laminate against patio doors

We're getting ready to do our first installation of glueless laminate in a dining room. One side of the (narrow) room is predominantly bordered by 2 side-by-side double patio doors. The hint from this site is to not put the planks parallel with the doors, but at 90 degrees (or even 45). Can someone confirm this for us? I thought there was an accessory piece that would be a transition between laminate and patio doors, and assumed that would work lengthwise on the long edge of the plank. Thanks for your help!!

 

Actually, the direction of the planks is purely cosmetic. Most of the time they look better installed parallel to incoming light, but it makes no difference as far as the warranty goes.

Yes, there will be some sort of transition piece that goes against the doors. Pergo makes and "End Molding" for this situation, but other brands like Shaw actually use their carpet reducer for the same situation. Talk to the shop you bought the flooring from and they will be able to tell you what's right for your brand.

Robert

 

Actually you are correct Mom. The ends of the planks should face the primary light source in the room. This makes the joints less obvious. There are edge moldings available to finish against a patio door. There is also a metal molding that will match the patio door frame that wears better than laminate molding. Contact a local flooring supplier and ask about metal edge molding for laminates. The brands that have been around the longest offer/offered the metal. I think I've seen the metal molding at Home Depot stores as well with a Pergo brand name. The metal is available in only 3 colors, brass, aluminum (silver) and bronze.

 

Thanks for the prompt and helpful responses. It's great to be able to glean knowledge on forums like this from those of you who are more experienced out there! (My brother-in-law, who is pretty handy but will do their first laminate floor after us, asked if it said "clueless" on the boxes of laminate planks. That would be us, but thankfully not quite so clueless after reading lots of info online.)