Ceramic tile transitions

[bkrahmer]

I've got ceramic tile in my bathroom, in the hallway, and will also be putting it in the kitchen. The kitchen tile will meet the bathroom tile in one door threshold, and the hallway tile at the entry to the kitchen.

Any suggestions on how to make a clean break? The grout will likely be a different color, and I'm afraid of making a mess.

The only thing I've come up with is to leave a gap, and use a laminate flooring transition t-molding.

[Tom R]

I take it you're talking about dis-similar tiles, - - matching marble saddles would be my first choice, - - second choice, I think I would use a 3" or 4" wide oak saddle (thickness-planed) the same height as the tile, - - this way there's no 'tripper', - - and it separates the different 'looks'.

To me, - - those cheesy little T-moldings look cheap, - - and tend to down-grade the whole job.

[roger g]

CHEESY!!!! DOWN GRADE!!!!! sputter!!$$@%@$!#!!%! I just put those in my place. I think they look pretty good.
Deep breath Roger.................... CHEESY.!!!!!. again Roger ............................feel better........okay
Hi Tom, fancy you should mention transition pieces. I was having a real problem trying to get different types of transition pieces. A few months ago I did a tile job for some one and was going to use a marble saddle. The trouble was that no one had heard of them before. It turns out at least in the area that I live there is no such animal. I eventually found the supplier for all thje needs for all types of flooring installers. Great place. They do not have saddles.
How old are you Tom.

Ah..........much better.

[Tom R]

I'm 49, Rog, - - don't take the 'cheesy' part too personal, - - simply my opinion, - - must be why my wife calls me very 'out-spoken', - - probably why she also claims to know I'm going to die a 'natural' death, - - STRANGULATION!! :evil:

Around here, - - we have all kinds of choices of fancy marble saddles, - - don't know what it would have to do with my age, - - why, even the 'new-fangled' places have them!! :wink:


P.S. I don't like them (the T-moldings) for this application because their 'thin-ness' makes them too non-substantial for a room transition, - - again, - - just one 49-year-old's opinion!! :)

[roger g]

I'm 56 and it seems that when I look for something that I had either seen or used before I either can't find it or it doesn't even exist anymore. The counter guys must think I have seen some of the stuff I ask for in either blacksmith shops or some leather harness shop. I have found that there are so many products on the market and new ones coming into it some of the old ones are dropped. I find the older guys use what they know and when you move to a different part of the country you feel like the village idiot asking for things that suppliers know nothing about.
Those T things can be glued, nailed, cemented inplace, go around curves and all sorts of things. The colour selection isn't the greatest and I go for the commercial insert because they are a little wider. Definitely doesn't fit every application but then again nothing does.



roger

[Tom R]

And the shame is, - - a lot of these new (replacement) products simply amount to nothing more than 'hype-n-gripe'!! :cry:

[Tom R]

Besides, - - I look young for my age, - - at least that's what my great-grandmother told me about 35 years ago!! :lol:

[bkrahmer]

Thanks for the tip, Tom. I think I'll go with the wood transition.

[Dragon]

Using a strip of 6" X 6" tumbled marble in doorways is rather popular around here. You can then butt different tiles to either side and still have a good look.

[roger g]

Dang it! Do I live in the only part of the continent that doesn't have marble saddles? Not only don't have, not even heard of!

roger

[bkrahmer]

When I mentioned the marble idea to my wife, she got that sour look on her face. :) I am also trying to hide a problem at the transition between the hall and the kitchen threshold. One side is out of line with the other by about 3/4". If I use a strip of wood about 2" wide on the inside of the threshold, it will make it unnoticeable.