Wood - Tile transition options?

[Camasonian]

Hi all: I’m replacing some carpet with engineered hardwood and using 1/4” cork underlayment to bring the two surfaces up to the same elevation. I would like to avoid using the thick hardwood t-moldings that the hardwood floor manufacturers sell for this purpose. The tile is finished with a Schluter edge now and is 3/4” thick (3/8 tile on 3/8 Hardiebacker). This is what it looks like.

One piece of advice I got was to install the engineered hardwood against the tile using a 3/8” foam backer rod for expansion/contraction and then cover it with tinted silicone caulk that matches the existing grout. But that might be a bit fussy, especially along the edge where the board ends rather than sides abut the tile. I will have transition seams with boards going in both directions and the Kahrs click-lock flooring I‘m using doesn’t allow for a transition board running perpendicular because the end tongue and grooves do not match the sides as is the case with traditional hardwood.

But I have come across this Schluter metal t-molding that looks to be a lot lower profile and narrower than the traditional hardwood t-molding and I’m wondering if it might be a better option. Either installed now, or as a backup plan to retrofit into the groove should the caulking fail or be unsatisfactory. Opinions. Has anyone else used these particular Schluter t-moldings for a tile to hardwood transition? I‘m thinking of putting in the stainless steel one.

Schluter Reno-T transition strip

 

[Mark Brown]

If that tile edge didn't look so bad, I would just finish flush to it... but it does. Reno-T for the win

 

[Camasonian]

I ordered the Reno-T in brushed stainless which was 3x more expensive than anodized aluminum but I suspect will look nicer and last longer. Now just have to figure out the best way to cut perfect miters on it and create a nice butt joint as there are several sections where the run of the molding will be longer than the 8.5 length of the pieces. I suspect just using the two factory edges butted together will be the best option.

I do have a miter saw. I‘m guessing that buying a proper metal cutting blade will be the best way to cut perfect 45 degree miters in stainless steel?

 

[C.J.]

A good hack saw and miter box will do the trick. A file will clean up any roughness. Don’t know what kind of miter saw you have or what blade you’re gonna get but if you’re gonna use a miter saw make sure the piece of metal is firmly held in place and your hand is a safe distance away. Maybe get a couple pieces of scrap wood and secure it between them then clamp it all down. I’ve seen metal kick before. When I cut plastic reducers for LVP with my 7.25 miter saw, they like to kick depending on how the piece is being held and cut. That doesn’t happen with my 12” miter saw. Different blade, different angle of attack, who knows but different saws have different results.

Your natural reaction when kickback happens might just cost you a finger or something like that so be safe and clamp that baby down. Or use a hack saw.

And don’t forget safety glasses.

 

[Mark Brown]

I run a chunk of 2x4 through my tablesaw with the blade set low to make a channel in the 2x4 then I place the Reno-t into that and cut it on my miter saw, that way it stays stable and does not fly off and bend and get ugly.