# Need help installing a wood transition onto concrete!



## oshkosh (Feb 2, 2011)

Hey everyone.  I recently renovated a condo that I own and I installed ceramic tiles in the kitchen, with individual plank laminate flooring everywhere else.  The sub floor is all concrete.  I'm trying to install some sort of transition between the ceramic tile in the kitchen and the start of the laminate but having issues.  In my home, I usually use a piece of oak transition for hardwood, and then I just use finishing nails to nail it into the plywood subfloor under it.  I can't do that onto concrete of course, so what do most people do?  I've seen transitions where you screw a track into the floor then snap the wood transition into it but I haven't had any luck with those, the piece it snaps into is always too low, and as this was my first flooring project I also didn't plan ahead properly, so it's not an even line between the ceramic tile and the wood floor.  The wood is closer to the tile in some places than others, as I guess I was thinking a transition would just go over top of it so it didn't matter about spacing of the gap.  Is there any type of adhesive or something I can use instead?  Thanks!


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## havasu (Feb 2, 2011)

I had a similar situation where I installed a glued down laminate wood floor on my concrete adjacent to my ceramic tiles in the hallway. I purchased a "T" type transition and glued it directly to the concrete using the heavy adhesive, similar to a panel adhesive. Apply it to the floor, set the transition in place, and weigh it down with several books, barbells, of concrete blocks for 12 hours.


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## nealtw (Feb 2, 2011)

I used the one they use for carpet to tile. alumminum strip that looks like an " F " that is screwed down and push in the plastic. You hardly notice it when you walk on it and you can match colors too.
Nailing to concrete. Drill a 3/16" hole, insert a couple pieses of tie wire and drive the nail.
For this I used hanger nails as they are fat but only 1 1/2 inches long.


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Feb 3, 2011)

when I have to srew down into concrete I drill a hole into the concrete and glue in a piece of small wood dowel, then I have no issues screwing into it.


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## Rusty (Feb 3, 2011)

If it's real concrete and not gypcrete, use PL 400 adhesive and glue the transition down.


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