If you’re looking for something a little different, something quirky, something that will elevate your living space, then there is a feature that you can add to your wood floors that will accomplish this without a massive cost attached to it.

Borders are the perfect accent to any wood floor. They add style and personality without committing to an outlandish colour or daring design across the whole floor that you may regret later. They can be as subtle as you like whilst still adding a touch of individuality, or they can be bold and more striking. Either way, the desired effect is to add a bit more character to an otherwise simple wood floor.

What is a wood floor border?

A wood floor border is a decorative element and common inlay technique. It uses a strip of wood, or a more intricate pattern, which runs around the perimeter of a parquet wood floor usually about 6 - 10 inches from the wall.

Wenge is the most commonly used type of wood for wood floor borders because of its natural dark and exotic appearance but mahogany and walnut can work well too as insert strips.
You can also use metal for your border, such as stainless steel and aluminium, if you want to really make a statement and add something a bit more eye-catching to your floors.

Once you have selected a material, you then have to think about the style that you want and which one best suits your space, and there are a few to choose from.

Different types of wood floor borders

There is no one size fits all when it comes to wood floor borders which means you have a range of styles that you can choose from to ensure that it fits perfectly with the space that you have designed.

There are keyline borders which are the most popular choice because they are quite subtle and sleek which lends itself well to most spaces. It uses a single strip which runs around the perimeter of the room.

Then you have the tramline which uses a combination of strips to create a slightly bolder and more sophisticated look. It resembles a tramline, hence its name.

If you really want to take it up a notch, then you can install a decorative border. This is when you have a pattern that is specifically designed to complement your wood flooring

How to fit a wood floor border

The fitting process is one that requires skill and experience which is why it is always best to use the services of a flooring contractor rather than attempt to do it yourself.

It is advised that borders are fitted when installing a new wood floor rather than being added to a pre-existing floor.

The process is relatively similar to any wood floor installation but with a few additional steps. The border will need designing before any flooring is fitted which means picking a wood, a colour and the distance that you want the border to be from the wall. This will then need to be marked out throughout the room so that it is clear where the border will be.

Next, a backer board will need to be installed along the outside edge of the border to prevent movement during installation.

When installing the feature strip you can either install a full width board and blind-nail the board or rip it smaller to a desired width and face-nail it in place.

For a good finish, it helps to sandwich the feature strip between two similar direction border boards. This keeps all the end joints of the field boards off the feature strip.

When should you use a wood floor border?

Bordering your wood floors will impact the final look and cost a few pennies, so you should carefully consider whether it’s necessary for your space before making a decision.

Borders can be added to any space with any type of wood floor installed but it is most commonly used in hallways, large areas and with lighter wood flooring so that the dark border adds a nice contrast.

Borders are also extremely popular with parquet flooring, it may even be essential if you’re installing the pattern throughout multiple rooms because walls are never completely straight or parallel to adjacent rooms; a border will allow you to ensure that the pattern continues into the next room without coming out of line with the wall.