skip to main content

Reinstalling the baseboard

14 years ago

I had wood floors installed recently, and I opted to remove the baseboard trim rather than having the floor planks butt up against the baseboards. Now I'm getting ready to put the baseboard back on, and I'm looking for advice on the preferred way of doing so.

Two main questions come to mind. First, the bottoms of the baseboards and/or the wood floors themselves aren't perfectly flat. This results in some parts where the bottom of baseboard is flush with the floor, and other parts with a gap (along the same length of wall). The gaps aren't very big -- probably 1/8" -- but the inconsistency looks a little odd to me. Is baseboard typically installed so that the bottom of the trim pieces are flush with the floor? If so, then I'm guessing that my only option here is to install something like 1/4-round shoe molding which is flexible enough to bend and close the gap. I had hoped to avoid this, but it's starting to seem inevitable.

My second question: is there anything I can do now so that if I need to remove the baseboard/quarter-round in the future, I can do so without scratching or otherwise damaging the wood floors? My idea is to install the baseboards with an intentional gap at the bottom (maybe 1/8"-1/4") and cover the gap with the shoe molding. It seems like it might be easier to safely remove flush shoe molding without scratching the floor than it would be to try that with baseboard.

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

glennsfc
14 years ago
Options:

Scribe (i.e. fit) the baseboard to the floor profile.

Or...

Fit and install a shoe molding (shoe molding, which is longer in the height dimension than the depth) or quarteround.

When it comes time to remove the shoe, simply slip a thin, broad-blade taping knife between the floor and the bottom of the shoe. Now you have a base on which you can use your molding lifter to pry off the shoe. The flooring is protected by the taping knife, so it won't be dented or scratched.
2ajsmama
14 years ago
Nail the baseboard to the wall (studs if you can find them) and the shoe to the baseboard. Then if you have to you can slip a knife b/t the base and the shoe to remove the shoe and never touch your floor. Shoe should not be nailed to the floor anyway.
Related Discussions
Remove Baseboards or Use Quarter Round for New Hardwood Install?
Q
Comments (9)
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
...See More
Wall to Floor caulking
Q
Comments (0)
We have removed the baseboard molding on our 30-year old apartment, to replace it. There is a lot of (cold) air that is blowing our from the exposed gap between the wallboard and the floor. What is the best material to use to stuff into and seal these gaps, before reinstalling new baseboard?
...See More
Custom Bookcase Door
Q
Comments (3)
Exactly, I use museum putty for knick-knacks. I've built ones that can hold normal books. Our local library has a "free book" bin, for remnants that don't sell at the annual spring sale. If no one takes them, they get tossed. While I hate recommending this, if you found some old discarded hardcover books you can remove the pages from the hard cover and insert a section of styrofoam in place of the pages. That'd give you a shelf of lightweight books. I have seen someone use "book spine" wallpaper for a similar effect. It looked okay in dim lighting. Another alternative would be a few "real" books on the hinge side of the shelf, and knick-knacks on the latch side. Keeping the weight closer to the hinges will help prevent sagging.
...See More
Unhhappy with tiler
Q
Comments (1)
I am a homeowner, and not a flooring expert. But I have been through a big re-flooring project. First, I would re-examine your contract. What does it say about baseboards? When my floors were installed, baseboards was a totally separate deal. We agreed on it in advance, and a price for them (by the linear foot), and I chose new baseboards. I wouldn't expect old baseboards to survive being pulled off the wall. Was it necessary to pull the baseboards off the wall, or did you ask the contractor to do that? Did the contract specify 1/16" grout lines, and black grout? The cost of the labor is really hard to comment about, since you didn't say where you live, or the square footage that was re-tiled, or what your contract says. When you say "no transition" between two tiled floors, maybe you should post a picture. What kind of transition were you anticipating? If you mean that the two floors butt up against each other smoothly, then that sounds like a proper job. Or did you mean that you had specified some kind of transition element that wasn't installed?
...See More
brickeyee
14 years ago
The baseboard is installed level with whatever gap the floor irregularities produce on the bottom.

The wood floor folks like the shoe or trim fastened to the baseboard, but all the old work I have worked on has had the it nailed to the floor.
This allows the baseboard to move while allowing the quarter round to cover the gap year round.

It is still simple to remove the quarter round using a drywall knife to avoid any damage to the floor.

I often spend the time to remove quarter round or shoe, marking the pieces on the back for location, before painting the baseboard.
If you pull the nails through the back of the quarter round it does not cause significant damage or remove any filler used to cover the nail heads.
It is quick and easy to just nail the pieces back in place and use a filler stick on the new nail depressions.

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES Transition Time: How to Connect Tile and Hardwood Floors

By By Any Design Ltd.

Plan ahead to prevent unsightly or unsafe transitions between floor surfaces. Here's what you need to know

GREEN BUILDING How to Recycle Your Kitchen

By Christine Tusher

Instead of adding to the junk pile — and paying landfill fees — get rid of old appliances, cabinets and countertops the ecofriendly way

REMODELING GUIDES One Big Happy Expansion for Michigan Grandparents

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

No more crowding around the Christmas tree. Friends and extended family now have all the elbow room they need, thanks to a smart addition

BATHROOM DESIGN 14 Design Tips to Know Before Remodeling Your Bathroom

By Mitchell Parker

Learn a few tried and true design tricks to prevent headaches during your next bathroom project

BATHROOM TILE Quick Fix: Repair Cracked Bathroom Grout

Banish an eyesore and safeguard your bathroom from water damage in 30 minutes or less with this DIY repair

PAINTING How to Hire a Painter to Do Your Interiors

Here’s what to know about hiring a painting contractor and what to expect during the job

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Remodel Costs: 3 Budgets, 3 Kitchens

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

What you can expect from a kitchen remodel with a budget from $20,000 to $100,000

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Elegant DIY Updates for a 1970s Dallas Home

By Angela Flournoy

Patiently mastering remodeling skills project by project, a couple transforms their interiors from outdated to truly special

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Get New Wallpaper and Wallcoverings

By Laura Gaskill

Learn about the inventive treatments available today, where to use them and how to find expert installers

FIREPLACES What Goes With a Redbrick Fireplace?

By Laura Gaskill

Play up or tone down your redbrick fireplace by pairing it strategically with other colors and materials

Sponsored

More Discussions

Aquaproof laminate flooring

4

Water resistant Shaw engineered wood

2

Help with floor colors

7

Need help with Kitchen floor next to hardwood

12

Countertop vs. Floor Terrazzo HELP!!

11