[redhawk87]

put wrong flooring type in title... meant to say laminate! I am installing laminate flooring for the first time and wanting to know some tips to deal with the existing baseboards. I had carpet in the room before with baseboards and molding around door frames. The new laminate barely fits underneath the baseboard and the instructions say to leave a 1/4" gap. Is it best to remove the base boards and re-install them 1/4" higher after floors are in or just trim the baseboards in place 1/4"? If I leave them in place and just cut, how would I get the last piece of laminate in each row in place and also install the last row?

I guess another option is not messing with the baseboard at all. Just install some sort of foam padding under the existing ones and then put quarter round to hide the 1/4" gap between baseboard and floor?

Do y'all have any preferred methods of dealing with this? I think I like the look of no quarter round better.

 

[chandler48]

The 1/4" they are referring to is to the wall, not a vertical measurement to the baseboards. I would prefer to end my laminate (and I don't do laminate)at the baseboard and install shoe molding, attaching to to the base. It dresses it up a little more without having to remove the base trim.

 

[redhawk87]

The 1/4" they are referring to is to the wall, not a vertical measurement to the baseboards. I would prefer to end my laminate (and I don't do laminate)at the baseboard and install shoe molding, attaching to to the base. It dresses it up a little more without having to remove the base trim.

Ok Thanks! I think I just misread the instructions. It says to slide laminate at least 1/4" underneath while still leaving a 3/8" gap and I misread it to say 1/4" vertical space. I thought that was odd that it would require a vertical space. If I did not do shoe molding or quarter round, is my only option really to remove baseboards and re-install? Not sure how I would get the last board of every row and also the last row in otherwise

 

[chandler48]

It is certainly easier to remove at least the ending row's base to make installation better. However you run into one caveat in removing the base and reinstalling it lower. You now, have a caulk and paint line that you will have to deal with unless you use a taller base. That is basically what we do where the client doesn't want to use shoe molding. Using 4 1/4" molding instead of standard 3 1/2" cures both problems in that it allows you to rest the base on the flooring and cover the booger at the same time.

 

[Nealtw]

Or you stop short of the base mold and plan on a thicker shoe molding or 1/4 round