for laminate flooring & hardwood flooring

Aptly named, the T-Mold is a molding which, looked at from the end, is shaped like the capital letter T. It is designed to overlap the edges of two floors which are at the same level of height where they meet, and to allow room for each floor to expand and contract while still being covered by the T-Mold. These are usually used between rooms and hallways, and between rooms and other rooms. They can go between two laminate floors, or a laminate floor and any other kind of floor except carpet, so long as it is the same height. Since carpet is soft, eventually the t-mold would become tipped over or broken on the carpet side, otherwise It just covers the edges of any two floors of the same height where they come together.

A T-Mold is also used when a floating floor, usually laminate, is installed in an area greater than 25 feet in any direction. In those cases, it is always recommended to divide the area into sections smaller than 25 feet, and the T-Mold is the piece which would be used when doing this.

The T-Mold is secured to the subfloor, either directly or via a piece of track which is attached to the subfloor. The track can be screwed directly into a wood subfloor, or into concrete which has been drilled, and the holes plugged with lined with plastic anchors or dowels, or the track can be glued down with a construction adhesive. Make sure this fully cures before allowing people to walk on the floor. Once this is installed, the T-Mold is snapped into the track. T-Molds are never attached to the top flooring, your laminate or hardwood. Those must not only have room to expand and contract under the trim, but must also be free to, so the middle of the t-mold is attached to the subfloor, while the lips on either side of the trim just rest on the two floors they cover.

It is important not to fudge on the level heights issue. Not having to attach the sides of the trim piece to the flooring may make it seem like a t-mold could also be slipped over two floors that are very close, but not exactly the same height. Not recommended. Even a slight difference could break the trim piece. If you need a reducer rather than a t-mold, make sure you go with that.

 

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David has written and made videos about flooring products and installation since 2011 at Floors To Your Home (.com), where he is also the PPC Manager, a Researcher, a Website & Marketing Strategy Team member, Videographer, Social Strategist, Photographer and all around Resource Jito. In my spare time I shoot and edit video, put together a podcast, explore film history, and mix music (as in ‘play with Beatles multi-tracks’). Connect with  W. David Lichty

 

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