Installing Wood Flooring Without Removing Baseboards

Installing the last row of laminate flooring without removing baseboards.

Installing wood flooring without removing baseboards.

The other option would be to install quarter round on the existing baseboard to cover the gap between the laminate or hardwood flooring. The baseboards were glued to the drywall and could prove difficult to remove without damage. You will need to conceal the gap after installing the flooring so if you leave the baseboards in place you ll need to cover the gap along the baseboards with additional floor molding. It is not absolutely necessary to remove baseboards to install new hardwoods but remember that wood floors require an expansion gap of 1 2 inch along the surrounding walls to accommodate expansion and contraction with changes in moisture and humidity.

Removing the baseboard so you can reinstall it after the new flooring is installed is one way to save some money. We installed 1500 sf of our own hardwoods last fall so i researched. When installing wood flooring you are required to leave an expansion gap of approx the thickness of the flooring around the edges of the room. How to install new baseboards without removing the old.

Ensure your baseboards are positioned properly considering the new height of your floors. If you have decided you do not want to remove the baseboards molding you can follow these steps. Let the material rise up over the baseboards on all sides of the room to make sure there are no gaps in the barrier. You have no time to remove the baseboards and want a quick solution to finish the project.

Start by getting those grooves lined up like this. Your project may also be on a short timeline meaning you won t have time to remove the baseboards this is perfectly fine. Installing hardwood floors without removing the baseboards is possible and it s a suitable option for other types of flooring as well. The next step however is accomplished using a long piece of scrap wood say 18 to 24 inches with a second smaller piece of scrap attached to one end.

You can cut it flush to the surface of the flooring after nailing in the. That is a total no no for hardwood installation. Wood expands and contracts with the seasons and needs an expansion gap around the perimeter so it doesn t cause buckling in the floor during an expansion time of year.