Every hard floor needs a gap at the edges to move, a way to step down to the next floor, and something to protect the cut edge. Trims do those three jobs. Here is what each profile is for, where it goes, and which one you actually need.
Why floors need trims at all
Laminate, hybrid and engineered timber are floating floors: they sit loose on underlay and expand and contract with humidity. Installers leave an 8–12mm gap around every wall, doorway and fixed object so the floor can move without buckling. A trim covers that gap. Where one floor meets another at a different height, a trim makes the step safe and stops the edge from chipping. Glue-down vinyl needs less movement room but still needs its cut edges capped.
Scotia and quad
Also sold as quadrant, beading, matching scotia
A small concave (scotia) or quarter-round (quad) moulding fixed to the skirting, not the floor. Use it when the skirting stays in place and the new floor is laid up to it. Colour-matched scotia is made for most hybrid and laminate ranges.
- Fixes to
- Skirting board only, so the floor can still move
- Size
- Around 15 x 15mm, 2.4m lengths
- Skip it if
- You are removing skirting and refitting it over the floor
Skirting board
Sits over the gap when fitted last
If the skirting is removed before the floor goes down and refitted afterwards, it covers the expansion gap and you need no scotia at all. This is the finish most people prefer in a new build or full renovation. In an existing home it means patching and repainting, which is why scotia exists.
- Fixes to
- Wall, leaving 1–2mm above the floor
- Best for
- New builds, renovations where walls are being painted anyway
Expansion trim (T-mould)
Also called T-bar, transition strip, expansion joint
Used in doorways and in long runs (over about 10–12m) where the floor must be split so it can expand. The stem sits in the gap; the top spans both sides. Same floor on both sides, same height. Most ranges offer a colour-matched version, or use aluminium.
- Height
- Same floor both sides
- Fixes to
- Subfloor via a track or adhesive, never to the planks
Reducer and ramp
Also called ramp profile, sloped transition
Use where a 6–15mm floor meets a lower one: tiles, glue-down vinyl, polished concrete or an existing slab. The sloped face removes the trip edge and hides the cut end of the thicker floor. Choose the reducer that matches your floor thickness; a ramp that is too tall leaves a lip.
- Height
- Steps down from thick to thin
- Watch for
- Match the reducer height to your total floor thickness
End cap
Also called end profile, square nose, edge finish
Where the floor stops at something it cannot tuck under: a sliding-door track, a fireplace hearth, a step edge or a wardrobe rail. The cap covers the cut edge and the expansion gap with a neat vertical face.
- Height
- Same as the floor; nothing on the other side
- Common spots
- Sliding doors, hearths, top of a step
Stair nosing
Also called step edge, bullnose
An L-shaped profile that covers the front edge of each tread and the top of the riser. It stops the plank edge from splitting under foot traffic and gives a consistent, slip-safe edge. Colour-matched nosings are made for most hybrid and laminate ranges; aluminium with an insert is the commercial option.
- Fixes to
- Glued and screwed to the tread
- Note
- Stairs are usually glued fully, not floated
Cover strip (flat bar)
Also called door strip, flat trim, joint cover
A flat aluminium, brass or timber strip screwed over a joint. It suits floors that are already close in height, or a joint that will not move much. It is the cheapest option and the most visible; use a T-mould or reducer if the gap has to stay open for expansion.
- Height
- Floors within about 3mm of each other
- Finishes
- Silver, bronze, black, timber-look
Vinyl edge trim (capping)
Also called capping strip, LVT edge profile
Glue-down vinyl plank is only 2–5mm thick and does not float, so it needs no expansion trims. What it does need is protection wherever a cut edge is exposed: doorways, in front of a shower screen, or where it meets carpet. A slim aluminium or PVC capping glued or screwed down does that.
- Height
- Very low profile, 2–5mm
- Common spots
- Doorways, wet-area thresholds, meeting carpet
Door bar and carpet trim
Also called naplock, carpet gripper bar, Z-bar
Where a hard floor meets carpet, the carpet needs something to tuck into and the hard floor needs its edge covered. A carpet trim does both: pins or a lip hold the carpet, and a flange covers the plank edge. Choose by the height of the hard floor so the top sits level.
- Height
- Sized to the hard floor; carpet is compressed underneath
- Common spots
- Bedroom doorways, top of stairs
Which one do I need?
Start from what is on each side of the join and whether the floor floats.
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Floor meets a wall, skirting stays | Scotia or quad | Covers the expansion gap without removing skirting |
| Floor meets a wall, skirting removed | Refit skirting over the floor | Cleanest finish; skirting hides the gap |
| Same floor continues through a doorway | T-mould (expansion trim) | Floating floors need a break between rooms |
| Floor meets a lower floor (tile, vinyl, slab) | Reducer | Ramps the height difference, no trip edge |
| Floor meets a higher floor | Reducer fitted in reverse, or a cover strip | Ramp up to the higher side |
| Floor stops at a door track, hearth or step | End cap | Finishes an edge with nothing on the other side |
| Floor runs down a staircase | Stair nosing on every tread | Protects the tread edge and the riser top |
| Hard floor meets carpet | Carpet trim (naplock) | Grips the carpet and covers the plank edge |
| Glue-down vinyl at a doorway or wet area | Vinyl edge capping | Thin vinyl needs its edge held down, not an expansion gap |
| Two floors already level, small joint | Flat cover strip | Simplest cover when nothing needs to move |