Installing Hardwood Baseboards

Baseboard is installed before carpet and the edges of the carpet butt to the base.

Installing hardwood baseboards. How to install hardwood floor without removing the baseboard. Learn how to install baseboard as well as outside corners for a seamless look. A week before installation bring the wood inside to acclimate. 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.

To install hardwood it s. Keep joints that line up at least two rows apart. Once you have gathered all the tools here are the steps to installing your new baseboard molding. Use baseboard nails or brads no longer than 18 inches apart for 3 4 inch thick molding.

Use 11 4 to 11 2 in long enough to penetrate the molding the drywall and drive at least 1 2 inch into the wall s base plate. To determine the amount of baseboard material you need measure each straight section of the wall and round up to the nearest whole foot dimension divisible by two. Fill any nail holes and apply any touch up as needed. Install the base shoe quarter round molding over the expansion gap created by your new hardwood flooring.

Join the ends of the boards over a floor joist where possible avoiding joints that form an h. For hardwood the flooring is installed first and the base sits atop the flooring. The main purpose of baseboards is to hide the gap between the floor covering and the wall but over the years they can become so much. Start running baseboard against inside corners and work toward outside corners.

Install hardwood floors perpendicular to the floor joists parallel to the longest wall leaving a inch expansion gap around the perimeter. I show little tips and tricks that can make or break a good job from a great.