Flooring transition issues

9 years ago

Hi, I'm trying to renovate my father's kitchen and the flooring really bothers me. The tile area is an inch and a half higher than the original wood floors in the bedrooms. Im also concerned about removing all the layers of concrete and metal because the tiling area includes the hallway and the dining room, so there is a lot of tile to replace. Im unsure of what to replace the tile with. I just want a smooth transition, with no step up in the flooring.

My question is: what can I do to replace the tile flooring and it still be even with the original wood floors? (No inch and a half step up)

My other question is: should I renovate the kitchen and keep the tile flooring? (Tile is in good condition)

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Skippack Tile & Stone

9 years ago

It sounds like you want to have two different solutions which are opposites of each other. If your goal is same level everywhere, then every where there's tile is a gut job. In the second scenario, if you want to keep the kitchen floor, then the step stays, and a better transition needs to be done. It boils down to your budget.

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Comments (7)

Makeda Shaw Jones
Original Author
9 years ago
If I keep the floors, what would I need to transition inch and a half floors?
If I do a gut job, would it make the tile areas more even with the wood floors?
Do you know how much a gut job would be?
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a_lee75
9 years ago
I understand why you would want to avoid ripping out the tile, but I don't think keeping it would be the best option. You already have multiple cracked tiles. I don't think you are ever going to be able to cosmetically disguise those & the height transitions to bring you true satisfaction. I'll bet that the reason you have such issues is because someone already tried to take a shortcut years ago. They went over something else. Long term it will be best to tear it out. One can always rent a hammer drill & chisel or spade bit (no need to go get a jackhammer).
lwfromny
9 years ago
Obviously we all want level transitions from room to room. But in this case I'm wondering if your primary concern is for your fathers safety. Are you making this change for aesthetic reasons? Or to remove a trip hazard? If the number one issue is safety then a wood transition that forms a small ramp might be a viable solution. Wouldn't look ideal but would keep him safe.
katinparadise
9 years ago
I would tear out the tile and replace it with a nice warm, comfortable sheet vinyl. They make some beautiful patterns now and it's so much easier to walk on. You could update the kitchen by painting the cabinets all one color and adding new hardware.
thinkdesignlive
9 years ago
A ramp style wood transition strip stained to match your wood floors is your only solution unless you are contemplating a full gut remodel.
Makeda Shaw Jones
Original Author
9 years ago
Painting the cabinets is not a bad idea. Any suggestions on what color to paint the cabinets? I feel like the kitchen is too yellow, so I would need a nice color.

Also, I like the idea of using Vinyl flooring so that the transition would be a lot smoother with the wood floors. I feel that if I replaced with tile, there would still be a "step up" (due to concrete, cement board, etc.) which is what I'm trying to avoid.