FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Subscribe

Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

baseboard height?

rez | Posted in Construction Techniques on August 24, 2002 07:33am

All my books are packed up. What is the height to the bottom of the baseboard from the luan sheathing on a to be carpeted room? 1/2″ or 3/4″? Thanks.

Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    Dez | Aug 24, 2002 09:30am | #1

    Rez,

    Half inch pad...half inch block under the base when you nail it. That simple! Good luck, Dez

    1. Snort | Aug 24, 2002 08:03pm | #2

      Since most homeowners haven't picked out their carpet by trim time, and the popular Berbers can be thiner than other piles, my contractors have us hold the base up 3/8" from the underlayment...shoe looks mighty funny on carpeting...;-)

      1. User avater
        JeffBuck | Aug 25, 2002 01:50am | #3

        I'm with bucksnort.....I use the fat end of a shim. Pretty much 3/8th.

        Carpet doen't really need any lift at all.....it would tuck just fine if the base was set tight.......set's a little flatter with a little lift though. Jeff.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......

        1. rez | Aug 25, 2002 02:23am | #4

          Okay, 3/8" it is. Just in time too. Getting ready to secure it down. Thanks y'all.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.

        2. Snort | Aug 25, 2002 02:44am | #5

          We've had problems with this, or I wouldn't be typing...you can't tuck carpet under stuff(baseboard, doors) that has/have been set tight to the floor...it's one of the reasons I look at prints and specs...know the floor coverings, I make make a special point to check this stuff out , I've been made to look like a monkey before, and as a baboon, I resent that...IMHO the best job for the homeowner (this is where I work from) is toto sit all floor incorporating trim UP...we get representative tile (grout under the jambs and casing if there's a gap) carpet, I've never seen...point is, this ain't always a pat answer, I push this one til we all know what;s going on...

          1. User avater
            JeffBuck | Aug 25, 2002 02:53am | #6

            BB...I agree...mostly. Lifted base is better. Doors set after tile is better.

            But...I cleaned/repaired/layed carpet for too long too long ago. I just put that in as an after thought......remembering once that a friend asked where to rent a jamb saw. The dude that was gonna replace the carpet in his house told him he absolutely had to have a gap to tuck......and the old carpet was laid on top of worn hardwood...with the base set tight down. Told him to get another carpet layer and have them tuck tight and cut..........Done!

            So...for new const and new remodeling....you are 100% correct. If someone's thinking about tearing out the old green shag and getting a nice blue pile.......not a problem.

            Jeff.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......

          2. Snort | Aug 25, 2002 02:59am | #7

            Yer right...

            and yer a strange dude...

          3. rez | Aug 25, 2002 03:42am | #8

            Ok, I'm back to 1/2". Mainly because I already had it set up for 1/2" and did some stuff with the window that I'd have to take out and reset, so I can live with an eighth+- sometimes.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.

      2. Redfly | Aug 28, 2002 06:26pm | #11

        Just a comment - I think it's very important to determine (if possible) the particular pad and carpet the owner is planning to install.  If you use a 3/8" shim and the carpet is the plush type with a 1/2" pad, there is a little 'valley' created at the base, which is particularly hard to clean.  The result, especially wth light-colored carpeting, can be a dirty band around the room at the baseboard.

        With a typical plush carpet and pad, the total ht of the carpet pile is about 1".  When using this type of carpet, I hold the base 5/8" of the floor, which seems to work just right. 

        1. Snort | Aug 29, 2002 12:31am | #13

          Red, you are right...and we always ask the carpet supplier what they want for a height. Thing is, lower piles are in, I'll bet I haven't done a house with plush in the past 4 years...and if there's a big bump at the base, furniture sits funny, too...

          1. Redfly | Aug 29, 2002 05:02am | #14

            Don't see much plush around here anymoe either, but rather a wide variation of textures and styles.  A recent client used a 'carpet' made of woven sticks with 1/8" rubber pad beneath.  Very difficult to base, since there was no consistent thickness to use as a baseline.  We actually ended up scribing the base and cutting to within a lite 1/16" of the stick rug.  Ended up OK, but what pain in the #*%&!

          2. Snort | Aug 30, 2002 01:11am | #15

            Sounds like an extra, Cahching!

          3. Redfly | Aug 30, 2002 06:57am | #16

            you know it's funny, I never really knew how to spell cahching onaccounta its more a feeling than a word, but you may be right!

            or maybe kah-chinnnngggg!!!!!!!!

    2. rez | Aug 28, 2002 05:45am | #9

      OK Dez, I give up. How'd you get a handle like Dez?Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.

      1. User avater
        Dez | Aug 28, 2002 10:48pm | #12

        'Cause Rez was taken...LOL 

        Truth is: It's short for dezertryder...my true passion. Used to race motorcycles CC as a hobby.

  2. EricS | Aug 28, 2002 05:33pm | #10

    Ask the guy who's supplying/laying the carpet. I always thought 1/4 - 3/8" until I asked the guy who was going to lay the carpet in my family room and he said the tack strips left room to tuck between themselves and the baseboard.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Video Shorts

Categories

  • Business
  • Code Questions
  • Construction Techniques
  • Energy, Heating & Insulation
  • General Discussion
  • Help/Work Wanted
  • Photo Gallery
  • Reader Classified
  • Tools for Home Building

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Reusable Flood Bags for Fast Bulk-Water Control

These bags from Quick Dam arrive compact and swell to form a protective barrier on contact with water.

Featured Video

How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

Use these tips to keep cables tight and straight for a professional-looking deck-railing job.

Related Stories

  • Podcast 486: PRO TALK With Builder and Remodeler Mason Lord of HVP in Kent, CT
  • Get Stunning Views With Folding Glass Doors
  • Keep Craft Alive Podcast: Episode 20, Ian Schwandt, TDS Custom Construction
  • Step-by-Step Install Prehung Exterior Doors

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Outdoor Projects
    Buy Now
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • 2021 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 309 - Aug/Sept
    • 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets
    • How to Get Sturdy Walls Without OSB
    • Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job
  • Issue 308 - July 2022
    • Pretty Good House Book Excerpt: Copper Farmhouse
    • 10 Dos and Don'ts for Electric In-Floor Heat
    • A Sturdy Rail for Outdoor Stairs
  • Issue 307 - June 2022
    • How to Raise a Post-Frame Home
    • Trimming Deck Stairs
    • Evolving an Energy-Efficient Envelope
  • Issue 306 - April/May 2022
    • Framing Stairs to an Out-of-Level Landing
    • Building a Zero-Energy Home for Less
    • Good-Looking and Long-Lasting Traditional Gutters
  • Issue 305 - Feb/March 2022
    • The Steady Surge in Residential Solar
    • The Fine Homebuilding Interview: William B. Rose
    • How Good Is Your Air Barrier?

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in