If you’re installing laminate hardwood flooring or if you’ve got some repairs to make at your home then you’ll want to know what sort of floor moldings are available and which one is the right one for the job. The following list of moldings will give you a better idea of which product you need.
Base Shoe Molding. When installing laminate or hardwood floors a certain amount of expansion space is necessary along the walls. This type of molding is designed to help you cover and disguise these gaps.
End Molding. This piece of molding is designed to end laminate flooring in a doorway. If you’re doing one room then you’ll want this piece for the exterior doorway to give it a finished look and to smooth the surface at the entrance to the room.
Reducer Molding. This molding is very similar to the end molding but it is used if your finished room goes into another area of the house which happens to have a different type of flooring, it reduces the difference in height between the two rooms.
T Molding. Again, similar to the end and reducer pieces, T Molding is designed to give you doorway or threshold definition when the floors are the same sizes or if you’re using laminate flooring in both rooms or on both sides of the doorway.
Stair Nose Molding. This piece is obvious in its function, but often initially forgotten by people attempting a do-it-yourself project. This piece is to be used on the edges of stairs and landings to give them a rounded edge and to smooth out the finished joints.
Quarter Round Molding. This piece is common to many homes and functions just like the base shoe molding, it is designed to disguise gaps between the flooring and the wall and give it a nice finished look. Quarter round is smaller than base shoe molding and is better if you want a low profile. Some people use this with a decorative base molding to give the room an even more finished final appearance.
If you’re about to attempt a do-it-yourself laminate flooring project then take careful note of the current moldings you have in your home and make sure you plan to replace them. Then, do another review of the room to see if you’ll need additional pieces, like doorway and stair nose moldings. Order these items with your laminate purchase so you’re certain to get the right color batch and so you can finish the project without waiting for trim to arrive.
