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
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Discussion Forum

Discussion Forum

Shoe Molding and Baseboards (Chicken or the Egg)

tspurlin | Posted in General Discussion on May 17, 2023 10:00am

To me shoe molding on the baseboards looks like a cover up and it is better to install the base boards after the LVP or Engineered Flooring with no shoe molding.  However I am from Colorado and and renovating a house in Alabama.  I was told by my painter that it is very common (and preferred by painter) to install the baseboard before the LVP and install shoe molding or quarter round after.  To me the painter still has to paint with flooring, they will just have to paint the shoe molding and not the entire baseboard.  Anyone have an opinion on this?  Also, is it ok to use 1×6 FJ Primed for base boards?  Do people sand or router the edge or just let it go?  The casings are all flat 1×4 and 1×6.

Reply

Replies

  1. jimmiem | May 17, 2023 10:54am | #1

    Your house, your choice. If you don't want the show molding then have the painter pre-paint the baseboard before it is installed then he/she will only have to fill the nail holes and touch up. Just sounds like the painter wants it easy for him/her. Baseboard edge shape your choice too.
    Shoe mold vs no shoe mold seems to be a regional thing.

    1. tspurlin | May 17, 2023 12:47pm | #3

      Thank you!

  2. cwennet | May 17, 2023 11:04am | #2

    Shoe molding is a cover up more or less on purpose. I'd prefer to not have shoe molding in my home, but the floors are not 100% perfectly flat: Shoe covers the gaps. I believe that shoe is typically supposed to be nailed to the floor so that when things move, the gaps are not seen.

    As far as FJ primed, routing an edge, etc., is personal/design preference, but the use of the material is fine. I used FJ primed for my own baseboard - routed the profile I wanted, then painted it. For painted baseboard, I prefer FJ primed to full/raw wood.

    1. calvin | May 17, 2023 07:03pm | #5

      Shoe nailed to floor?

      I shoot at a downward angle, but never directly to floor. Never heard of that in over 50 years on my knees.

      Now here’s a question.

      Oak floor.
      Painted base.
      Stained shoe?

      Personally I think the shoe is part of the base and after looking at quite a few re-finish jobs, I still think it wrong to apply stained shoe.

      1. jimmiem | May 17, 2023 09:36pm | #6

        Right you are. Shoe gets nailed to baseboard. If shoe is nailed to the floor, the floor will not be able to move (expand and contract) with changes in humidity/moisture content.

  3. BuildWithCapri | May 17, 2023 01:05pm | #4

    1x material can be used as base moulding. However, if your casings are all the same material, you will have to join seams where casing legs and base moulding meet and unless you go ham sammy on the joint it will open up. I would use a backband moulding on door and window casings in these situations, so there's a nice positive reveal between the 2 materials. Also, its probably less expensive to get a pre-milled moulding, and definitely less labor. You can do a 1x base, with a milled base cap as well. As far as shoe, it seems to be tomato-tomoto, some people don't care, some people hate it. IF a houses floors are perfect, Id skip it.

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

Fine Homebuilding – June 2023, Issue #315

Find online articles on crafting a copper roof; a low-carbon, all-electric build; trimming stairs; advantages of cellular PVC siding; and much more.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Fine Homebuilding – July 2023, Issue #316
  • Fine Homebuilding Issue #316 Online Highlights
  • The Right Footings for Strong Foundations
  • Tool Test: Compact Cordless Routers

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
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 316 - July
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams

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 or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 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

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
  • FHB House
  • 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