How to Join Carpets

We are often asked the best way to join carpets. There are a variety of stylish options. Here we pick out some of the most popular.

Door thresholds or metal door strips are the normal way to join carpets to another floor covering in a doorway. There are a variety available but they are hugely different in quality.

When having a new carpet fitted by a high street retailer or shed, unless you specify that you want something special they will automatically fit a thin chrome or brass metal strip, which takes no time before it’s been bashed with the vacuum and looks dented and cheap. Whatever they say, be confident you can buy a quality product that will last, that you would like them to fit with the carpets.

However, there are some great, quality options on the market – you just need to decide which ones are right for you.

What do you want to join?

A few questions you’ll need to answer include:

• Are you joining a carpet to a carpet? Or, are you joining a carpet to another type of flooring, such as vinyl, ceramic tiles, laminate or wood?  You’ll need to choose the right carpet strip accordingly. Some feature integral spiked plates, which grip the carpet under tension, whilst others will neatly fit over the rough edge of a tile or laminate floor or butt up against it.
• Check whether the two-floor coverings you are joining are the same height, or whether one is lower than the other. Sometimes, a fitter will ramp up one side of your floor, so that when the flooring meets, it is at the same level, which makes it far easier to join. Stairrods (UK) do a product called Easyshim, which works well.
• What sort of finish do you want? There are many different metal finishes, including traditional polished brass through to a more contemporary brushed nickel appearance.
• Do you want the door strip to be fairly flush or sit over the top of the flooring? If you don’t mind it sitting over the top then you can choose a universal door threshold such as the Premier Posh.  Otherwise, you will need to choose something like the Feline range.
• How long do they need to be?  All your doorways will vary slightly, so do check.  Most metal and wood door thresholds can be cut accurately with a sharp hack-saw.

Aluminium or Solid Brass

If you want a metal door strip then there are two main options:

• Solid aluminium
• Solid brass

The standard metal strip you get from a carpet shop tends to be thin and bendy and will soon look shabby.  However, there are some professional, contract specification metal door strips on the market, which are made of thick gauge aluminium and are very robust and withstand most household wear.  Joints and the Feline A92 (“A” standing for aluminium) are two such options.

If you really want the best and the sturdiest, then go for a solid brass option such as the Feline 2 (carpet to carpet) or the Premier Door Bars such as the Premier Double Z9

The terminology can be confusing, but a cover plate sits over the top of the two-floor coverings to be joined and is normally screwed into the floor through the pre-drilled holes.  Sometimes the coverplate’s screws are then hidden by an inserted central strip e.g. our Posh thresholds, whereas the Premier Door Bar’s cover has matching screws and are visible as part of the design. Coverplates make the join look neat but they don’t put the carpet under tension.

If you need the carpet to be held in place and put under tension, then you will need a threshold with a base section which features jagged hooks (known as a gripper), so it can grip the carpet and hold it in place.

If in doubt, then ask Carpetrunners – we are happy to advise. T: 0330 113 4909.