# Wood flooring meets metal for sliding glass doors



## lotusdelux (Apr 20, 2010)

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this site and hope you guys can help me out. Although I have been doing flooring for a number of years I am a little stumped right now. I have an installation I am doing where there are two large sliding glass doors that the wood flooring is going to meet up to. Usually I will use something like a small shoe molding or something to cover the expansion gap but not sit higher then the metal piece. Unfortunately on this job the metal does not sit any higher then the wood does. I am look for something very minimal that will work in this area. I thought about an end molding but there are big and bulky and will stick out. Any ideas would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks everyone.

Ray


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Are you saying the top of the slider track is flush with the top of the hardwood?


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## the big 12 inch (Jan 22, 2009)

A nice tight rip with a 30-40 degree back cut should do the trick!!..:thumbsup:


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## lotusdelux (Apr 20, 2010)

Precision, Yes the sedge of the slider track is just about flush with the wood. Nice SS logo on your bottle to! :thumbup:

Big 12, You dont think it will be an issue since it will still be touching without the expansion gap. 

To give you guys some more info. The wood is a wide plank with manufacturer recommendations that the wood is to be glued down with construction adhesive plus nailed down. One side will be against the door track, the other will be against brick that I plan to undercut and slide the wood under. 

Thanks for all your info and help.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Depending on how it looked, I would probably use a small square nose molding against the slider with just enough width to give me expansion space plus 1/2" or so. You can back cut it so it's not sticking up too bad. Most of the time I can make moldings like that on the job with my table saw. Is this pre-finished? Pull the trim and see if there is enough room in the r.o. to raise the whole slider. I assume it was buried by an additional layer of subfloor?


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## msv (Aug 5, 2009)

Hey lotus,
depending on what color your floor is you might find a color caulking that you can use and then just level nicely. I've had the same issue with a Brazilian Walnut prefinished floor that I had to glue in a condo. I used cork for acoustic insulation, glued it to the slab and then the wood to the cork the next day. I left a 1/4" expansion gap and then filled it with a dark brown caulking from HD. It really was a perfect match. In my case, the slider was higher than the floor, but I'm guessing that it being flush shouldn't be a problem.


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## astor (Dec 19, 2008)

Depends on the structure of the wood flooring and direction of the installation.If it is solid and ends going towards the metal piece it can be done as tight as possible as the _solid wood does not expand lengthwise_.If it runs with the same direction, it definitely needs an expansion space.As msv said it can be done with colored caulking. I prefer and use Color Flex which has tons of colors and available online.
If it is engineered in any direction it can be installed tight as the expansion is minimal at most engineered flooring.The jobsite must be in living condition though.


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## Floordude (Aug 30, 2007)

I use a endcap molding. They call it a baby threshold, or a carpet threshold, now.


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## Mike Costello (Aug 1, 2004)

Good thing you missed your pencil line


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## Floordude (Aug 30, 2007)

I don't know if that is a pencil mark or aluminum tracing from the end mill support.


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## frankster (Apr 8, 2010)

Ive also used a color matched caulking for areas like this and has looked real good. Of course some people have no business having a caulking gun in there hand so if your one of those people then you may want to find a different solution.


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## finaltouchfloor (Jul 26, 2009)

*Solution*

We just make sure the wood is cut perfectly even along the edge with a 1/8" to 1/4" gap & caulk with matching caulk. During bad weather or humid climates the aluminum can sweat moisture damaging the wood flooring. The caulk is a barrier between the wood and door track. Transitions can cover this problem, but a perfectly straight line with caulk is a cleaner look. On laminate flooring we use an endcap


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## Mike Costello (Aug 1, 2004)

Floordude said:


> I don't know if that is a pencil mark or aluminum tracing from the end mill support.


Ah, makes sense, I was just bustin anyway.

I round my corners off like that as well


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## lotusdelux (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks guy for all your info. I was initially thinking caulk but Im concerned about color because the homeowner is the one doing the finishing (tung oil). Think Im going to try and make something like an end cap for laminate except out of the wood. Definitely appreciate all the responses though


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## RhodesHardwood (Jun 28, 2010)

Quarter round


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## MAD Renovations (Nov 18, 2007)

RhodesHardwood said:


> Quarter round


 
Did you even read the OP?

Caulk is the way to go!!


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## vuacorona (Nov 10, 2015)

Floordude said:


> I use a endcap molding. They call it a baby threshold, or a carpet threshold, now.


Hello sir, how did you glue the threshold? You glued to the laminate or the door? Thanks :thumbup:


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## MIKE ANTONETTI (Jul 17, 2012)

Those rounded corners look cheesy, I cut about 3/16 off at the edge in the field of the threshold at a 45 degree miter, then sand and stain. Just softens the point, the curve kinda attracts attention. Just did a tile rip up today that was butted to hardwood lengthwise, foyer had a t mold.


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## philcav7 (Jan 15, 2009)

There are lots of colored caulks to match various grout colors. Should be able to find one that matches fairly well. Be sure to get unsanded versions.


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