Laminate flooring in connecting rooms with different flooring heights?

I am thinking about installing laminate floors through the downstairs of my house (livingroom, office and playroom). The level of the living room flooring is approximate 1/4 inch higher than the office and playroom. What should I do about that? Also if I decide to leave the playroom and office carpeted, what kind of transition piece would I purchase?

Public Comments

1. you can always lay down 1/4 inch underlayment to make the floors all level. check your local home store, they have tons of transition pieces to go from carpet to hardwood floors.
2. there are transition pieces you can purchase where you purchase the laminate flooring. many people have this problem. the threshold in the doorway can be tapered up or down.
3. You can either use a transition piece between the living room and the office/playroom. This is the same as the transition pieces used to go from one flooring surface to the laminate (e.g. from the bathroom vinyl to the laminate). I would probably opt for laying down a substrate like plywood though, its just so much nicer to have a level floor throughout the area. If the drop is consistent, then plywood can be used, if it changes, then you might need to use shims to get the floor level in addition to the plywood. If you leave the carpeting, then you will need a T-molding to go from floor to carpet. If the carpet is not held in place across the transition area, I'd be inclined to tack it place. After you cut the carpet where you want the floor and carpet to meet, I'd lift the carpet up and cut back about 1 inch of the pad underneath. Add a furring strip to the subfloor and tack the carpet to the strip.
4. Here's a link to an article about laminate flooring moldings which you may find useful. Good luck with the installation!