floors finished last--but i dont want 3/4 round--help

15 years ago

I told floor guy before job started that I wanted the wood floors finished except for one coat of poly before cabinets went in. He didn't do it....couldn't get me in the schedule or whatever. He and cabinet guy had words, but it didn't happen.

Fast Fwd to today. I get a "overages" bill from my cabinet guy. (Overages for other things were expected). There is a $800 charge for painted and installed 3/4 round with extra trips. (Let me be clear that I love my cabinet guy and I'm not at all concerned that he is, or may be overcharging me for the 3/4 round. He is a friend and has done a lot for us for free).

My problem is that it is becoming clear that I have to have this 3/4 round to cover up the "oops" from the floor guy.

The floor guy doesn't start until monday. He is reputation is that he is the best, and he certainly was more expensive than anyone else.

I'm really pissed b/c I don't want 3/4 round (prefer the look without it) and it seems that the only reason I have to have it is because the floor guy didn't do his job in a timely manner/ and or when he does do the job he can't keep the sander/ stain from bumping my cabinets at the bottom.

Thoughts on what to do?

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Comments (10)

ccoombs1
15 years ago
I assume you'r getting 3/4" solid flooring? The quarter round is not to cover up his "oops", it's to cover up the expansion joint that is required for hardwood flooring. Hardwood expands and contracts. For that reason, it cannot be installed all the way up against cabinets or walls. A gap must be maintained to allow for expansion or you will have buckling. This gap is covered by quarter round molding.
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vicnsb
15 years ago
We had to do this when having our living room/dining room
hardwood floors installed. it was my understanding at that time that....
it was either use 3/4 round or take out all existing moulding - install new floor - redo moulding.
vic
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OK, why would replacing the subfloor help? That is what I called the GC to see about doing and he said it would not help. I can not do that myself but did call a contractor to inquire. Apparently yes I have a high spot running the length of the house along the steel beam, which has not settled like the floor to one side (the livingroom). The floor to the other side does not appear to be sagging as much, but that is the side that had the fire and I believe the joists were probably replaced. The floor is NOT "perfectly" level beyond that, there appear to be some small dips that are very slight. Using a 4 foot level, not a 6 since I don't have one, I just placed it in about 3 other places and found no noticeable areas where the floor is not flat. Adding another layer of 1/4 in plywood would be fine, but there is no way to make that a smooth transition that I can think of since the new piece would create an even more abrupt change in level. Taking out the subloor along the beam might help but then it would be less than 1/2". It is 5/8" now, and if I reduced that by 1/4 inch, that would only leave 3/8", not enough to nail hardwood to, I don't believe. I would really rather not take up the first 3 rows that are face nailed, if at all possible. I have those nailed in straight to within 1/8" over a 16 1/2 foot run, including past a 6' opening, and that was a bit of a PIA to get to that point. I didn't know you could nail hardwood to leveling compound? My problem with filling the "dip" is that it is more of a permanent drop in the level of the floor beyond that point and I would have to increase it across most of the entire floor. There is actually a small "ramp" going up the hall past the bathroom on the opposite side of the steel beam, but that is also where a neighbor said the fire was. I believe the subfloor and probably even the joists were replaced after the fire on that side of the steel beam in 1994, but the joists and probably the subfloor on the livingroom side are original and date to 1960. I don't know what a fire or the process of putting out a fire can do to steel beams and joists. The house was fully inspected when I purchased it 10 yrs ago, and I still have the 20 page report. The structure was determined to be very sound. I have seen no evidence of movement in the house in the last 10 years, no big cracks or even increasing numbers of small cracks, in ceilings or walls, and what I can see of foundation looks OK. Windows open and close fine, etc. I guess if the contractor I called doesn't feel it will help, I am a little uncertain about where to go from there. I am sure I can find someone who would do what I ask, but are you sure it will help? Why won't the new sub floor just assume the same position over a short period of time? Here is a photo of the layout with the flooring direction. The flooring is being laid perpendicular to the joints, parallel to the steel beam. I am trying to install hardwood through the livingroom and kitchen and started along the wall that divides the two. I plan to reverse the boards using a spline to install the kitchen side. At this point, I plant to start the kitchen tomorrow and put this aside until I can figure out the correct thing to do. When the kitchen floor is in, I can at least proceed with my remodel and have the new kitchen installed. In the meantime, I will need to figure this out and thank you all for your help so far and hope you can help me resolve this. Sue
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Circus Peanut
15 years ago
If the wooden floors already exist, and the cabs were installed on top of them, yes, it really would have been best to have them fully refinished before the cabs went in. But given that you're stuck with this scenario now, I'd ask the floor guy about finishing up to the cabinets without any kind of need for a cover shoe. If he's really good, it's a real pain in the neck to do but it can certainly be done.
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User
15 years ago
If it's the round look you dislike...they have other shapes that can go on the floor with more of a square look instead of quarter round. Go to the local lumberyard and ask for a trim catalog-you won't believe the array of choices of special order trims. They aren't expensive either,so don't be afraid of the words special order trim. My yard gets deliveries 3 times a week and the trim is fabulous. They offer different wood species and materials to choose from. I was able to forgo the extra piece with my trim because it is deeper than others. Maybe look for a base with a deeper bottom depending on the gap?

Good luck
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bodiCA
15 years ago
Actually, I agree with beachbum, many 'extras' are to hide, so work can be done faster/less precise. Base boards are another dust catcher to clean. If the sheetrock or paneling, etc had a finished bottom, the mold would not be needed. The expansion could be under the finished wall, but that would require tidy instsalation of the wall. Electrical outlets can be installed flush in the wall, smaller holes for pipes, etc. anything can be done precise by someone that cares about quality skilled work/art. In the "ole" days, quality was the artist signature.
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ci_lantro
15 years ago
...when he does do the job he can't keep the sander/ stain from bumping my cabinets at the bottom.

I'm assuming that you're talking about the end wall of the cabinets? If that's the case, I would try protecting the cab ends with some very thin, tough material like strips of Formica or metal flashing. Tape to cabs with gaffer tape or blue tape? I'd leap thru burning hoops to avoid having that awful quarter round trim!
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bodiCA
15 years ago
Maybe many of us do NOT want all those extra parts to clean, but we have never been given a choice, "That's just the way we have always done it" so what is our "Ideal" installation?
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eandhl
15 years ago
I didn't want quarter round either but we for expansion we had to install something and used the old fashion shoe moulding. I found the silhouette more acceptable.
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slc2053
15 years ago
We didn't want it either, but as things go, there were issues regarding it anyway.

Ideal situation....put in your cabinets BUT without the toe kick, then install your floor, then put toe kick on cabinets. That's what we did on most cabinets and the toe kick covered up any gaps.

You could always put on yet another toe kick if it's thick enough to cover gap. Or, as others suggested, explore your options. Here's a photo of what we did on one cabinet, as we didn't want quarter round or something similar....
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beachbum
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the replies.
I really appreicate those of you that mentioned squared off shoe molding. No one has given me that choice and it appears to be the lesser of two evils.

Just to be clear the floor is engineered, site finished oak (owens brand). It is has been layed wall to wall, then the cabinets were set on top. It has yet to be sanded and stained.

No one has mentioned anything to me about expansion so I don't think that has anything to do with it.

I tried to ask the cabinet installers as specifically as I could today (owner wasn't here) and the answer I got was that originally they built my cabinets not to have any shoe moulding. They were going to be trimmed off flush with the floor.
But now I have to have it because of the timing of the floor finishing. Plus since they have been assuming I will have it there are some gaps under the cabinets that weren't going to be there originally, so I can't just leave it off. (well maybe the scroll bases and the island).

So in my mind this is all the fault of the floor guy. I am really angry that I am having to pay $800 for trim that I don't want.
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floors finished last--but i dont want 3/4 round--help

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floors finished last--but i dont want 3/4 round--help

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