A friend at work is about to lay down a new hard wood floor in his home (red oak, flat sawn, 2 1/4″ width, pre finished). I say he should rip out the existing base board, lay down the floor leaving a 1/4″ gap all around and install new base board over the boards to cover the gap and allow the floor room to expand and contract. He is going to butt the floor up against the existing base board. Who do you think is right?
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I think your friend's floor is going to need room for expansion (what is your climate like?). Plus, he'll reduce the height of his baseboard by the thickness of the flooring. Might look goofy so short
6
That's why I like tall baseboards. Good for maybe three re-floors, before total tear-off. ;-)
ha! sounds like a roofer-turned-floorer method.
I would rip out old base & install flooring properly, reinstall base or new base, and personly I like a shoe molding with hardwood floor. Makes for a better looking and easier finishing the floor. but that's just my opinion.
Well, the quick and dirty is to leave the base, leave a gap, and then install the shoe..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
I like the idea, but unless the base is painted, that shoe isn't going to match. jt8
If the floor is 3/4" thick that will look pretty goofy taking that from the heigth of the baseboard. Sounds like he's looking for a shortcut.
In Minnesota we have alot of expansion in our floors. I suggest moving the baseborad up and and adding coving. 1/4" isn't much for expansion over large areas.
Is this a laminated floor, or solid stock?
rent a Crain jambsaw ...
leave the base in place ...
set the saw to an inch from the floor ...
run it around the room.
cut out the corners ... or jusy bust them out with a beater chisel ...
not you have the best of both worlds.
base stayed ... and there's tuck room underneath.
shoe and away ya go.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Baseboard first. Otherwise a future floor or sanding of this floor could be a problem. The baseboard may shrink and open a gap at the floor where it shows, covering this with a shoe molding is fine until you have to fit around casings or door jambs. I have to agree with the flooring guy.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match