metal rail for transition strips into a wood subfloor, use the screws that come with the transition strip, and screw the cut transition strip into the wood subfloor.

That’s it!

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How To Attach Transition Strips To A Concrete Subfloor

If you have a concrete subfloor, then you have a couple more steps.

First, lay the metal rail on the ground and use a sharpie or pencil to mark the spots in the concrete where the screws need to go.

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Then, use a masonry drill bit like these bits found at Amazon to drill into the concrete where you marked. This type of drill bit is crucial to cut through the concrete more easily and not damage your power tools.

After all of the holes are drilled, insert the appropriate-sized concrete anchors into the holes. (These anchors will be dependent upon the screw size of your transition strips. The instructions in the package will tell you what size drill bit to use.)

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Finally, lay the metal rail back down (lining up the holes on the rail with the holes in the subfloor), and screw the rail into the anchors.

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Thankfully, neither installation method is overly difficult. It will definitely make your life easier if you install the rails before installing any laminate floorboards.

(In our first project, we didn’t install the transition strips first, so we had to go back with an oscillating multi-tool to cut back the laminate where we needed it. It was a much more time-consuming project than it needed to be!)

Once the metal part of your transition strip is installed, it’s time to move on to the final step.

Step Three: Cut Laminate Strip To Length & Snap Into Metal Rail

The final step toinstalling a transition strip in a doorway is to cut the top decorative part of the laminate strip and snap it into the metal rail.

You already have your doorway measurement, so all you have to do is make a mark with your pencil on the top decorative part of the strip, and cut it with a circular saw.

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Once it’s cut, snap it into the metal rail attached to the ground, and you’re done!

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Other FAQs About Transition Strips In Doorways

Here are some other frequently asked questions about transition strips to help you install one in your doorway more easily!

How Much Gap Should A Transition Strip Have?

Transition strips should have a 1/4″ to 3/8″ gap between the metal rail and the edge of laminate flooring. This gap gives laminate flooring room to expand and contract during humidity and temperature fluctuations. The top decorative piece of the transition strip will hide this gap.

What Type Of Transition Strip Do You Need For A Wood Floor To Carpet Transition In Doorway?

The best type of transition trip for a wood floor to carpet transition in a doorway is a reducer. This transition strip is best because it bridges the gap over floors of differing heights. If the carpet is the same height as the laminate flooring, use a T-moulding transition strip instead.

For a list of all of the different laminate flooring edging options and when to use each, check out my article here.

Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (9)

Can You Glue A Transition Strip In Place?

Glue is a bad way to secure transition strips in place because laminate flooring is a floating floor, so it is meant to move. When it does expand and contract, the glue breaks down, and the transition strips pop out of place. Instead, secure in place with screws.

In fact, we tried to do that with one of our transition strips because we have a concrete subfloor, and if the floor isn’t perfectly level, it can be a nightmare to install.

The glue job lasted all of a day (pretty much until we walked over it a few times), and the strip is already detached from the subfloor.

Save time and just use the tutorial above to install your transition strips properly. Then you won’t have a problem. (We ended up installing them all properly in the end, and just wasted a bunch of time.

Final thoughts On Installing Laminate Floor Transition Strips

There you have it!

Measuring and installing laminate transition strips in doorways is rather simple (especially if you have a wood subfloor).

When in doubt, just shut the door and put the strip on the floor in different places until you decide what spot looks best.

Catch you in my next post!

Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (10)

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  • Do You Have To Undercut Door Jambs For Laminate Flooring? (+ How To!)

Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!)

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Where To Place Transition Strips In A Doorway (Picture Tutorial!) – DIY With Christine (2025)

FAQs

Where to put transition strip in doorway? ›

The rail should sit between the two door jambs at the narrowest spot in the doorway. If your flooring is already installed and you are adding a transition strip, there is a little more to do. To prepare your subfloor, you will need a few supplies: Dremel saw or multi tool.

How much space to leave for transition strip? ›

T-Molding is used in doorways to transition between two floors of similar height. It's important to leave room beneath the molding for the floor to expand, so you'll need a gap of approximately 1 and ¼ inches between your two surfaces.

Should transition strip be under door? ›

It should be positioned right under the door. Make sure the height of the strip you select is correct to accommodate the thickness of your floor. There are about a bazillion variations of these transitions.

Where should the threshold be in a doorway? ›

When positioning a threshold bar, you need to make sure that you place it directly below the door, with measurements carefully made, as you don't want to see the strip when your door is closed.

How do you get transition strips to stay on? ›

Directions
  1. Remove old adhesive. First, remove old adhesive from both the transition strip and the floor. ...
  2. Remove dust and small particles. Use a vacuum to remove dust and small particles from both the floor and the T-strip. ...
  3. Apply adhesion to your T-strip. ...
  4. Replace T-strip.

What can you use instead of transition strips? ›

Floors with similar thicknesses benefit from a transition type known as a T-molding. This transition strip doesn't adjust for height, but it provides a smooth shift from one flooring to the next. If you're transitioning from one hardwood to another, you could also opt for a seam binder instead of a transition strip.

Where to stop flooring in doorway? ›

The strip should be positioned under the door so that it's hidden from view when shut, guaranteeing that only one type of floor covering is visible from either side. If the strip is broader than the door, it should extend into the doorway instead of into the room, ensuring it isn't an eyesore or a tripping hazard.

Do you need transition strips between rooms with the same flooring? ›

Between two rooms utilizing the same flooring material. While you may be able to get away without a transition strip in these spaces, using one can better allow for expansion and contraction over time. This is particularly important with wood plank, vinyl plank or tile materials.

Where should tiles end in Doorway? ›

There are several methods you may use for this transition but first, let's determine where to stop the tile. The best place to stop running the tile is under the door.

Where does a threshold strip go? ›

A threshold strip is a means to securely join two floorcoverings together, covering any raw edges. They are commonly used in a doorway, joining the floorcovering in one room to the next, but they also make great room dividers.

What gap should be left under a door? ›

A well fitted door should have a 2mm gap on either side and at the top. The gap at the bottom will depend on the thickness of your flooring/carpet. Plane the door as required, using an electric plane will help you get an even finish, and sand for a smooth finish.

Where do you use transition strips? ›

Transition strips are especially important when you are going from one thickness of floor covering to another. It's common to have an area that has thick carpet that transitions to concrete or carpet that transitions to another hard surface like wood, laminate or linoleum.

Do you put tack strips in doorways? ›

Each tack strip should butt up to each other, end to end. Install tack strips so they wrap around door frames. Don't place tack strips across the openings of the doors, though. You don't want to step on the sharp points of the tack strips.

How much space to leave for T-molding? ›

Install the flooring planks including the underlayment by leaving a 1" inch (25mm) gap for the installation of the T-molding. Gently press the molding into the adhesive and adjust to make sure it is straight.

Do you need transition strips between rooms? ›

In most cases, it's wise to use a transition strip between similar flooring . Floors with similar thicknesses benefit from a transition type known as a T-molding. This transition strip doesn't adjust for height, but it provides a smooth shift from one flooring to the next.

Where do you stop tile in a doorway? ›

There are several methods you may use for this transition but first, let's determine where to stop the tile. The best place to stop running the tile is under the door.

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