Transition Bars and Architectural Edging
The difference between a good floor and a finished one is usually a few millimetres of metal at the edge: where oak meets tile at a bathroom door, where it meets carpet at a bedroom, where a herringbone field stops against a plank border, or where a stair or a curved threshold needs a line drawn through the timber. Marchand supplies flat-bar transition and edging profiles made to sit flush with the 20mm board, in different metal finishes, as part of the floor rather than an afterthought bought elsewhere. We will only supply brass trims when we have supplied the timber flooring.
The profile
A solid flat bar, 19.05mm wide by 3.18mm thick, supplied in 3.6-metre lengths. Set on edge in the floor it shows a 3mm line; laid flat as a threshold it shows a 19mm strip. Copper is supplied in the same section in 4-metre lengths, and a narrower stainless steel bar, 12mm by 3mm in 4-metre lengths, is available where a finer line is wanted. Because it is a true bar rather than an extruded cover strip, it can be bent to a curve on site, which is how the sweeping lines through a herringbone field or around a curved island are done.
The finishes
| Finish | Reads as | Sits best with |
|---|---|---|
| Aged brass | Soft, warm, slightly darkened brass | Warm oaks, travertine, warm whites; the classic architectural detail |
| Brushed brass | Brighter satin brass | Pale and mid oaks, brass tapware and handles |
| Slate brass | Muted, grey-toned brass | Smoke and ash oaks, concrete, cooler palettes that still want a warm metal |
| Dark aged brass | Deep bronze | Dark oaks, dark joinery, stone |
| Blackened brass | Near-black with brass warmth at the edges | Chocolat, Bordeaux and Lune floors; black steel and dark interiors |
| Stainless steel | Cool silver | Grey oaks, contemporary and commercial interiors, wet-adjacent thresholds |
| Blackened stainless steel | Matt near-black | Minimal interiors where the line should almost disappear |
| Copper | Warm, bright, ages to a soft brown | Feature thresholds and borders where the line is meant to be seen |
Brass and copper are living finishes: they darken and soften with time and handling, which is the point of them. Stainless stays as supplied. All can be sealed on request where a consistent tone matters.
Where each is used
Oak to tile. At bathroom and laundry doors, a bar set flush between the two surfaces, so the eye reads a line rather than a step. Where the tile is thinner or thicker than the 20mm board, tell us the tile build-up and we will advise the set-out.
Oak to carpet. At bedroom doors, a bar on edge holds the carpet edge cleanly and gives the oak a finished end. It is neater than a carpet trim and it does not lift.
Herringbone borders and fields. A line of brass between a herringbone field and its plank border, or between two rooms laid in different directions, is the detail that makes a parquet floor read as designed. Straight, or bent to a curve.
Curved thresholds and islands. The bar bends on site to follow a curved kitchen island, a rounded wall or a sweeping threshold, then the oak is cut to it.
Stairs. A bar at the nosing line or the string edge gives a stair a drawn line; the stair page covers treads, nosings and wraps.
Edges and returns. Where a floor stops at a hearth, a floor-level window or a change of material with nothing to cover the end grain.
Specifying and fitting
Tell us where the transitions fall on the plan and what they meet, and we will take off the lengths with the flooring and quote them as a separate line. The bar is set in the adhesive bed at the same time as the floor, so the installer needs it on site with the boards. Because every job's thresholds and tile build-ups differ, we detail each project individually rather than sell the bar by the metre online; contact us with the plan, or raise it in a consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Marchand supply transition bars for its flooring?
Yes. A 19.05mm by 3.18mm flat bar in 3.6m lengths, in aged, brushed, slate, dark aged and blackened brass, stainless and blackened stainless steel, and copper, made to sit flush with the 20mm board.
Can the bar be curved?
Yes. It is a solid bar, so it bends on site to follow a curved island, wall or threshold.
Which finish goes with which oak colour?
Aged or brushed brass with the warm oaks; slate brass or stainless with the grey oaks; dark aged or blackened brass with the dark oaks. Copper where the line is meant to be a feature.
Can I buy the bar on its own?
It is detailed and supplied with a Marchand floor, per project. Ask us about a stand-alone supply for an existing floor.
Will brass tarnish?
Brass and copper age and soften with time, which is part of their character. They can be sealed on request. Stainless stays as supplied.
Last reviewed September 2026.