Thank you for the responses! Meg - Your wood flooring looks great! We also have a very large baseboard and I didn't think it sounded right when the installer guy said that he would put in a white colored quarter round and then we could paint it to match the baseboard (off-white). I think it would look odd.... but he also said he didn't have any quarter round available that matches the flooring we like!! My husband said that he could take off the baseboard but that it might break so that we don't have to use any quarter round... But that's another huge project in and of itself! Especially if the baseboard breaks and it has to all be repurchased and repainted. We are putting laminates in all of our bedrooms, living room and dining room, so this is a LARGE project. Maybe I need to find a different installer who actually has the quarter round to match the flooring?? Thanks again everyone! Carrie

idrive I was just trying to back up his thought to paint the shoe mold that was going up against the white trim and give that visual. My post did not directly deal with his cabinets issue so I apologize if it seemed like my comment was off topic. On that issue I feel like Lt. Dan is on the right track to stain against the cabinet base to match and paint against the white base molding. Of course, we are talking about aesthetic issues which are as much personal preference as anything else.

Appreciate the responses. Do I need to worry about adequate expansion room for the new hardwood if I don't remove the existing baseboards and just use shoe molding? We had the house built 20 years ago and the hardwood and carpets were installed underneath the 4.5 inch baseboards. I really don't care to lose a portion of the height of my baseboards by using quarter round or shoe molding. This would result in a "mismatched" look when compared to the baseboards in my other rooms. My preference is to have the baseboards removed prior to the new floor installation. I just have to decide if it makes more sense to try to preserve the original baseboards for re-installation or have new baseboards installed and painted. Here are some pics of the trim and baseboards in the 2 rooms that will have hardwood installed. Both rooms were recently painted, but I don't mind repainting baseboards as long as I get the best quality installation of the new floors and baseboards that look like these again when done. Dining Room Great Room

It all depends on the installer. If you ASK them to supply quarter round, they will do so...and add that on to your price. If you do NOT ask them to use it, it is NOT part of their job....they do NOT charge you for it...but you don't receive it either. Some of the mid-range/upper level installers (more expensive by $1-$2.50/sf above their competitors) will automatically include it into their process. It doesn't appear on your bill, but it is "paid for" by their installation costs....either way you "pay for it" no matter how they bill. The removal of old baseboards is supposed to occur (as per "Best Practices")...and then the expectation (of both homeowner and installer) would be the old material is put back. This is a common "assumption". Often times, if the old baseboards are being reinstalled, there is no "charge" for it....because the installer did not have to SOURCE/PURCHASE material. As soon as they have to PURCHASE material, it becomes an "add on"....whether you see it in the bill (piece-meal installers) or not (very expensive guys who do things above and beyond the norm...but it it already built into the price). Did you inform the installers to reuse/reinstall the old baseboards? At this point, this would be the only question you would be able to pose to them without having additional costs added onto the job.