Which threshold strips do I need?

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.

Alternative terminology for threshold strips

It can get pretty confusing as there are several other names and descriptions commonly used, all describing much the same thing. Other terms you may come across include: door thresholds, carpet door bars, threshold strips for laminate flooring and carpet door strip. If you are employing a fitter, then he or she may refer to more technical terms such as a Z bar or a single naplock.

Which threshold strips do I need?

There is quite a choice of specialist door bars available. Whilst some are designed for a specific use, such as a ramp to join two floors of a different height, others are more generic in their application. Here are a few pieces of information you’ll need before deciding which is right for you:

1. Are the two floorcoverings that you are joining level with each other?
2. What type of flooring are you joining e.g. is it laminate to carpet, carpet to a ceramic tiled floor, carpet to another carpet? Note: the term ‘hard flooring’ refers to floorcoverings such as laminate, wood planks and ceramic tiles.
3. How long is the join? You will need to get our a tape measure to work this out.
4. Is there a gap between the two floorcoverings to be joined? If so how wide is it?
5. Do you have underfloor heating running under that area of the floor?

Armed with the above information, you can simply select the relevant options (filters) on this website and see what products are recommended and then buy on-line.

My floor levels are different heights does it matter?

In this instance, you will need to create a gentle ramp to avoid a trip hazard, whilst creating a neat and smart transition. If you select the RAMP filter, the relevant door threshold strip options will come up. Suitable products include the Premier Two-Way Ramp, Premier Ramps and the Posh or Premier Cover Door Plates.

Which laminate flooring door strip do I need?

Laminate flooring is a hard floorcovering and will typically have a rough edge. When joining laminate to laminate, choose the HARD to HARD FLOORING filter, whereas if you are joining laminate to carpet choose the CARPET TO OTHER FLOORING option.

Do you have any door bars suitable for underfloor heating?

Some threshold strips are attached to the base floor with screws, although a fitter will frequently use a proprietary glue instead as it is faster and equally strong. Underfloor heating needs to be avoided, so be careful! Whilst many systems finish before a doorway, some are continuous, one room to the next. In this instance, a good option is a stick-down or self-adhesive threshold strip such as the Premier Euro or the sleek AL/AC38SF Cover.

Finishes and sizes

There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to selecting the colour. Some people like to match to fittings in the vicinity of the door bar, such as light fittings whilst others prefer to match as closely as possible to a dominant colour in the carpet. To see the wide choice of finishes available, take a look in the Finish filters on the left hand side of the door thresholds page on our shopping site.

There appears to be no standard width for a doorway. And therefore, you will need to cut down your threshold to suit each of your doors. Providing you have a sharp hack-saw, it is simple to cut through the solid metal. Most door thresholds come in a choice of sizes with the longest option being around 2.7m (2700mm), which can be butted up, end to end, for a room divider.

Follow our easy system to choose a stylish threshold strip for your home.

Blog Update September 2021

Self adhesive door threshold bars – easy to fit

Self-stick door bars are quick and easy to install. The adhesive strip is on the underside and uses a special, industrial-strength glue which sticks fast to hard floorcoverings such as ceramic tiles, wood and laminate. However, do make sure the surface to which it is to be stuck is clean and dry. The self-adhesive option is particularly handy if you are not sure if you have underfloor heating running under the floor which could be damaged with screws or if your flooring is particularly thick/deep and therefore requires extraordinary long screws to attach it into the base floor.

The most popular stick-down door bars include:

• Euro Floating which is ideal for bridging the gap between two hard floorcoverings such as ceramic or wood which are level with each other.
• The Ramp and Two-Way Ramp which are are an excellent way to join one floor level up to another when there is a height difference from 2mm-20mm, providing the floorcoverings are “hard” for the adhesion to work e.g. rubber, laminate, vinyl, ceramic.
• The Compression Ramp is ideal for joining a carpeted floor to a hard floorcovering when there is a 5mm level difference between the two finished floors.
• And finally, if you have a problem with level differences involving a carpeted floor, the Easyshims can be a brilliant solution.