Like a joint between laminate and tile. How to decorate the joint between tiles and laminate beautifully: options

- quite reliable, and already well-proven material for floor decoration. But often, you have to combine laminate with other flooring materials, as its structure is not suitable for some areas of the area. To do this, you need to draw a joint between them. Laminate is perfectly combined with almost any other material, which opens up a huge number of options for floor design. Most often, laminate is combined with tiled. This combination of materials is used when it is required to divide the space into two different zones, which allows the maximum use of the possibilities of these materials.

Advantages and disadvantages of joining different floor coverings

List of benefits:

Practicality - each material performs its function, and is not subjected to loads that it cannot withstand.
Durability, reliability.
Long service life.
Affordable price of materials.

The disadvantages include the difficulty of joining the two materials and choosing the right color for the transition track.

Scope of connection of different floor coverings

There are quite a few specific cases requiring the use of this compound. Tiled flooring is often used in a small area at the front door, as laminate flooring copes better with dirt and is easier to clean. Next comes the junction with a warmer and more comfortable laminate for the main part of the apartment.

Bathrooms and other wet areas also use tiles that are not exposed to moisture - in this case, the junction of materials occurs at the threshold, between two zones.

The kitchen is the most used place to work. Laminate is not suitable for this area of the apartment, as it is more difficult to clean it from dirt and grease. This connection is especially effective in cases where the kitchen directly borders on another zone, and is not separated from it by walls.

Flame retardant tiles are ideal for heating areas, such as near the fireplace area. A couple of meters around the fireplace should be tiled, and a joint with the laminate should be made at a safe distance from the fireplace.

And of course, no one puts laminate on a balcony area - and here a junction of tiles, more suitable for a balcony, and a laminate is required. In such a situation, it is best to start the joint at a short distance before exiting the balcony to protect the laminate from moisture.

Choice of connection of ceramic and laminated coating

When combining floor coverings with ceramic and laminate flooring, it is very important to correctly design and process the junction of the two materials. There are many ways and materials for the design of the joint. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of the following connection methods:

threshold or molding;
butt-free fastening;
construction foam or sealant;
cork compensator;
docking with sills.

Nut or molding

The use of a nut at the junction allows:

hide cracks;
make the transition smooth from one material to another;
allows you to smooth the transition from one height to another.

The sills are made from different materials: aluminum, plastic, steel, etc. The sills made of wood are considered the best. Since they fit into the design of almost any coating.

The shape of the sills are:

straight;
curved.

Curved sills ideally smooth transitions in height between coatings. In the case when the height of the coatings is equal, it is better to use straight sills- they are more resistant to physical influences and you can not be afraid to step on them.

Two methods of fastening the thresholds are used:

open - when all attachment points are visible. Used mainly with metal sills;
decorative - a hidden connection is used, which is not visible from the outside of the nut. It is the most accurate and visually pleasing method of attachment. They resort to decorative fastening when working with wood thresholds.

When using the joint design method using thresholds, it is very important to monitor open areas - they should not be. Since the nut does not fill the space at the junction of two coatings, moisture trapped under the nut can damage both the laminate and the nut itself, especially if it is made of wood.

It is very important not to leave open areas that allow moisture to enter the junction. It will be possible to get rid of moisture only if the nut is dismantled.

In general, it can be noted that the use of sills is a fairly reliable and practical way to design a joint, which does not have serious drawbacks.

Butt-free fastening

Often they resort to the method of joining coatings without the use of a nut. A direct joint of coatings, without the use of other materials, is a fairly reliable and fast, but at the same time a risky method of connection. There are two types of joint - one-piece and almost invisible.

One-piece joint

In this case, accuracy and the use of the correct grout are very important. Coatings must be at the same height and minimum distance from each other. For a one-piece joint, sealant, building foam or mounting paste is used. However, it is necessary to select the joint compound according to its adhesive properties - it is important to make sure that the compound has good adhesion to both materials.

List of advantages of using a one-piece joint:

extreme reliability;
fast joint installation;
durability.

The disadvantages include:

the need for an ideal joint, which can be very difficult to achieve, especially for people inexperienced in this matter;
not the best appearance;
no possibility of dismantling. In the event of a mistake, it will be possible to correct it only by installing a new coating.

Given all the pros and cons, we can say that the use of a one-piece joint is welcome only if the butt work is carried out by an experienced craftsman who knows his business. Since in this case there is no room for errors, it will be impossible to correct them.

Almost invisible seam

This connection method is used with a small joint area - up to about 2 meters. The tile is adjusted to the end of the laminate with perfect accuracy - the height of the materials must be equal, and the distance between them should not exceed 3 mm.

The gap between the coatings is sealed with an ordinary fugue or ceramic cladding. Although, it should be noted that these substances have poor adhesion to the laminated board, which may entail the need for constant sealing of the gap. From a visual point of view, it looks pretty good, the transition border is imperceptible, but still catches the eye.

It is very important to consider that in no case will we allow direct contact between tiles and laminate. This can lead to the destruction of the flooring, as the materials have different properties of elasticity and thermal expansion.

We list the advantages of this type of docking:

does not require special skill and skill;
looks good;
there is the possibility of dismantling the joint.

Flaws:

labor intensity of work;
the need for constant lubrication of the joint;
the reliability of this method is questionable.

Based on all of the above, we can say that an almost invisible joint is a more practical and easier way to connect, compared to the previous option.

Cork compensator

Cork compensator is the best option for designing the joint of two floor coverings. Due to its elastic properties, it can compensate for the movement of the flooring, which is an ideal property for a laminate laid without the use of adhesives. The length of the seam can reach 6 meters - straight joints cannot boast of such an opportunity. The cork joint is installed directly into the gap, ensuring the reliability and elasticity of the connection. The joint surface can be painted with colored hermetic compounds.

When choosing this type of design, it is necessary to treat the coating with a special hermetic compound, then the chances of moisture penetration into the cork compensator will be equal to zero.

It is safe to say that the cork expansion joint is the most optimal and effective option for joining floor coverings.

Wavy joint

This method opens up the possibility for a huge number of design solutions, as flexible profiles allow you to design joints of floor joints of different shapes. The price of flexible profiles is low, which allows you to choose a docking material that suits your design.

How to make and arrange the connection of tiles and laminate

Necessary tools and materials

The list of tools and materials that will be needed for different types of connection:

drill - for joining with the help of sills;
self-tapping screws and dowels - also for fastening the thresholds;
glue, sealant or construction foam - for a direct joint;
fugue or ceramic cladding - for an invisible joint;
grinder - to adjust the size of the tile. It is desirable that the cutting disc be diamond-coated.
rubber mallet and screwdriver.

Docking using molding or sill

Docking using a molding or a nut occurs in the following order:

First, floor coverings are laid: tiles and laminate. The gap between them should be as narrow as possible.
Holes are drilled along the joint line in the floor, then plastic dowels are inserted into these holes.
Then, using self-tapping screws, moldings are installed over the butt line.
For a threshold with a hidden fastening, a fastening strip is installed on the floor. Then, the molding itself snaps onto the fasteners of the strap.

Nutless fastening process

Mark the seam line.
Place the tile in such a way that its edges protrude beyond the joining line.
Cut off excess tile.
Clean the joint surface.
Install laminated flooring. If necessary, adjust the height of the laminate so that the materials are at the same level.
Use the selected agent to fill the seam. It can be sealant, building foam, glue, grout, etc.
Protect the joint area from any physical impact until the jointing agent dries.

The sequence of actions for installing a cork compensator

Correct the edges of the materials so that they do not have cracks or chips.
Locate floor coverings as close as possible.
Using a screwdriver or other similar object, carefully push the material into the slot.
Treat the surface of the cork compensator with a special colored sealant.

In the case of a wavy joint, everything goes exactly the same as using a conventional molding. The only difference is that for a wave-like joint, flexible profiles are used to connect two surfaces with uneven boundaries.

Summing up, we can say that there are a lot of options for decorating the junction of two floor joints. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, you just need to choose the option that is suitable for a particular situation. The main thing when working is to follow the rules and take into account all the nuances.

If the floor in adjacent rooms is covered with different materials, or one room is zoned by using different floor coverings, it becomes necessary to join them together. It can either be carried out in a straight line or be curved, the coatings are sometimes at the same level, and sometimes one is located above, the other below.

For all these options, different methods of joint design are used. Quite often, you have to join laminate and ceramic tiles.

A joint can occur between tiles and laminate laid in adjacent rooms or within one. An intermediate option is the situation when a loggia is being reconstructed and a room or kitchen is expanding at its expense. At the same time, the partition between the living room and the loggia is dismantled, but the floor covering in these areas can be used differently.

Possible options when tiles and laminate "meet" at the junction of rooms:

in the kitchen the floor is tiled, and in the hallway with laminate
tiles in the corridor, and laminate in the rooms
tiled kitchen directly, without a corridor, borders on a room where the floor is covered with laminate
in a private house there is a bathroom or a swimming pool, which is a continuation of the room, in a wet room the floor is tiled, in a dry room - with a laminate, and there is no threshold between them, typical for apartments

Reasons why different floor coverings are combined in the same room:

If the kitchen is spacious enough (kitchen-dining room), the floor in the working area is often tiled with tiles that are easier to clean, and in the dining (recreation area) - with a more comfortable to the touch laminate.
The original design solution is implemented, the room looks more impressive thanks to the combination of two floor coverings.
There are remnants of laminate and tiles, which alone are not enough to cover the entire floor in the room, and by combining them, you can just cover the entire area.

Joint options

The transition between tile and laminate can be done in different ways:

materials are connected butt-to-butt, without additional decorative elements
the joint is closed from above with a threshold (molding)
a podium (step) is being equipped

Butt-to-butt connection

This method of docking is only suitable for floor coverings located on the same level, with a height difference of at least 1 mm, this option is no longer available. It is also necessary to take into account the length of the border along which the joint passes, depending on the length of the joint, different materials are used to fill it.

Joint-invisible suitable for materials with a small contact area, 1.5-2 meters. Laminate and tile should not come into contact with each other directly, as they differ in elasticity, coefficient of thermal expansion and other physical characteristics. Between them there must be a mounting clearance 2-3 mm wide. If the seam is short, and the ends of the laminate and tiles fit perfectly, then it can be filled with tile grout (fugue). The fugue adheres well to the tile and much worse to the laminate, so the seam will have to be periodically corrected, restored, this work is quite painstaking and requires great accuracy. Such a joint is imperceptible underfoot, but can be noticeable to the eye.
One-piece joint. A quick method consisting in filling the mounting gap with a sealant with high elasticity and adhesion to both materials. Building foam, mastic, silicone sealant will do, but they must first be tested on scraps of laminate and tile to make sure the adhesion is strong. The connection turns out to be very reliable, this is both a plus and a minus, since partial dismantling of the floor covering is impossible
Cork joint suitable for long, up to 5-6 meters, seams, but requires a perfect fit of the ends and the height of the joining materials, so that the width of the seam along the entire length fluctuates by a maximum of 1.5 mm. The mounting clearance is filled with a cork compensator, which is pushed into the slot with a wide screwdriver. It is attractive in appearance, durable, does not interfere with the disassembly of the coating

Thresholds for joints

The sills can close the joints between materials located on the same level or with a difference of up to 3-8 mm. They are very diverse:

by material - metal, usually aluminum, less often steel, brass, plastic, including impact-resistant plastic, wood, including cork
in shape - straight and flexible, for curvilinear connections, as well as single-level and multi-level, which are used when there is a height difference
by type of fastening - with hidden fastening and with open fasteners, as well as self-adhesive
by design - solid, from one front plate, and prefabricated, from a mounting plate and a brand

Arrangement of the podium

A step between rooms is made if there is a significant height difference between the floors in neighboring rooms, and its alignment will be too costly and time-consuming. Creating a podium within the same room is usually dictated by a design decision; this is a popular way of zoning, as well as masking communications.

In a private house, the podium can be monolithic, concrete; for an apartment, a light frame version with plywood sheathing and other sheet materials is more suitable. As such, there will be no joint between the laminate and plywood when arranging steps or a podium, they will be spaced apart in height. The role of the link between them will be performed by the material chosen for finishing the front side of the podium (steps), it can be a tile.

Joint technique

If laminate and tile are butt-to-butt, the joint line is determined in advance and marked on the base.

Joint in a straight line without a threshold

First, the tiles are laid, except for the last row before the joint line, further work is carried out after the glue has dried. Glue (solution) should be applied so as to go to the side where the laminate will be laid, but not more than 10 cm.
The laminate is laid so that its surface is flush with the surface of the tile (checked by level). Where the adhesive is applied, the substrate should not be, in this place the laminate is glued to the base with silicone sealant. The cuts at the junction are carefully polished beforehand so that there are no nicks or irregularities.
The last row is laid out with neatly trimmed tiles, there should be a gap of at least 2-3 mm, not more than 10 mm.
After the laying is completed and the glue dries, the gap is filled with sealant, fugue or cork compensator

Wavy joint without nut

With a curved (wavy) joint, the technology is more complicated, templates are pre-made, according to which tiles and laminate are cut. Laminate can be cut with a jigsaw, tiles with a grinder with a diamond disc, and in difficult cases with a diamond string.

The cut material is preliminarily laid out dry, the result is evaluated, only after that it is possible to proceed with laying on the glue. The trimmed tile, which will lie in the last row, is better to be numbered.

On the Internet, there are descriptions of two more techniques for joining tiles and laminate without a threshold.

The tile is laid on the adhesive with the call for the joint line, then the laminate is laid on it with the call. According to the template, the laminate is cut first, then the tile. The laminate is partially disassembled, excess pieces of tiles are removed, the subfloor is cleaned of glue. The laminate is assembled to the end and glued along the edge with silicone sealant. The seam is closed. This method appears to be very labor intensive.
From the joint line towards the wall, first the tile is laid, then the laminate. The method is suitable for straight joining and requires accurate preliminary calculations and fitting.

Installation of thresholds

If the junction of the laminate and tiles will be closed with a threshold, there must be a gap of at least 5 mm between them, if the threshold is T-shaped, at least 2 mm wider than its “legs”.

The one-piece nut is attached directly to the base with self-tapping screws. There are already holes in the nut with open fasteners, and at the base they need to be pre-drilled and dowels hammered into them
If the threshold is composite, a mounting plate is attached to the base, and the front plate is pressed into it by the counterpart
In the nut with a hidden fastening, there is a groove at the bottom into which the dowel-nail heads are inserted. At the base, after marking, holes are made for them, usually in increments of 10-15 cm.
Flexible sills with an aluminum base bend immediately, plastic ones must first be soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes, when heated, they take any shape, and after cooling they retain it
Self-adhesive sills are most easily attached, you just need to remove the protective film from the base. But for the junction of different materials, they may not be suitable if the adhesive does not have good enough adhesion to the tile and laminate at the same time.

Important: if a warm floor is mounted under the coating, glue should be used instead of metal fasteners.

Outcome

Tiles and laminate must necessarily be joined not close, but with a mounting gap. Butt-to-butt is the simplest technique that does not require extra costs, but only coatings that are at the same level can be connected this way.

Special multi-level sills allow you to smooth out a small difference in height between the coatings. There are flexible sills that allow you to close curved joints. If the height difference is too noticeable, a podium is made, a step, tiles with a laminate are spaced apart in different planes and do not directly join.

The question of how to properly arrange the junction of tiles and laminate quite often arises during repairs. In addition to some technical points that you will need to pay attention to, each case may differ depending on the type of premises and the design approach to its design.

Peculiarities

Usually the need to design a beautiful and practical transition from one material to another arises when designing transitions between rooms. For example, in the kitchen, in order not to spoil the laminate in the corridor with moisture, tiles are laid. Less often, various floor coverings are used to divide a large room into zones: tiles are laid in places with high humidity or the risk of mechanical damage, and laminate is placed in other areas.

Accordingly, the junction of tiles and laminate must be closed so that it does not spoil the appearance of the premises, does not crumble and does not collect dust, sand and other small debris.

So, connecting different types of flooring has several main advantages.

First, because each material is in its place and performs its intended function, it wears out less, which increases its service life and strength.
Secondly, this design gives the owner of the premises the opportunity to save on more expensive materials, giving preference to a product that costs less.
Thirdly, with the proper design approach, the transition from one floor covering to another within the same apartment can be a stylish and unusual solution.

The main disadvantages are the difficulty of joining two types of flooring and possible difficulties in choosing the right color.

Floor types

There are many types of flooring available on the market today. All of them have their own characteristics, maintenance rules, and if the owner decides to use a combined floor in his apartment, then during the repair he will need to take into account the specifics of various materials.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is made by pressing high pressure hardboard or chipboard with a backing and a top film layer.

It successfully imitates wooden parquet, stone or metal.

Ceramic tile

Tiled flooring is usually used in the bathroom and toilet, in the kitchen and, a little less often, in the hallway.

It is quite resistant to abrasion, easily tolerates high humidity and does not react with expansion to elevated temperatures.

This resistance to mechanical and chemical damage gives the tile a special durability. Often ceramic tiles (especially when water gets on them) can be very slippery.

PVC tiles

In terms of composition, this type of flooring is largely similar to linoleum and consists of similar materials. PVC tiles do not require complex laying conditions, almost do not slip, are able to provide very good sound insulation and, importantly, are moisture resistant and do not crack. Even in the event of mechanical or chemical damage to one or more tiles, a complete replacement of the coating is not required: it is enough to eliminate the damaged areas and lay new ones in their place.

At a relatively low price, PVC tiles also have some disadvantages: insufficient environmental friendliness and instability to chemicals.

Porcelain stoneware

Porcelain stoneware flooring is characterized by increased strength, almost does not scratch. Porcelain stoneware is resistant to a variety of chemicals and withstands high temperatures. More dense slabs of this material are able to withstand the weight of the car, which allows it to be used even in the garage.

It is clear that these are not all finishes. However, the materials listed above for flooring are most often used in rooms with different types of flooring, and they usually cause the need to design joints when moving from one material to another.

How to connect correctly?

To properly join two types of floor coverings (so that the joints do not clog with dirt, dust and small debris and do not make residents stumble), you need to follow a few simple rules.

First of all, joining different materials will become much easier if they are of the same thickness (it can be quite difficult to choose this taking into account the colors, patterns and desired material), or at least not very different.

If the coatings in any case have a drop, then you can remove it (if it fluctuates up to 10 mm) with the help of a threshold.

The main way to combine a combination of laminate and ceramic tiles is to attach materials and, if necessary, cut out the desired shape.

Modern methods

When combining multi-level types of flooring, the owner who decides to carry out repairs may experience some difficulties in combining them.

Butt jointing is possible if both materials have the same thickness and texture.

However, if you want to combine laminate and tile flooring within the same apartment, it is very difficult to make a seamless connection, since the coating often turns out to be multi-level.

If the height difference between the two materials does not exceed 10 mm, then you can safely try to seal the connecting seam with a straight threshold.

It will smooth out this discrepancy and can become a stylish design solution: decorative thresholds are made of wood, aluminum and plastic, and their texture often resembles wood, stone or metal.

If the difference reaches 15 mm, then it would be best to use a flexible threshold. It is made of plastic with a rubber base, and its direct installation should be carried out at the time of laying the coatings. At the same time, the threshold itself is heated with a building hair dryer, which gives it the opportunity to take any necessary shape.

In the doorway

It is not difficult to make a fastening of the docking threshold in the doorway. At the junction of ceramic tiles and laminate with an interval of 10 to 15 cm, holes of approximately 6 mm in diameter must be made using a drill.

The threshold itself is cut in accordance with the width of the opening, and dowels are driven into the holes, which, as a rule, come with the threshold.

Insert the self-tapping screw heads into the central groove of the nut rail, at the same distance as the dowels, align and hammer the nut into place.

Varieties of separators

Separators are of various types. Their choice, in turn, depends on the personal preferences of the owner of the coating, the height of the difference between different coatings and some other factors.

Transitional threshold

The use of a transitional threshold when connecting two different materials is the simplest and most common option at the moment. The sills differ in color, shape and texture, if desired, you can find a sill that blends perfectly with tiles and laminate.

They are suitable for coatings of different widths and easily hide errors.

Usually such sills are made of plastic, wood or aluminum. At the same time, aluminum products are the most durable of the three options. The tree is quickly erased and retains an attractive appearance for a little more than three years, plastic completely becomes unusable after an average of a year and a half.

The sills can be equipped with hidden fasteners. Then they will be fixed on the floor with the help of a special fastening bar that will hold them on itself.

However, it is not always necessary for the owner to use a hard and straight threshold. If the design solution includes curved lines and semicircles, then a flexible threshold can be used to join the laminate and tiles.

This type of docking profile has two more subspecies: plastic and metal flexible profiles. It is important to note that in the case of using the second type of connector, the thickness of both floor coverings should be approximately the same, otherwise you will have to remove a small layer from one of the materials.

Mounting foam or sealant

Silicone, mounting foam or sealant is usually used if the transition between the two materials is too wide and deep, and the grout cannot cope and eliminate it. Foam or sealant is poured into the hole and filled. After that, it is necessary to wait for the substance to solidify and get rid of its excess on the surface with a knife. From above it would be nice to cover the remaining strip with grout for ceramics.

It is important to remember that both materials must be the same width in order to apply this method, otherwise the appearance of the transition will look uneven and unattractive.

Also, during the repair, it is worth showing special care, because partial dismantling and correction of the mistakes made will subsequently be impossible.

Cork compensator

Cork compensator is a self-adhesive strip of cork that is attached to the edges of the laminate and ceramic tiles. This type of separator is flexible and soft, which allows it to compensate for the movements of the coatings relative to each other, without damaging either the tile or the laminate.

The cork compensator is installed directly at the junction of two coatings.

Being treated with a hermetic composition, it is able to completely prevent moisture from entering inside.

Liquid stopper

Liquid cork will not crack, and due to its structure, it is able to seal even small joints between different materials without damaging the finishing surface.

The width of the seam that the liquid plug can fill ranges from 5 to 15 mm. It is simply impossible to fill a smaller width, because the liquid cork consists of rather large crumbs, and in the case of a larger width, the gap will simply be sloppy and unreliable.

How to fix?

Depending on which joint design option will be chosen by the owner, there are several basic ways to fix the tile and laminated coating at the convergence point.

threshold

First of all, you need to install floor coverings and dock them. The gap between them should not be too narrow (so that a separator can be placed in it), but not too wide.

Holes are drilled in the floor at the transition point at a distance of about 10-15 cm from each other, into which plastic dowels must be placed.

After that, the threshold itself is superimposed on the butt line. It is fixed with self-tapping screws.

Sometimes, if a threshold with a hidden mount is used, a mounting plate is used instead of self-tapping screws. It is installed on the floor, and then its fasteners snap into place on the nut itself.

In addition, there are options for sills that are installed without drilling.

For example, it will be enough to cut a variety of flexible metal profiles to the required size and glue them to the junction. The main thing is not to forget to remove excess glue from the surface that protrudes on the edge of the nut.

Sealant or mounting foam

To begin with, a joint line is marked, which the filler will hide, and the tile is placed so that its front edge protrudes slightly beyond this line. This is necessary so that you can later cut off the excess length and thereby adjust the dimensions of the tile as accurately as possible.

Then the junction is cleaned of construction and household dust, and a laminate is laid on the floor. Its height and width must be adjusted to match the dimensions of the tile.

Finally, the junction is filled with the chosen means: sealant, mounting foam, less often - glue or grout for the seam.

This method is more time consuming, but allows you to connect two types of flooring without drilling.

Cork compensator

The ends of the two materials are ground and adjusted. It is necessary to rid them of a variety of chips and cracks, after which the tile and laminate are located as close to each other as possible.

When the first part of the work is done, the cork compensator, using, for example, a screwdriver, is carefully pushed into the gap between the materials. Finally, the joint of the two materials and the visible part of the compensator should be treated with a sealant to prevent moisture from penetrating into it.

Liquid stopper

To begin with, the joint between the two materials is cleaned of dust and dirt. Sometimes the gap is pre-coated with a special primer recommended by the manufacturer to facilitate the pouring process. Then the cork is poured inside, and its excess is carefully removed with a spatula. After the composition has hardened, the seam must be wiped with a damp cloth.

How to choose the right option?

When choosing an option for designing a joint between a tile and a laminate, it is worth considering the features of the various separators and the features of the rooms between which the transition is made, or - if the materials replace each other within the same room - the appointment of different zones.

The threshold that separates the floor coverings does a great job of hiding where the two materials meet, although the transition from laminate to ceramic tile will look quite dramatic.

What is important, the thresholds help to hide and soften the transition from one material to another and, thanks to a large number of different design solutions, colors and textures, fit perfectly into any room. Best of all, the sills are suitable for the design of the transition in doorways.

It is worth remembering that the sills are of two types: straight (more resistant to mechanical stress) and flexible (allowing you to make round, wavy transitions between materials). The second type is suitable for zoning a room and will give originality to the appearance of the floor.

As for the material for the connection, it is also worth paying attention to.

For example, wood is suitable for almost any room, as it has a wide range of colors and a stylish, classic look in its own way. But at the same time, it is quite rigid and is only suitable for straight sills.

The same problem haunts aluminum products, which are extremely durable and wear-resistant, able to withstand mechanical stress.

A much more elastic option is plastic, with the help of which the owner of the apartment is able to decorate the floor with various undulating transitions.

In addition, it has a huge selection of colors and textures, which allows you to choose a threshold that is ideal for any room and combined with any color of the floor covering. Finally, plastic, supplemented with rubber materials, is the most resistant to elevated temperatures, which allows it to bend and take the desired shape painlessly.

Installing two floor coverings without a threshold is a reliable option, although quite risky.

During the installation process, you need to be very careful, since the slightest mistake and inaccuracy can spoil the appearance of the joint between the materials, make it uneven and ugly. There are several options here: a one-piece joint (installed with grout), an almost invisible joint (ideal for places with a small area of \u200b\u200bcontact of materials), a joint using a cork compensator.

Today, the use of various floor coverings during repairs is actively practiced, not only between different rooms, but also within the same room. This combination provides a number of advantages:

allows you to use interesting design techniques and diversify the color scheme of the room;
divides the room into several zones, depending on the purpose;
increases the life of the floor covering and facilitates the cleaning of the working area;
visually increases the area of the room;
allows you to reduce the cost of coverage;

Most often, a combination of different types of coverage is found in working premises, where there is a high probability of contamination of certain areas: kitchen, hallway, corridor. Ceramic tiles are less prone to wear and tear and are more durable, but they are much more expensive than soft laminate flooring. With the help of a joint, it is possible to highlight only the most polluted parts and create a harmonious transition to the residential area.

The choice of docking method depends on the level of contact between the tiles and the laminate.

The easiest way is to make a transition between coverages located at different levels. For the junction of a multi-level coating, a threshold or threshold is used.

It is necessary to pay attention to the height of the threshold. It should not be too high so that you don’t have to stumble on it, and the elevation itself does not spoil the aesthetics of the room. Thresholds are available in various colors. You can choose a discreet color that will be in harmony with the colors of both coatings. The most common plastic thresholds.

Wooden ones are considered more elite, but are only suitable for straight joints. In the event that the joint is not of a straight shape, then a profile of a different type is used: a curvilinear threshold, which has the property of bending. In the case when special podiums are used for zoning the room, the junction of the tile coating and the laminate is carried out in a natural way.

Methods for joining laminate with tiles

Docking coatings at the same level is much more difficult and requires a careful approach. There are several ways to organize the transition from ceramic tiles to laminate flooring:

docking, by tight fitting of materials;
connection with sills;
joint with molding;
connection without thresholds;
joint on cork compensator;

The joint, without the use of additional materials, requires perfectly fine adjustment of the materials in length, width and height to each other. This is very hard and painstaking work. You can not fit materials too tightly. Tiles and laminate are materials of different properties that tend to expand under different temperature conditions. Ultimately, such a tight fit will cause bulging either at the seam or slightly beyond the seam. To prevent this from happening, a small gap is left between the material, which is filled with a fugue, which, when dried, requires constant adjustment and putty. The edges of the seam are cleaned to the extent that they are no longer felt tactile. This method, although cheap, is far from the most effective and certainly not economical in terms of future costs and the prospect of mold spreading in the joints of the seam.

Another way to join floor coverings is to join them with building foam, sealant or silicone. The use of these materials allows you to get a neat, inconspicuous seam.

You can choose silicone that matches the color of the coatings. The main disadvantage of this method is that if repair is necessary, it will not be possible to partially dismantle the joint - you will have to disassemble everything along the seam. In addition, working with foam and sealant requires some building skills and care in use. It is necessary to accurately calculate the right amount of foam and try not to squeeze out too much. The advantages include the high reliability of this joint method and the special aesthetics of the connection of laminate and ceramics.

Joining a joint with a cork expansion joint is a relatively new connection method. This material allows you to make a durable and reliable joint. It provides a dense filling of the gap between the materials and eliminates deformation, due to its ability to compress. Cork compensator is by far the best alternative to sills. They can fill the gap of any width. The required shade is achieved by using special tinting, and this material does not require special subsequent care. The only drawback of the cork joint is the need to precisely fit one floor covering to another in height and width, and therefore its use is impossible even with slight deviations in the fit.

The best way to connect elements

The most optimal way of joining floor coverings today is the use of sills. Among the advantages of using this particular method, the following can be distinguished:

a wide choice of material of thresholds. On sale there are sills made of aluminum, steel, wood, plastic and other materials.
the presence of flexible sills that provide a connection at wavy joints;
camouflage features. The sills will help hide all the flaws in the work: bumps, bulges, chips.
ease and speed of installation;
wide choice of color schemes;

The seam in a straight line is easily connected with direct fasteners. In the case of a wavy joint, you will need a special type of sills. As a rule, aluminum or plastic sills with a rubber base are best suited for this purpose. Such sills are easily bent and allow you to close the joint of any complex shape. The sills are installed in the deformation hole between the tile and the laminate using dowels or self-tapping screws. It is necessary to take care in advance about the method of fastening the thresholds. In some models, mounting holes are provided in advance. Others have a secret mount in the form of a latch on the protruding head of the screw.

A wave-like joint is much harder to make than a direct joint. Creating such a seam requires precision. It is recommended to make a cardboard template in the form of a joint before starting work.

Lay the laminate should be flooring on the tile, so that there is a margin.

Excess laminate is cut along the contour and with a pencil we mark the cut line on the tile.

The tile is cut along the contour using a grinder with a diamond wheel.

When laying the laminate, you can use silicone, which will ensure the tightness of the installation. The dosage should be carefully observed to prevent swelling. Next, the sills are laid.

After laying, it is necessary to clean the joint of the seam. Cavities that have arisen by chance should be filled with silicone, which will prevent dust from entering the seam.

Video - joining laminate with tiles

When using several floor coverings in an apartment, you are likely to encounter the issue of their connection. Docking tiles and laminate is the most common combination of surfaces. Therefore, in this article we will talk about this type of conjugation.

In the design of the floor, tiles and laminate are often joined, for example, in such situations:

To decorate the hallway - at the entrance door, the floor is laid out with tiles, because. she is not at all afraid of moisture, and away from the entrance - with a laminate. Such a combined floor looks beautiful, and will last longer, because. laminate flooring will not be subject to constant water and dirt testing.
In the kitchen - the cooking area is decorated with tiles or porcelain tiles, and the dining area - with laminated flooring. Very beautifully, such a combined floor divides the kitchen space into two logically completed zones. The laminated part of the floor is protected from constant extreme loads, i.e. the service life of the coating increases. And it’s more comfortable to sit at the table when it’s not cold tiles under your feet, but pleasant in warmth and tactile sensations, and simply beautiful, laminate.
For zoning a room - for reasons of dividing the room into zones of different semantic loads, besides, it just looks beautiful. For example, it is rational to lay out a small area near the fireplace with fire-resistant tiles or porcelain stoneware, which will fit perfectly into the area around the fireplace. The rest of the floor surface of the room for beauty and comfort is made out of laminated material. It turns out at some distance from the fireplace, the junction of porcelain stoneware and laminate.
In a doorway - when it is necessary to draw a border between two meeting surfaces. For example, tiles are laid in the kitchen, the corridor is lined with laminated material, the contact boundary, i.e., the junction of tiles and laminate, is located in the doorway.

Consider what tools are available for decorating the line for joining laminate and tiles on the floor:

In the process of designing the line of contact with the use of the threshold, it is necessary to monitor the absence of open zones, through which moisture can get under the threshold. Penetrating under the threshold, moisture will damage the laminate.

It is worth noting: the use of a threshold for joining tiles and laminate is a practical method that has justified itself over many years of use, it has practically no significant drawbacks.

There are several methods of fastening thresholds:

Jointing laminate and tiles with a cork expansion joint is the best method for joining laminate and tiles on the same level without a threshold. Due to its elasticity, it will be able to compensate for the movement of the laminate flooring, ideal for laminates installed without the use of adhesives. The permissible length of the joint line is 6 meters.

Laminated boards and tiles cut very evenly. The cork seal is gently inserted into the slot with a screwdriver, making the joining of tiles and laminate without thresholds reliable and elastic. The connection line can be painted with colored sealant.

Tip: treating the cork seal with a special sealant will prevent moisture from penetrating into the material.

Flaw:

Mounting methods

Consider the technology of each installation method.

Method for cutting tiles and laminate

When the boundary line of two surfaces is straight, there are much fewer problems with their fitting, but curvilinear joints are difficult to cut. To do this, a template is made of a dense material, for example, cardboard, marking the docking line is applied according to the template.

Laminate boards are cut according to the pattern using an electric jigsaw or parquet saw. The tile can be cut using a grinder with an inserted diamond disc on the tile.

Butt-free fastening.
With the use of flexible PVC profile.
Using a flexible metal profile.

Butt-free fastening

The junction of tiles and laminate without the use of a threshold and a profile is a beautiful, reliable and fast connection method, but at the same time there is a certain risk and requires skill and experience.

The joint of tiles and laminate in the hallway without a threshold

Here, accuracy and the correct selection of grouting material are of great importance. Two covers, previously very well adjusted in height and, if necessary, cut to a template, should be located at the closest distance from each other. To seal the seam, a sealant or paste for installation work is used. The composition of the grout mixture for the joint is selected according to the adhesive characteristics, i.e. it must have good adhesion to the two joining coatings.

The disadvantages of this method:

it is very difficult to achieve an ideal joint for an inexperienced person;
there is no possibility of dismantling.

So, the use of a one-piece joint should be performed by a specialist with experience.

Watch the video on the execution of the joint of the laminate and tiles:

Installation of a flexible PVC profile

Between the tile and the laminated surface, a channel is left so wide that the mounting profile fits, after which there should still be 5 mm of width near the laminate (technological gap).
Using a perforator, holes are made for dowels in the docking channel.
A piece of the profile of the required size is cut off using a grinder or a hacksaw.
The mounting profile must be attached to the base using self-tapping screws.
The decorative cap is preliminarily placed in a container with water at a temperature of about 70 degrees for 20 minutes - to soften.
Next, the decorative nozzle should be inserted into the groove of the mounting profile until it snaps into place.

Watch the video on the installation of a flexible profile:

Installation of aluminum sill

The sill with holes for the open method is mounted on the floor in the doorway as follows:

A piece of the nut is cut off to fit the doorway.
Marking is made for holes in the docking channel.
Holes are drilled, dowels are inserted into them. The threshold is fastened with self-tapping screws from above, i.e. open method.
It is better to screw in the screws with a screwdriver or a screwdriver at low speed, so as not to bend the threshold.

Decorative fastening method

decorative (hidden) fastening of the threshold at the junction of tiles and laminate in the doorway

Unpack the threshold, remove the screws from the plastic dowels, saw off the ends of the threshold along the length of the doorway. If the nut has a self-adhesive layer, cut the paper protection along the groove to gain access to the guides.
Drill holes in the floor.
Insert plastic dowels into the holes.
Place the screws in the guide slot. Distribute them evenly over the entire base of the nut according to the drilled holes. Fit the screws to the dowels.
Insert the threshold with screws into the dowels on the floor.
Using a hammer and a piece of wood or rubber, make even blows to the surface of the nut to secure the screws in the dowels. Instead of a hammer, you can use a mallet.

It is even easier to put a self-adhesive threshold:

The contour line of the threshold is marked on the surface of the floor coverings, for its even position in the center of the joint.
The protective film is removed from the surface of the self-adhesive nut and glued to the mating surfaces.

In the video you can see the installation of different types of sills:

CONCLUSION
To sum up: there are many modern methods of designing a joint between tiles and laminate. Each option has its pros and cons, you need to choose a variety that is suitable for a particular circumstance. It is very important to follow the instructions in the work and do everything carefully, slowly, taking into account all the little things.