How to Make Floor Transition Strips Between Two Uneven Floors

Place the hardwood board on a work surface with one 8-by-96-inch side resting flat. Rout the 96-inch edges of the 8-by-96-inch side of the board that is facing up using a router equipped with a cove bit. Guide the router into the wood starting at one end, and move it along the edge of the board just fast enough to allow the bit to cut the profile into the wood to complete each edge.

Sand the routed edges of the board with a fine-grit sanding pad until they are completely smooth. Always sand in the same direction as the wood grain to avoid scratching the wood’s surface.

Measure the depth of the transition between the two floors using a steel ruler. This is the depth of the notch that you will need to cut into half of the 8-inch width on the bottom side of the board.

Adjust a table saw that is equipped with a dado blade set to the measurement you made in Step 3, and tighten the adjustment wheel in place. Use a steel ruler to make sure that the blade height matches the measurement exactly.

Place the board flat on the surface of the table saw with the routed edges facing up. Guide the board through the saw. Move the board over to the width of the dado blade set and make several passes through the saw in this manner until you have notched 4 inches of the 8-inch width of the board.

Sand the notched edge of the board with a fine-grit sanding pad until it is smooth. Sand with the wood grain. Lay the board over the transition between the two floors. The notched half of the bottom of the board should rest on the section of flooring that is higher so that the transition board is even.

Hammer finish nails through the transition strip into the floor every 4 to 6 inches to secure it in place. Use a nail set to sink the nails approximately one-sixteenth inch below the surface of the wood.

Apply two coats of finish over the transition strip using a natural bristle brush. Allow the finish to dry at least four hours between coats. Wait 24 hours after the final coat before you walk on it.