Do the Job Properly and Fit a Quality Carpet to Tile Trim

Why use a carpet to tile trim?

Carpet to tile trim styles of threshold are designed to fit into doorways to cover the raw edges of where a carpet meets a ceramic tiled floor. Choose the right one and it will not only look smart but also prevent the edge of your carpet fraying and help pull your carpet under tension and ruck-free, for years to come.

Let’s be frank, there are some pretty cheap and tatty carpet door bars available in your local DIY store or shed. Typically chrome or gold, they have a habit of bending and buckling and easily scratch. If you’ve invested in a lovely new carpet or some lovely porcelain floor tiles, it’s worth spending a bit more and choosing a quality carpet to tile transition at the same time, in a metal finish that complements your décor.

One-piece solution is practical and easy

I like the one-piece carpet to tile joining strip: they are easy to fit. Designs such as the Premier Z9 or luxury Feline 1 are sleek and minimalist. Likewise, you can’t beat them for quality. Both these products hold the carpet under tension from underneath; meanwhile,  the solid, visible bar neatly fits over the tile edge.

The alternatives are Premier Square or the Feline Edge, which are designed to butt up against the exposed edge of the tile, instead of overlapping it. They are both made to a calibre specification.

Check out the features

So what should you be looking out for when choosing a tile trim, if you want it to perform well for years to come?

1. Made in a robust metal such as solid brass, which will withstand far more than the hoover.
2. Choose a metal finish to not only complement the carpet and tiles you are joining but also works with other finishes you have in the vicinity, such as light fittings, stair rods or door fittings.
3. There are extra slim, standard and wide versions – just make sure you select the one that will bridge the gap between tile and carpet and visually looks balanced with the depth of your door architrave.
4. The quality carpet to tile thresholds are normally sold in a choice of 3 lengths: 900mm, 1800mm, or 2700mm, which means you can minimise wastage.

Easy to install carpet to tile trims

For anyone with underfloor heating, it’s advisable to stick the transition strip to the base floor with a propriety glue, rather than screws or nails.

A smooth transition

The ultimate goal is for your join to feel smooth and level and look discrete and smart.

How to join uneven floor levels

This is a common issue, especially when a bathroom or kitchen floor has had underfloor heating installed and raised up one floor but the adjoining hall or landing.

There are a number of nifty solutions:

1. If it is just a matter of a few millimetres, then insert a few slithers of wood or rubber wedges under the carpet to tile threshold. This lifts the visible bar just enough to fit over the tiles.
2. If the difference is around 5mm, then the Compression Ramp is designed, complete with a mini ramp to safely transition from one level to the other.
3. Or, if your floor height difference is up to 15mm, then the Easyshims are a brilliant way to ramp up your carpet, just around the door. You can then use a standard Premier Z9 carpet-tile bar as the join.

The alternative floor transition plate

Should one of the above door transitions options not work for you then consider the Premier Posh or the Premier Cover. Both work universally with all types of floorcovering and cater for floor level differences too. Their main distinguishing feature is that neither grips the carpet from underneath but instead sit over the join on the surface only. In both cases you would also need to use gripper should you be joining carpet. Part of their appeal is that should you not be sure whether you joining floors are going to end up level or not, then the Posh and Cover will cope as they do not have to lie flat when installed.