Flooring Accessories
Flooring accessories are what turn a new floor into a finished one. The right underlay protects the floor and makes it quieter and warmer, the right adhesive keeps glued floors stable, and well-chosen trims give every edge and doorway a neat, professional finish. Choosing them at the same time as your floor saves a second delivery and makes sure everything matches.
We supply underlay for every type of floor, including acoustic underlay for flats; wood floor adhesive and vinyl floor adhesive; door bars and threshold strips, trims and profiles, scotia beading and skirting boards; stair nosings; and care products such as wood floor cleaner and wood floor oil.
Not sure what your floor needs? Read our accessories advice, or call us on 020 3287 6206 with your floor and room details. Order free samples of your new floor first, so trims and beading can be matched to the right colour.
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Underlay
Underlay sits between a floating floor and the subfloor. It smooths out small bumps, cuts noise, adds comfort underfoot and, on concrete, stops moisture rising into the floor. The right type depends on the floor and the room:
- Wood and laminate floors: foam underlay is light and economical; fibreboard underlay is firmer, insulates well and evens out a less-than-perfect subfloor.
- Click vinyl: use a thin, dense LVT underlay. A soft, thick underlay lets the click joints flex and can break them.
- Concrete subfloors: choose an underlay with a built-in damp-proof membrane, or lay a separate membrane first.
- Underfloor heating: use a thin underlay made for heating, so warmth passes through efficiently.
- Flats and upstairs rooms: acoustic underlay reduces footstep noise for the rooms below.
Glued and nailed floors do not use underlay. Some floors have underlay already attached; do not add a second layer under those.
Adhesives
Glued-down wood floors need a flexible wood floor adhesive, such as an MS polymer, that allows the timber to move naturally while holding it firmly. Solid wood needs an adhesive approved for solid wood. Dry-back vinyl uses a vinyl floor adhesive. Always use the adhesive and trowel size the flooring manufacturer recommends; it protects the floor’s warranty.
Door bars, thresholds and trims
Where your new floor meets another floor, a door bar covers the joint and protects the edges. Choose the profile by what is on each side:
- T-bar: joins two floors of the same height.
- Ramp: bridges a change in height, for example from wood to carpet or vinyl.
- End profile: finishes the floor at a patio door, fireplace or step.
Solid oak thresholds suit wood floors; metal trims and profiles suit vinyl, laminate and modern interiors.
Scotia, beading and skirting
Wood, laminate and click vinyl floors need a small expansion gap around the walls. Fitting new skirting boards after the floor covers it most neatly. If the skirting stays, scotia beading (a curved profile) or quadrant beading (a quarter circle) is pinned to the skirting to hide the gap. Choose oak beading to match a wood floor, or white beading to blend with painted skirting.
How much do I need?
For skirting, scotia and beading, measure the perimeter of each room in metres, take off the width of each doorway, and add about 10% for mitred corners and offcuts; then divide by the length of one piece to get the number of lengths. Count one door bar for every doorway where the new floor meets another floor. For underlay, order the same area as the floor, rounded up to whole rolls or packs.
Stairs and finishing touches
Stair nosings protect the front edge of each step and give a safe, finished look when you carry the floor up the stairs; choose one made for the thickness of your floor. Radiator pipe covers hide the cut-outs around pipes for a tidy finish.
Care and maintenance
The right cleaner keeps a floor looking new: a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner for wood, a laminate cleaner for laminate, and maintenance oil for oiled wood. Wood floor filler and repair kits fix small dents and gaps. See everything in cleaning and maintenance.
Choosing the floor first? See our engineered wood, laminate and vinyl flooring.
FAQs on Flooring Accessories
Floating floors, such as click laminate, click vinyl and click engineered wood, need an underlay unless one is already attached. Glued-down and nailed floors do not use underlay. On concrete, choose an underlay with a damp-proof membrane.
A firm underlay made for wood floors: fibreboard for insulation and evening out small bumps, or a foam underlay with a damp-proof membrane over concrete. Over underfloor heating, use a thin underlay made for heating.
No. Click vinyl needs a thin, dense underlay made for LVT. A thicker, softer laminate underlay lets the joints flex and can damage them.
Both cover the expansion gap where the floor meets the skirting. Scotia has a curved, concave profile; quadrant beading is a simple quarter circle. Which you choose is mostly a matter of style.
Use a flexible wood floor adhesive, such as an MS polymer, that allows the wood to move, and follow the flooring manufacturer’s guidance. A rigid adhesive can crack or cause the boards to lift.
Use a T-bar between two floors of the same height, a ramp where the heights differ, and an end profile where the floor stops at a doorway, patio door or fireplace.
The same area as your floor, plus a little extra for overlaps and cutting. Measure each room in square metres and round up to whole rolls or packs.
Vacuum, then clean with a damp mop and a cleaner made for oiled floors. Every year or two, or when the floor looks dry in busy areas, apply a thin coat of maintenance oil to keep it protected.
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