What Do “Lace-In” & “Header” Mean?

Sometimes a flooring installer may opt to do what is called a “lace in”, this is where a new wood floor is joined together with an existing wood floor to create a transition. A good time to use this technique is when extending an existing wood floor into a new area, or if you were replacing carpet with hardwood to match existing hardwood floors in your home. A “header” is related, it is the final piece of wood installed before a transition to another type of flooring, such as stone or tile. Knowing the terminology can save you a lot of time explaining what it is you’re envisioning when talking to a designer or contractor. There are also a number of other types of transitions as well, leaving room for endless design possibilities.