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About John Michaels
Expertise
All questions pertaining to all indoor floor coverings regarding best products to choose, proper installation techniques, and proper maintenance techniques.

Experience
We are a nationwide floor covering inspection service. We inspect all types of indoor floor coverings in every city and town in all 50 States and in all the Provinces of Canada. We see where errors in choice of product, improper installation, and improper maintenance lead to complaints being registered and we are then called upon to inspect those products and issue certified reports indicating from where those complaint issues eminate. We have done this type of work for over 40 years.

Publications
Floor Covering Weekly & Floor Covering News

Education/Credentials
Carpet, vinyl, and hardwood manufacturing, installation, and maintenance, prior to just inspecting, and a division of our Company specifies proper floor covering choices for residential and commercial uses.

You are here: Experts > Style > Interior Decorating > Flooring and Carpeting > carpet to tile transition over cement after installation

Flooring and Carpeting - carpet to tile transition over cement after installation

Expert: John Michaels - 11/3/2009

Question
We have a 7x3 tiled area next to our patio door with carpet on opposite side; installer did not put a strip down to prevent fraying of carpet; carpet is now fraying and need to put strip down; carpet is over cement. We bought cement bits for drill and are drilling holes into cement and plugging them with wood pegs to attach strip; only able to drill 3 holes before both batteries on drill are used up; at this rate this project will take 1 week; Home Depot suggested we do it this way; is there a better solution? Small projects end up being HUGE for us; wonder if there is a better way

Answer
Hi Becky;You could simply contact a reputable floor covering dealer in your area and have them send over their installer to do the job. Concrete is absorbent and always contains some moisture. Moisture is one of the greatest causes of failures of floor covering installations. Even if the concrete appears dry on its surface, there is moisture below. By drilling holes into the concrete, you come closer to a moisture content so I would immediately cease using that drilling technique. By the way, when it comes to floor covering installations, please NEVER shop at one of those large home supply stores or over the internet for product or advice. Shop at a local, reputable, floor covering dealer who can supply proper product, installation, and information. That dealer can supply references, which you should check out.

If the concrete is flat and has a stable surface, I would suggest that you obtain a proper transition strip and simply contact glue it to the surface of the concrete, or, as I would do if the home was mine, have a knowledgeable installer do the job. If you 'google' transition strips, you will find websites that handle that item. Visit the website of <installersstore.com> and view the transition strips and adhesives available. On that site is contact information, which I believe is an 800#. Call it and speak with their techical services department. Tell them your problem and ask for their advice as to proper transition strips to use and proper adhesives to fasten them to the concrete. Also, you need to be certain that if your patio door contains glass, you must protect interior floor coverings from harmful UV sunlight and heat generated by the Sun, by using either a proper glass UV covering or UV rated HORIZONTAL shades. Don't use verticals. Heat, from the Sun, if allowed to directly strike interior floor covering, can cause color degredation and soften the adhesive used to adhere the transition strip to the concrete.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to get back to me.

Cordially,

John Michaels

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