Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - T Molding versus Overlap Reducer

I am preparing to buy engineered wood fllooring that is 9/16" thick. This will transition to 2 rooms with ceramic tile that is 1/2" high. With pad under the wood that will add to the 9/16" total height, I am getting conflicting advise on whether I need a T molding or need to use an overlapping reducer between rooms. Both transition pieces are expensive. What is your experience/advise in this situation?

Also, my choices for underlayment are 3mm cork, 6mm cork or a thing called
Sound 6 Barrier Acoustical Underlayment. Any recommendation of the underlayment choice assuming that I would have to pay a bit more for the 6mm cork and accoustical underlayment?

Thanks in advance guys.
Dan

Depends if there is a slight height difference or extreme height difference.

Lets talk about the underlayment. This is really needed for 3 reasons.
1) Break any glue bond to the sub floor. All underlayments do this well.
2) Provide comfort underfoot. If it is a room that you stand up in a lot then the extra expense of the 6mm and Acoustical underlayment in offset by this add benefit.
3) To provide sound deadening and deepening. Do not put in the 3mm or inexpensive foam pad if you have high ceilings and large windows. With a hard surface the room will echo sounds. High ceilings and large windows amplify this echo. Deaden and deepen the sound of the floor no matter the cost. 6mm of cork is a great solution. In my experience all acoustical underlayments that are thin enough work also.


All floors need different things from a transition. If you satisfy the floors needs you can use whatever you want. The need of laminate is to be covered by at least a ¼ inch and allowed to expand and contract with in at least a ¼ inch gap. The need of the tile is to have the vertical edge covered so it won’t chip or shear.

The tile does not need the overhanging tee molding but you can use it. A reducer will address the height differences of the floors, cover the laminate edge and but up to the tile.
Not every transition has a cookie cutter solution. It is not unusual to make your own transitions to match architectural aspects of your house, wide transitions in door ways or arch ways can be very nice for flow and definition.

boggwanni

My company will not lay engineered flooring over anything but 6mm cork, given that the resilient pads show movement on the seams when walked on, and using cork seems to dampen the echo sound better.

As for the transition, they do make a step T moulding, where one side is lower than the other. Check out a wood moulding store.

Go to http://www.thefinishingtouch.com/Accessories.htm and scroll down to the FT1020, FT1021 and FT1023 to see what they look like.

Hope that helps.