Installing baseboard trim for carpet

Cut the ends of the boards that will meet at inner corners using the miter box or miter saw. Unless your corners are odd ones, such as you would find in an octagonal or triangular room, miter these board ends to fit degree inside turns. Lay the baseboard back in place with all mitered points fitted into the corners and with the joining points snug.

Mark the cuts carefully for your outward corners and points where the baseboard will terminate against a door or other interruption. Miter the outside corners and cut the ends as needed at termination points. If you are going up and around doorways with your baseboard wood, mitering the points where they turn upward gives a nice, professional-looking finish.

The important consideration, particularly for pre-hung doors, is how high to install it above the subfloor. Do I need to remove baseboards to install vinyl plank flooring? If you already have baseboards in the room, you can do one of two things: Remove the baseboards and either reuse or replace them after you install your laminate. Leave the baseboards and install large quarter round to cover the gap Step 9.

Should door trim touch the floor? In order to get a nice appearance, do not leave any gap between the side casing and the floor. If the casing doesn't touch the floor, it is very hard to conceal this gap. It is important to leave the same space around the door jamb on all sides, otherwise you won't be able to make the corner joints properly.

Do you have to remove baseboards when installing carpet? Depending on the design of the room, it may be wise or even strictly necessary to remove doors and baseboard molding so that your carpeting fits squarely against all edges.

You can probably install the new carpet without having to take off the baseboards first. Should there be a gap between baseboard and floor? No floor and molding will be completely level over really long rubs and shoe covers the gap. The bottom of most interior walls is formed with either a two-by-four lumber sill, lying flat against the floor, or its metal framing equivalent. These pieces are nailed to the subfloor and joists, making them permanently secured. Above this, the wall studs rise vertically with their butt ends on top of the sill.

When drywall is installed, it is installed with a 1-inch gap at the bottom to allow wet floors to dry without the moisture soaking up into the drywall. This leaves a gap, through which the sill edge can be seen. 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. Cut the baseboard to the correct lengths using a handheld cutting tool.

To accommodate finished flooring, the baseboard is typically installed with its bottom edge even with the bottom edge of the drywall. Carpet is always one of the last jobs performed on a new build because removing the baseboards for installation is not only unnecessary but can be costly.

Any renovation in your home is going to be expensive, and finding the perfect flooring and having it installed correctly can add even more to that cost. Unless you are working with a new build, any contractor you come into contact with is going to leave the baseboards intact while replacing or installing carpet.

Most carpet and padding stop before the wall and are secured with a nail tack strip. Once it is secured to the strip, a carpet tucker is used to secure the remainder of the carpet underneath the baseboard. Your average carpet installer is capable of replacing the baseboards, but there is always the risk of damage when trying to remove it.

This is why most contractors try to avoid it at all costs. If you are replacing or installing the carpet yourself, removing the baseboards will end up causing you extra time and stress on an already large project. Ultimately, you can choose to remove the baseboards in the room you are working on, but it is not required. If you are using professionals to install your new carpet, they are most likely going to leave the baseboards up since they do the task for a living.

If you are new to carpet installation or looking to upgrade your home, removing the baseboards is entirely up to you. The main reason you should consider leaving the baseboards attached is that it is generally less work. You can install the carpet and not have to deal with removing and reattaching the baseboard trim.

If your baseboards were correctly installed when the home was built, then there should be enough room to use a carpet tucker on your carpet installation.