No, lay your flooring next to the baseboard, leaving room for expansion. This avoids buckling.
There is only one right way to install hardwood flooring and it is to have the hardwood under the baseboard, leaving a gap around the perimeter of the flooring to allow the floor to expand and contract.
Baseboards are typically installed after the flooring is laid. This approach allows for a cleaner finish and ensures that the flooring can expand and contract without being constrained by the baseboards. Installing baseboards after the flooring also helps cover any gaps that may be present at the edges of the flooring.
When installing hardwood floors, you can detach the baseboards if you prefer. Removing and reinstalling the baseboards during this process can: Help cover the half-inch expansion gap along the walls that hardwood needs. Allow you to get new baseboards or repaint your existing baseboards before they go back on the wall.
Laminate flooring is one of the easiest types to install over hardwood. There is virtually no preparation that is required. If, however, the hardwood flooring underneath is wavy, you will want to level it before placing laminate over it.
DON'T: Do not use anything with ammonia in it to clean your wood floors. Stay away from wax based products, acrylic finishes, detergents, bleaches, polishes, oil soaps, and vinegar. Instead, get a hardwood cleaning solution (you can pick them up at any big hardware store), spray it on a dust mop and go to town.
The underlayment acts as a barrier between your subfloor and hardwood, potentially saving your investment from damage caused by moisture. This is particularly important in humid climates or homes with moisture-emitting concrete subfloors.
Ideally, you want to address a gap between your baseboard and flooring before your flooring is installed.
Baseboard height for hardwood floors
Either run the baseboard flush against the total height of all the materials or add 1/16'' – 1/8'' to the total height and consider using quarter round (shoe molding). To help installation, use wood blocks of the same thickness of your new floor.
While removing shoe molding and quarter round can facilitate the refinishing process, it's not always necessary. Conversely, leaving baseboards in place is generally recommended to avoid potential damage to walls and trim.
Flooring installers can install your flooring without removing your baseboards, but each case is different. The process will be different for various floor coverings and can require additional steps we'll talk about in this post.
Base shoe or quarter round is the thin, narrow piece of trim that runs along the bottom of the floor and hides the gap between the wall and the floor.
Version: Flat on Saw (inside-90 degree)
For the run of baseboard that is coming from the left, have the top of the design touching the fence and make the cut. For the right-side run of molding, have the bottom of the design touching the fence and make the cut.
Baseboards are typically installed prior to the flooring. For instance, baseboards should be installed first before laying carpeting. It allows for the edges to be tucked under and out of view. However, it's much easier and convenient for hardwood and laminate flooring to be laid first before installing the trim.
Bathrooms and laundry rooms are rooms where you should not install hardwood floors. Separately stands the basement, where it is not recommended to install hardwood flooring under almost any conditions. Humidity, the possibility of spills, and floods make these rooms dangerous for hardwood flooring.
Sealing the space between the trim and the baseboard is more aesthetically pleasing than leaving the space open with holes. Adding a layer of caulk will serve to smooth the transition between the floorboard and the trim, and you can even purchase colored caulk to make it flow more naturally.
If you plan to install baseboard moulding before adding carpet, it needs to be installed 1 inch above floor level to allow room for both pad and carpet. If adding baseboards after carpet is laid, it should be installed at the same height as without carpet.
A baseboard height that's approximately 7% of the wall height provides for a solid and definable base without being too big. The overall proportion of baseboard to wall height will be comfortable and pleasing. So in a room with a 9 foot high ceiling, a baseboard that's about 8 inches tall works.
One of the signs that you may have a foundation settlement problem, is when your baseboard trim is pulling away from your floor. A home settlement issue is caused when the soil beneath the foundation changes and shifts. When soil becomes too wet, it will heave and swell. When soil becomes too dry, it shrinks.
When installing baseboard over an uneven floor, you'll need to scribe it to the floor so that the top edge will be level. 1. Use shims to level baseboard if floor is not level. If the floor is uneven or out-of-level, you will need to scribe it to the floor so that the top edge of the baseboard will be level.
wood subfloor. Most engineered flooring can be installed using staples, full spread adhesive or a floating method over an approved subfloor. Make sure you have a sturdy subfloor: 3/4-inch CDX plywood is preferred and 3/4-inch OSB is acceptable.
One of the biggest threats to hardwood floors is moisture. When planks are exposed to water and humidity they can warp, crack, rot, and weaken over time. Surprisingly, most of the damage comes from underneath the planks when water gets under the floor and penetrates upward. That's why an underlayment is so important.