skip to main content

glued engineered wood floor - need 1/4 round?

10 years ago

Hi
I have 3 bids to install (GLUE method) engineered wood floor in my living room/dining room.
One of the estimates include 1/4rounds (actually base shoe molding around the perimeter of the area).
The other 2 do not mention any base shoe molding.

Is it necessary to have these moldings or can they use the current baseboard which is very low and about 1/4 inch wide ?

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. I am just now learning about wood floors and it overwhelms me.
Thank you
p.s: I have attached a photo of the current base board.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

gregmills_gw
10 years ago
They can use the original baseboards. You dont have to use 1/4 round. If they dont add the shoe they will need to remove the baseboard.

Check with whomever you decide to see if the removal AND install of baseboard is included in your price.
jeannette10
Original Author
10 years ago
thank you, Gregmills.
What I would like them to do is remove the small baseboard, glue the new engineered floor and put the the baseboard back. Is that possible, given that the baseboard if about 1/4" thick ?
Related Discussions
How messy is pulling up engineered floor glued to concrete?
Q
Comments (5)
A few years ago, we had to have a lot of engenieered floor that was glued down pulled up due to water damage. It was messy, in that they just busted it up and used long handled scrapers to get it up and the glue. Not really so much dust as just mess from the material. The problem I had was they tore up many a door frame. When you sign with a flooring company, they usually have you sign a waiver that they are not responsible for anything that gets torn up in the process (ie: door trim and base mouling) so be ready to replace/repaint that. We had the floors floated and a glue down wood put in that can be finished on site. It did require sanding first (on site) and I was surprised at how little dust there was (compared to that my house seems to grow lint, dust bunnies anyway). There was some, dont get me wrong, but not the nightmare I was expecting. Good Luck
...See More
Flooring - Replace carpet with ? so I don't have to use 1/4 round
Q
Comments (3)
I'm not fond of quarter round either but you might need something to cover up small gaps at the edges and between the baseboard and the subfloor. Consider buying shoemold and staining it to match your newly finished base. It's generally about the same height as quarter round but not as wide. It's a vertically oriented molding so it should match the baseboard.
...See More
Glued down Engineered Flooring
Q
Comments (37)
There was zero dust in my house after undercutting my fireplace brick and grinding the slab. The installer had two gigantic hepa vacuums attached to each other and to his grinder. I was home during the install and didn't see any dust flying around at all, and there was none left when it was all over either. My slab looked to be in incredible condition compared to most that I've seen and it still needed a good deal of prep work. The installer went over every inch of it with a straight edge and marked all the high and low spots and there were some in every room. All of those areas were addressed before installing the wood. Additionally, the entire floor was roughed up with a grinder before any work started. If your installers showed up at your house and started gluing down wood the first day without checking everything first, that's a problem. From your manufacture's website for glue down: All Concrete sub-floors must be dry, smooth (level with 3/16” in a 10 foot Radius – 1/8” in 6”) and free of structural defects. Hand scrape or sand with a 20 grit #3-1/2 open face paper to remove loose, flaky concrete. Grind high spots in concrete and fill low spots with a Portland based leveling compound (min. 3,000 psi).
...See More
Does 4" wide white oak flooring need to be glued?
Q
Comments (16)
The ideal way to handle the crawlspace is to have HVAC supply and returns in that space. With 4" boards you will want to humidify the house if the air gets dry in the winter. Humidity 30-50 % year round is the goal. I don't know why you would need a vapor barrier under the floor over a crawl space. If your crawl has high humidity in the summer it would be better to dehumidify that space. If you have an old house and can't do 30% in the winter then narrower boards is probably a better choice.
...See More
gregmills_gw
10 years ago
Can it it be done? Yes. You should allow the floor a bit more of an expansion gap. But a lot of it depends on how well you keep your inside environment like. Ive seen floors installed super tight with little room for expansion and it was fine.

Since i dont know the environment type in your home i would err on the caution side of things and suggest getting new base or adding shoe.
jeannette10
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, Greg.
I am still having some trouble understanding our a GLUED engineered floor can move/expand but I guess it does :-)
gregmills_gw
10 years ago
Regardless how any wood is adhered it still expands and contracts. Its not going to expand a full inch but it will move some.

The trouble is getting the floor so tight against a wall just so a 1/4 base will fit is almost too tight. You can just go ahead but for my own piece of mind if i was installing it would be to add some shoe or get a thicker base.
glennsfc
10 years ago
You may want to consider having new baseboard installed. Some installers balk at removing baseboard, as chances are some of it gets ruined in the process. However, best way to do what you want is to have the baseboard removed and then reinstalled or replaced with new.
jeannette10
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, Glenn
I am OK with getting new baseboards but I don't want them too high. Do they make them similar to the one on my photo but thicker ?
I am meeting with the installer later this week ...the one who said I don't need the base shoe. The engineered wood is Mohawk Rockford Natural Maple and is 3/8" thick.I don't know if the thickness of the wood floor makes a difference (it will be glued to concrete.
glennsfc
10 years ago
Thickness of the engineered product makes no difference. As gregmills points out, wood flooring will move some, even engineered, and it is prudent to follow manufacturer's installation guidelines as much as you can.

Baseboard of different heights and thicknesses are readily available.

Oh you will be so happy to get rid of that berber...

Related Stories

REMODELING GUIDES When to Use Engineered Wood Floors

See why an engineered wood floor could be your best choice (and no one will know but you)

KITCHEN DESIGN Kitchen Counters: Stunning, Easy-Care Engineered Quartz

By Ivon Street Studio

There's a lot to like about this durable blend of quartz and resin for kitchen countertops, and the downsides are minimal

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Urban History in the Round in Tel Aviv

By Esther Hershcovich

Two 2nd-floor apartments in a former printing factory are combined in a renovation that preserves elements of the past

MATERIALS What to Ask Before Choosing a Hardwood Floor

By Mitchell Parker

We give you the details on cost, installation, wood varieties and more to help you pick the right hardwood flooring

REMODELING GUIDES Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less

See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it

WOOD Try DIY Plywood Flooring for High Gloss, Low Cost

By Vanessa Brunner

Yup, you heard right. Laid down and shined up, plywood can run with the big flooring boys at an affordable price

REMODELING GUIDES Your Floors: Zebra, Tiger, and Teak Wood, Oh, My!

Get the Pros and Cons of Exotic Woods: Hickory, Cherry, Rosewood and More

REMODELING GUIDES Your Floor: An Introduction to Solid-Plank Wood Floors

Get the Pros and Cons of Oak, Ash, Pine, Maple and Solid Bamboo

COLOR March Into Year-Round Chic With 15 Twists on Red, White and Blue

By Becky Harris

Parade your patriotism and your style sophistication with new looks for a classic color trio. Drumroll, please ...

FURNITURE Eclectic Matchups: 10 Round Dining Tables With Chairs

By Laura Gaskill

Check out these ideas for pairing round tables with complementary chairs of different styles

Sponsored

Landscape Management Group

28 Reviews

High Quality Landscaping Services in Columbus

More Discussions

Anyone install CoreTec Sea Salt?

4

Seal OSB after tile removal before plywood subfloor?

2

site finished engineered-is this a good deal?

4

HELP! Marmoleum repair issues

19

minimizing VOCs from LVP flooring

0