Accessories
Carpet door bars and threshold strips for a neat finish
The small strip that decides whether a doorway looks finished or frayed.
A carpet door bar holds the cut edge of a carpet at a doorway and covers the join where it meets the next floor. It is a small part of the job, but it is the one you step over every day. We sell the gripper, door bars, trims and adhesives alongside our carpet and underlay, so the finishing pieces can be picked on the same visit as the carpet itself, matched to the floors either side.
This page explains how to choose the right threshold strip: what the two floors are, how high each one sits, and what finish suits the room. When fitting is arranged, the fitter positions and stretches the carpet, makes any seams and finishes thresholds with door bars. If you are fitting yourself or using your own fitter, the same questions apply, and it pays to answer them before the carpet goes down.
- Job
- Holds the carpet edge and covers the join at a doorway
- Choose by
- The two floors and their finished heights
- Bought with
- Carpet, underlay, gripper and trims
- Fitting
- Supply only or arranged through vetted local fitters
Name the two floors first
Every threshold strip is chosen by what is on each side of the door. Carpet to carpet is the simplest case, joining two carpets at a similar height. Carpet to vinyl, carpet to laminate or carpet to tiles needs a strip that grips the carpet on one side and sits over or against a hard edge on the other. Write down both floors for every doorway before you visit. Because we sell carpet, vinyl and LVT, the right trim or door bar can be picked at the same time as the floor.
Check the height difference
Carpet on underlay usually stands higher than a vinyl or laminate floor next to it, and a thick carpet on a cushioned underlay raises it further. The bar has to bridge that step without leaving a lip to catch a toe. Measure the finished height on each side, or bring the carpet and underlay details so it can be worked out. Our carpet and underlay thickness guide explains the combined height, which matters most where doors and thresholds limit the space available.
Think about the door as well as the floor
A door bar sits directly beneath the swing of the door. If the new carpet is deeper than the old one, the door may scrape across the bar or the pile. Check the gap under each door before choosing, and allow for the carpet, underlay and strip together. Doors may need easing separately, which is worth raising when you ask about fitting so it is not discovered on the day.
Pick a finish that suits the room
Door bars come in different finishes, and the visible strip is usually chosen to sit quietly beside the skirting, the door frame or the hard floor next to it. Look at the doorways together rather than one at a time, so a hallway with several doors reads consistently. If a strip will sit between two rooms with very different floors, choose the finish that suits the busier side, because that is where it will be seen most.
Count the doorways before you buy
It is easy to buy the carpet and forget the edges. Walk the rooms and count every doorway, every change of floor and any open archway where the carpet stops. Measure the width of each opening so the strips can be cut to length. Add the gripper for the room perimeter and any adhesive the floor needs. Getting the full list together saves a second trip once the carpet is cut.
Fitting or supply only
Door bars are fixed to the floor, and the method depends on whether it is timber or solid. Confident DIYers and fitters buying supply only can take everything for the job in one visit. If you would rather have the carpet fitted, we arrange fitting through trusted, fully vetted local fitters, and asking for threshold finishes to be itemised on the quote makes it easier to compare like with like.
Continue planning your purchase
Get the right door bars for your rooms
Tell us the floors either side of each doorway and how many doors you have.
Your buying questions
- What door bar do I need between carpet and laminate?
- A carpet to hard floor strip that grips the carpet on one side and covers the laminate edge on the other. Bring the finished heights of both floors so the bar bridges the step neatly.
- Can I buy door bars without buying carpet?
- Yes. Door bars, gripper, trims and adhesives are sold alongside our carpet and underlay, so you can buy them supply only for your own job.
- Do carpet fitters supply door bars?
- When fitting is arranged, thresholds are finished with door bars. Ask for threshold finishes to be listed on the quote so you can see what is included.
- Will a new door bar stop my door closing?
- It can if the new carpet and underlay are deeper than before. Measure the gap under the door against the combined height; the door may need easing.