Should I remove baseboards when installing hardwood floors?

A: It is not absolutely necessary to remove baseboards to install new hardwoods, but remember that wood floors require an expansion gap of 1/2 inch along the surrounding walls to accommodate expansion and contraction with changes in moisture and humidity.

Do you have to remove baseboards to install flooring?

Most flooring applications do not require you to remove existing baseboards. However, you may choose to remove the baseboards and replace them at the same time as flooring installation if you want to switch to a different baseboard height or change the style to match the overall look of your remodel.

Should you remove baseboards before refinishing hardwood floors?

As a general rule, we recommend leaving your base and shoe on when having your floors refinished, especially if it is painted. Depending on how the painters prepped your base, you can actually cause more damage to the base and walls by removing it.

Should I remove quarter round before refinishing floors?

If you're refinishing your floors, you'll want to remove the quarter round trim to sand or strip off the old finish all the way to the edges. If done correctly, you can even replace the same trim once the floors are done!

Is shoe molding necessary?

Using shoe molding gives the floor installer more latitude in their end cuts and also allows you to hide the expansion gaps between the wall and the floor. Due to the small and flexible nature of the shoe molding, it is able to expand and contract along with the floor.

Should I remove the baseboards before installing wood floors?

Do flooring companies replace baseboards?

Baseboards can be installed before or after flooring, and it often depends on the contractor and their preference, along with the type of floor to be laid. In most cases, wooden trim is attached and painted before installing the floor, but there are no definitive reasons why it has to be done this way.

Should you replace baseboards?

Designed to hide the seam where wall meets floor, baseboards give any room a finished look. If your trim is showing wear and tear, painting is always an option, but the prep work is important and can be time-intensive. Replacement is your best option if they're water-damaged, stained or warped.

Are baseboards necessary?

Are Baseboards Necessary? Although baseboards add a visual benefit to the room, their purpose is more than aesthetic, and most would argue they are necessary. In some cases, the baseboard is used to protect drywall. For homes that use different types of materials for walls, the benefits of baseboards may be different.

Do you need Quarter round with hardwood floors?

Answered by ContractorDon: He may be trying to speed up the process of laying the floor, yes you do need expansion room for the flooring to expand but between the space normally there where the sheetrock meets the wall and the baseboard it should be enough without the 1/4 round.

Should I remove baseboards before installing LVP?

For ease of installation, it is always best to remove the trim that makes contact with the floor. This includes baseboards, base shoe moldings, and case moldings around doors.

How much does it cost to redo baseboards?

When you consider materials and labor, it typically costs $5.70 to $8.95 per linear foot to install baseboards. If you need your existing baseboards removed, expect to add another $50 to $100 per hour in labor costs. For a home with a 144-foot perimeter, the average cost to replace baseboards is $1,280.

How often should you replace baseboards?

Baseboards in high-traffic areas would benefit from annual repainting to maintain a crisp appearance, while other areas, like guest rooms and offices, can look good even 5 years later.

What goes first trim or flooring?

The answer to the question is, “do the floors first!” Here's why: Removing and replacing flooring or carpeting is dirty work. If you paint first, and then do floors, there is a good chance that a lot of dirt, dust, sawdust or tile/stone dust will end up on your freshly painted walls and trim.

Should I replace baseboards before or after carpet?

Baseboard Installation

Baseboards are often installed before flooring, since they must be finished in place with either stain or paint and this is much easier without worrying about staining the hardwood, tile or carpet.

What type of baseboards are in style?

How much space should be between hardwood floors and walls?

As already stated, you need to leave between 10 and 15mm all around your room. Ideally, you should place a range of suitably sized spacers against the wall you're fitting against as well as against the two walls where the floor will run. This way you're sure to get the right size of gap.

Do baseboards need to be caulked?

Depending on the conditions in your home, you'll need to re-caulk your baseboards every five years or so, but the benefits outweigh the time invested. Attractive baseboards are one of the many subtle details that give your rooms a polished, high-end look.

Do you need to caulk bottom of baseboards?

Caulk is a flexible material that allows the wood to move without breaking the seal. Thus it is advisable to caulk the top and bottom of the baseboards with the right caulk that will compress and stretch according to the movements of the baseboard.

What can I use instead of shoe molding?

Quarter round is another moulding style typically paired with baseboards to cover up gaps and imperfections between the base and the floor. As such, it essentially has the same purpose as shoe moulding.

Do I need shoe molding with baseboards?

You don't need it. You can have the contractor install the baseboards first (obviously) and then look at it and see what you think.

What is the point of shoe molding?

Shoe molding, so called because it's located at “shoe level,” caught on because it looked good and also helped seal out insects and dirt. Today, the main goal of both baseboard and shoe molding is to conceal the less-than-appealing transition between the bottom of the wall and the floor.