ᐅ Transition strips: screw/bond to the floor or use self-adhesive options

Hello everyone,

my flooring has finally been ordered, but I still need the transition strips. There are basically quite different types:
- Self-adhesive ones that stick directly on top of the laminate
- Connected with a base track that is glued or screwed onto the screed (or subfloor)
- The connection between the upper profile and the base track can be clipped or screwed.

Are the cheap self-adhesive types any good if I use them for joints in door areas? There is no height difference here.

At the transitions from the wooden staircase to the laminate and from tiles to laminate, I estimate about a 5mm (0.2 inch) height difference. Can I safely use the clipped versions there? Or should I definitely screw the top profile to the base track? For aesthetic reasons, I would prefer to avoid visible screws.

Thank you, Tassimat

I built a house last year using these glued profiles. I was quite skeptical at first, but so far they have worked well. You can tell I’m not fully convinced. My long-tested favorite is the clip version, screwed at the bottom and clipped at the top. It’s supposed to last at least 15 years. Be careful not to puncture the underfloor heating. I recommend getting advice at a specialist store—you’ll definitely get a professional opinion there, and you can handle the products directly. That often helps.

The specialist store made me uncertain, so I am interested in getting second opinions here. Thank you in advance for your experience report.

My salesperson at the specialist store said that only the most expensive option with screws is worthwhile. They advised against the clip version because it would break when removed. Either we should go directly for the expensive option, or if we want to save money, then use the cheapest adhesive. "If you’re going to do a poor job, do it properly," he said.

In my rented apartment, the profiles are also glued. I once pried one off to lay a cable underneath. It still holds firmly with the cable and without applying new adhesive.

The problem with screwed installations is that there is always an expansion joint in the screed at the door area, where the baseboard is usually supposed to go. If you drill there, the edge of the screed will break off. For this reason, I glued the lower baseboard to the screed using construction adhesive; the transition profile is then classically screwed to the baseboard. With the chosen material and color combination, the screws and transition profiles also look good.

MayrCh schrieb:

I therefore glued the bottom strip to the screed using mounting adhesive

We did the same during the renovation of our apartment. It has held firmly and without any issues for 6 years now.