After a day of chasing quarter round and t-molds I think it may be a great time to write on a subject that most people don’t even consider when purchasing a floating floor—TRIM.

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. Are you familiar with “floating floors?” That means a new surface is installed on top of the existing base. All laminates and some cork, bamboo and various species of hardwood are floated the day of installation instead of being installed directly to the existing sub-floor.

Your floating floor will never get that “finished” look if you don’t add trim to tie the new surface together with the wall it’s touching.

Here are a few things to remember.

• A floating floor cannot be “hemmed up.” That means you must allow the floor expansion room.  That is why you leave a ¼ inch around the entire circumference of the room. Trim is what covers the leftover space.
• The price per square foot of flooring does not include necessities like trim. If the floor is on sale for $.99 cents per square foot that’s a great place to start, but other factors will contribute to price. Trim is a big one, and so is underlayment.
• All manufactures make trim to complement their floors. Trim pieces vary in cost depending on who’s making it.
• The average length of trim pieces is about 6 feet, which will usually cover two doorways. Remember that trim is sold by the linear foot not square foot.

I remember 17 years ago when I sold the first Pergo Laminate for our company. It felt like I was doing a word puzzle trying to figure out all the correct trim pieces that were needed for that particular job. If there is a doorway, fireplace, baseboard, outside door, or cabinets go ahead and figure for a trim piece.

Whether you’re going the DIY route or having it installed, I highly recommend bringing a drawing of your space so that your flooring professional can steer you in the right direction.

This guide from Shaw is a great starting point to familiarize yourself with trim choices.

Renee LeCroy is the Flooring Expert at Don’s Carpet One in Birmingham, AL. For 17 years, she’s been the consumer’s in-store advocate, decoding the flooring industry and offering insider advice. Contact Renee via email.