5 Laminate Flooring Edging Alternatives and When to Use Them
After you’ve decided on the flooring that is perfect for you, another thing you need to consider is the process of fitting and finding the right floor edging. Edging is the material that will surround the perimeter of your laminate flooring, giving it its final finish. Below, we’ve given you some options for edging and when you might use them.
Beading and skirting boards are both great ways of finishing off your flooring. Beading is a thin strip of wood, with a groove cut in the front to accept the laminate flooring. It’s the easiest way to finish off your laminate flooring and is a great choice when your flooring is going to be in a bedroom or the dining room.
Skirting boards are similar in thickness and style to bead boards but are longer. They’re also cut to fit around your laminate flooring and provide a more substantial finish. Skirting boards are a great choice for the kitchen and bathroom, where you need to keep the floors clean.
Why are beading or skirting boards necessary?
Simply put, installing beading and skirting boards is the only way you can get a good finish on your laminate flooring that reaches from one side of the room to the other, especially after leaving expansion gaps. In order to get the end result of a neat and uniform look, you’ll need to attach edging boards.
What is beading used for?
Beading for laminate flooring can be used as a decorative edging to cover up gaps between laminate floorboards or to cover the joint where a laminate floorboard meets the wall. Beading is also used to cover up the seams on a floating floor.
What is skirting used for?
Skirting for laminate flooring is the same as usual skirting but does not have a board under it to hold it in place. It will still need to be attached with glue, nail, or screws. A skirting board is often used when there is already a board on the wall.
What if I don’t want to use beading or skirting boards?
If you’re not a fan of floor beading, there are laminate flooring edging alternatives such as:
- Threshold Trims – are decorative pieces of material used to highlight door thresholds. This simple edging is effective in adding a decorative touch to your flooring. It’s a T-shaped connector that sits between the gaps and the floor.
- Ramp Trims – the edges of laminate flooring that surround a ramp, step, or landing where one side is higher than the other. This is useful when there is a small gap in your flooring to close it up so that you don’t trip on the edge.
- Carpet Trims – laminate flooring edging alternatives that are used to connect the laminate flooring with the carpet. This is useful to have an even and smooth transition between laminate flooring and carpet, especially when they are of different heights.
- Edge Trims – edge trim is for use in both decorative and practical applications, such as adding a decorative look to a second-story deck or patio. Edge trim comes in a variety of shapes, widths, and heights. It is used to join the floor with other things such as fireplaces, integrated doormats, etc.
Laminate floor edging styles
There are different styles of edging to fit in with the design of your floor. It’s up to you to choose the best one that will blend in with your laminate flooring.
- Square edge laminate forms a uniformly flat surface that blends the floor from plank to plank, thus making it look seamless. It is ideal for a minimalist and modern floor design. The square edge is also easy to clean since it does not trap dust.
- Beveled edge laminate, on the other hand, aims to accentuate each floor plank with grooves between the floor for a traditional floorboard appearance. This style is more suitable for rustic floors. The beveled edge is also harder to clean because its grooves often trap dust, dirt, and grime.
- Micro-beveled edge laminate is similar to the beveled edge but each plank is slightly less accentuated and often looks a bit flat when viewed from a distance. Micro-beveled laminate planks are easy to clean as it does not trap a lot of dust or dirt.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, laminate floor edging is required to give a final touch to your flooring installation. It can be a very cheap addition to your laminate flooring costs, so it’s best you spend some time finding the perfect one. You can find anything from plain wooden edging to decorative edging based on your own preference.
