A Guide to Timber Floor Trims
Floor trims are the final step to completing your new flooring and come in a number of different shapes, sizes, and materials. This article will go over why we need timber floor trim, the common materials that flooring trims are made from, and some of the different trim profile options and their application.
Why Do We Need Floor Trims?
Expansion Gaps
Hardwood floors and floating floors all experience some level of expansion and contraction due to thermal changes. To accommodate the expansion and contraction of the flooring materials, a gap is often required between the wall and the end of the floorboards. Similarly, an expansion gap may be required in large rooms or at doorways to allow the boards to freely expand and contract. Failure to allow adequate expansion gaps may result in the flooring buckling or splitting. Different flooring materials have different expansion rates and contraction and thus require specific expansion gaps specified by the manufacturer. The experienced installation team at Back To Timber always ensure they meet or exceed the manufacturer’s requirements to secure your new flooring’s longevity. Leaving these expansion gaps open would be unsightly and collect dirt and dust. Floor trims are used to disguise and cover the required expansion gaps and also have the added benefit of creating an aesthetically pleasing floor/wall seam.
Flooring Material Changes
Different floor coverings such as carpet, timber, tiles, etc. can vary in height. Trims are used to bridge the material change to create a visually appealing seam and for safety reasons. Trims help to reduce trip hazards from the change in floor types and any height variations. If one of the floorings is carpet, a trim can also prevent fraying and helps lengthen the life of your carpet.
Floor Trim Material Options
Floor mouldings can come in various materials to suit the individual application and aesthetic goal of the project. The location, room use, flooring type, and aesthetic preference will all play a part in deciding which material type will best suit. Floor trims and mouldings are made out of the following materials:
Hardwood Timber
Although a more expensive option, timber floor trim can be matched with your hardwood flooring species providing a pleasing continuity. Hardwood trims can also be stained or finished with the same product as the floor.
Pine
A cheaper alternative to hardwood, pine mouldings often come pre-primed in order to be painted and are a popular choice for new projects.
MDF
The use of composite materials such as MDF are often the most affordable trim and often utilise recycled materials. MDF trims come pre-primed, ready to be painted. Due to the composition of these trims, they can be more susceptible to swelling than solid timber if exposed to water.
Aluminium
Aluminium skirting is commonly used in commercial applications due to its strength and resistance to wear. Residentially, aluminium trims are often used in high traffic areas, such as doorways between material changes such as timber and carpet. Aluminium trims come in a variety of colours and some trims now come with a painted timber grain to match a variety of flooring types. Metal trims and moulding can be used as a decor feature.
Flooring Trim Profiles and Uses
Skirting
Skirting (also called skirting boards) is the trim located at the base of your walls to cover the transition from floor to wall. The skirting profile often matches or exceeds the architrave profile, depending on the aesthetic choice. Its main purpose is to protect the wall from scuffs, hide uneven edges, and provide a finished look to the room. Skirting boards can range from simple, flat designs to highly decorative profiles, depending on the style of the room.
Quarter Round
Quarter round is often used when new floors are installed where the skirting is pre-existing. Most floating and hardwood floors require a gap to be left between the end of the boards and the wall to allow for seasonal expansion and contraction. The quarter round is fixed to the skirting to cover the expansion gap while enabling the boards to expand and contract freely underneath.
Scotia
Like quarter round trims, scotia can be used where new floors are being added to rooms with pre-existing skirting. The scotia covers the gap between the flooring and the wall or skirting. It can also be used for purely decorative purposes, its concave (inward-curving) design gives an elegant and traditional appearance. Scotias come in various sizes.
Transition Strips
Transitional strips (or trims) come in several different profiles depending on the gap being bridged. As the name states, the transition trims allow for a clean finish either above expansion gaps or between floor material transitions such as timber and tiles, timber and carpet, etc. Transition trims help where there is a height change between floorings.
Reducer Trims
Reducer trims or ramp trims are similar to transition trims in that they are a neat way to finish the flooring where one room is a different level from another. The trims also provide a neat finish to the flooring and help reduce trip hazards.
Floor Trims by Back to Timber
Check out Back to Timber’s gallery of professional floor trims and mouldings. Click through to see the full portfolio of each space.
If you have any questions about timber floor trims or would like to discuss your new or existing flooring, our helpful staff can be contacted here, or by phone on (02) 7233 0785. Alternately, feel free to pop into one of our showrooms so we can help answer any questions you may have.
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