# threshold or quarter round first?



## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Hey guys I am finishing the kitchen Reno and the kitchen tile floor is about a quarter inch higher than the hardwoods.

So I need some sort of threshold piece, I think the sell them at home depot.

Should I lay the baseboards, 1/4 round then set the threshold piece in?

Or should I lay the baseboards, THEN set the threshold piece in and then lay the 1/4 on top?

The second way I would have to cut angles in the 1/4 round, I'm not sure the first way would make sense....


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## DannyT (Mar 23, 2011)

pictures would help to understand clearly


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Can you post a picture?


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

make a threshhold out of hardwood thats a steep angle that runs up to the tile


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Yup thanks but which order do I place the 1/4 round and the threshold down?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Install the threshold and then the 1/4 round or shoe mold. One side of the shoe or 1/4 round will be higher as you know, if you want to get creative, rip the difference of the floor heights off the bottom of the molding, install and cut the threshold to fit the 1/4 round.


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## funfool (Oct 5, 2012)

Is there trim around the entryway? Baseboard would butt the trim and not matter which goes first.
Question is, how will you end the baseboard, or will it just wrap around and continue into next room?


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

to answer both questions at once I'm probably going to use a plinth that wraps 2 inches on each side of the wall.

As for the shoe I was thinking cut it at an angle going over the threshold


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

there is no trim around the entry and I was planning on ripping the plinth to go over the tiles....

I'm starting to wonder if I even need to shoe around the plinth.... placing a shoe would complicate things more because the finished side already has a different shoe than I'm planning to use on the Reno side.... I would probably have to rip up the shoe on the finish side


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## funfool (Oct 5, 2012)

Good chance adding the 1/4 round would look to busy.
If I understand correctly, would be the plinth, threshold, then look at the 1/4 round and see if you want it.
If the baseboard butts and stops at the plinth, may want to end the 1/4 there also.

Old carpenter here, I had to google plinth just to see what it was. :laughing:
Never heard of it before, we learn something new everyday.


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

Flooring store has transition pieces for just such cases, that'd be your "threshold." Or make your own as kirk said. Wide side should butt against tile. If tile edge is not as straight as you wanted it, you may have to use thicker strip that over laps it.
Just to make sure, you know base shoe and quarter round are different things with different profiles?

Generally speaking you start at bottom and work your way up, so transition strip first. Cut molding and trim to fit over it. 

Without seeing exactly what you got there, I'd say plinth or corner block idea is good. Trying to match dissimilar profiles at joints can be tricky. Bit easier on inside corner, cope wider or taller to fit over smaller. A pic from you would explain situation, a pic from me would explain my coping with junction.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

more often than not buying premade thresholds dont work for the situation.. as they arent hte correct measurement.. also when there is new hardwood going in its better to use scraps or left over wood so you have something that matches what the floor is


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I hope I didn't mislead someone to think I was calling 1/4 round shoe mold because it isn't the same thing but some people will confuse them for the same thing. Is what you are trying to do like this or something else. Notice the base and 1/4 round (not shoe mold here) is ripped down to make the transition and not make that the focal point.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

for that situation I sometimes use the threshold laid flat to the hardwoods and notch the 1/4" out of the underside to allow it to go over the higher floor elevation(tile), it does not need to lap over much. a little construction adhesive during install to tighten up the voids and it is good to go.
a pre made threshold will slide through the tablesaw to take out the 1/4" just as easily as a threshold made on site.


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

I think I posted some pictures already. I will be placing the transition piece last (someguys say place first and some place last). This way I have time to figure what exactly I want to do here

It's in a doorway (with no casing or trim, just drywall). I have decided that the shoe will not look good on the plinth portion (thanks for the tip).

***Important***

I was unable find plinth as I thought plinth was sold in linear feet, not just a 4" x 8" tall block or what have you like the local home depot, so I think I may have to make my own plinth to place in the doorway and 3" around each side of wall.

I have purchased an 8' length of 3.5" x 3/4" mdf whiteboard and an 8' length of 4.5" x 3/4" mdf white trim/baseboaseboard. I am thinking of stacking them and laminte with PL to make my 8" x 3/4" "plinth". That way I can cut however many inches wide the doorway is 

Only propblem I can think of is what to fill the joined part with to make it fully flush and unnoticeable.

And is MDF good enough or should I be using something like poplar instead for both pieces??

if need pics I can send.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

sannitig said:


> I think I posted some pictures already. I will be placing the transition piece last (someguys say place first and some place last). This way I have time to figure what exactly I want to do here
> 
> It's in a doorway (with no casing or trim, just drywall). I have decided that the shoe will not look good on the plinth portion (thanks for the tip).
> 
> ...


If you have the abilities, get a 4' pine 1" thick stair tread and make your own plinth blocks out of it, or get 5/4 boards either 5/4 by 4 or 5/4 by 5, however wide you want to make the plinth blocks. In older homes plinth blocks are usually 8" tall by 5" wide...


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Here's the pics


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

hand drive said:


> If you have the abilities, get a 4' pine 1" thick stair tread and make your own plinth blocks out of it, or get 5/4 boards either 5/4 by 4 or 5/4 by 5, however wide you want to make the plinth blocks. In older homes plinth blocks are usually 8" tall by 5" wide...



Wow that's really thick for a doorway no?


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

you do not need plinths, just rip the bottom of your base down for the kitchen to match the height at the top around the wall into the other room. install the base and then the threshold ... cut the quarter round to the threshold with returns and if the threshold sticks to far onto the wooded floor past the quarter round cut a return angle back on the treshold too.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

OK, I would go ahead and wrap that corner and rip the difference in thickness of the floors from the base and shoe and continue back into that corner. It will look complete and look good. 

If you want to make that corner a column with a wrapped plinth and kill the base and 1/4 round into that, that would look great also. There are many different profiles of plinth blocks but the idea is usually for the plinth to be about 1/4 inch thicker and set out around 1/4 inch on each side of the column, in your case here. By the way, that is 1/4 round, not shoe mold.

Do a search and see which plinth you would like on yours, if you do want a column and plinth. I would not wrap the plinth with the 1/4 round, that would be too busy and make that area more of a focal point.

Going back and looking at your pictures again, I agree, you don't need plinth blocks as it would not balance out with the other side of the opening, just run and wrap that corner. I still would fit the threshold to the 1/4 round, so the threshold would go in last. JMHO


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Hmmmm I thought I should use a plinth because the new baseboards I will be placing down in the kitchen are entirely different from the existing baseboards in the other room and they are only 3/8 thick....

Shouldn't I be using plinth in this situation?


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Btw I'm very new and learning lots...sorry for any confusion


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

not sure how a plinth is going to help on the other wall accross the room where there is no full outside corner to make the transition. are you going to run the new kitchen base along that other wall into the room with the hardwoods?


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

IM planning on going 3" into each wall with the plinth, so then I can butt up the baseboards on both sides of the walls....

Is that what you mean?


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

I'm talking about the other side of the kitchen opening in the 2nd pic...


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

oh that!! No I have an old piece of the original left over for that piece.


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

the plinth usually sets back 1/4" from the door jamb onto the wall which you do not have because it is a drywall opening, do you plan on jambing out the opening with wood and door casing?


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

hand drive said:


> the plinth usually sets back 1/4" from the door jamb onto the wall which you do not have because it is a drywall opening, do you plan on jambing out the opening with wood and door casing?


 
No, am going to make the plinth basically wrap around all three sides of the walls.

3" on side one, then the span of the jamb, then another 3" on side two


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

My main concern now is if MDF is too crappy to use for this application.

Someone already mentioned 5/4 boards or pine stair thread but I'm thinking 5/4 is a bit much (kinda) and the don't sell 5/4 trim that would line up properly...and pine is too soft.

Am I ok with MDF or should I be getting something like poplar.

I may be overthinking this, but I don't want to choose the wrong kind of material for this application since it's in a high traffic area....

Guy at home depot told me MDF is hard, just as hard as poplar but I can see it breaking or chipping before poplar ever would...


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

sannitig said:


> My main concern now is if MDF is too crappy to use for this application.
> 
> Someone already mentioned 5/4 boards or pine stair thread but I'm thinking 5/4 is a bit much (kinda) and the don't sell 5/4 trim that would line up properly...and pine is too soft.
> 
> ...


the plinth on the inside of the door opening might not look good unless it can blend well with the other two. plan a 1/4" reveal around the plinth edges and 1" plinth blocks is the norm, but no mdf for them- just for the baseboards. if you can find 1" poplar then go for it and southern yellow 5/4 pine is quite tough too.


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

screw it I'm going with ooak seems to be the hardest one


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

Floor transition piece or wall molding first just depends on which is easier to cut a matching joint to. Transitions usually have a simple straight sided profile so cutting base to fit over it may be easier. On other hand transition may butt against a flat portion of base and if transition ever has to come up you don't have to remove base.

Maybe we should just stop saying plinth. ( Though it is fun to say.) Call it another transition. When you have two dissimilar molding profiles meeting you need a transition between them. Sometimes you can do that with coping one on to other, sometimes by cutting an angle on end of one, sometimes by adding a return, some times by coping onto the return or cope return onto other. In this case I think the plain "plinth" block idea would be easy and look fine. 

As to material, shoot you could use a block of PVC or make one from a chunk of 2x construction grade. MDF takes paint well, doesn't shrink or swell unless it gets actually wet, and this is or is near a kitchen, and might not withstands bangs that a outside corner gets. Poplar is nice and hard, can take being kicked, fairly dimensionally stable. So is ash. Oak grain shows thru paint. ( I dunno what else they got at big box.) 

What ever the plinthition piece is, it should be noticably thicker than what ever butts against it, at least an inch thick more likely 5/4,
so you get handdrive's reveal. Then it looks like its supposed to be that way. Trying to flush outer edges or too little reveal looks like you didn't know what you were doing and just slapped something in. And don't try to blend butt joints with curved cuts or caulk, make um nice and sharp and square.

Don,t worry about confusing me, jim, I been confused a long time. Sannitig pro'lly clicked "ignore" on me a long time ago. It is a good idea to check what you're grabbing out of the bins at big box, folks will put quarter shoe into round base bin.


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

No way, I didn't click ignore, I find everyone's information very valuable.

As for the choice of materials I did a little test at the home depot: I grabbed a 1x6 piece of poplar and smacked the edge against a 1x6 MDF edge. Guess which one dented? the poplar! and badly!!

I ended up grabbing oak and have primed it with tannin blockign primer, going to paint the s*** out of it as well.

PVC is an interesting choice...probably shoulda just gone with that lol! it's hard to find finished 5/4 planks of wood besides deck boards (pine & cedar)

I will probably do this different at my next house. Look for PVC or something.

I really appriciate everyone's help and I will post pictures as soon as im done...I work slow


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

As the man said said, "Slow and steady..." "Will thjis room ever be ready?" as the wife said.
Nothin wrong with slow, unless you're payin somebody else by the hour.
Somebody here's sig line is the old, "You can have it fast, cheap, or good, pick two."


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## sannitig (Jan 15, 2012)

Omg...I've officially lost it!

What the hell is going on? I measure the angle with an angle finder...I see it's 87 degrees I cut and nothing fits! I'm smoking again for God sake!

Looks good though (the design)


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## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

whoa bro, no need to disrupt your health because of a few cuts  where exactly is the 87 degree at? you might need to cut the reverse of 87 degrees which is 3 degrees... oh, I see- you just have to keep at it till it fits,cut a little long on your first cut and adjust your angle and use scrap wood to save your good stock. you can pre build it too and that will help it to fit more uni-formally when it goes on the wall


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