Do I Need To Remove Baseboards To Install Laminate Flooring

You must put the baseboards on top of the laminate once you are finished.

Do i need to remove baseboards to install laminate flooring.

Because laminate flooring installation is started at the center of the room it is rarely flush against the walls. If you took up carpet and installed laminate or hardwood flooring you may not have noticed this before as the carpet hid the gaps. Baseboards are boards installed along the lowest part of interior walls directly next to the floor. The purpose of baseboards is to hide the joints between the wall and floor as well as add visual appeal to the space.

Most flooring applications do not require you to remove existing baseboards. Preparing the subfloor dealing with floor transitions and today s topic removing baseboards are all skills you will need if you plan to do the work yourself. The problem this causes is when you go to install the baseboard on the new wood flooring the baseboard may not sit flat on the floor. It leaves a gap between the baseboard and the new flooring which is unsightly.

So you just need to roll it out and spread it through the room where you are going to install your new laminate flooring. That means you need to put the baseboards over the laminate to hold it in place. This should seem obvious but well if you make the gap under the baseboards too small for the flooring to fit then a hammer and a wonder bar might be. Place 1 4 inch spacers at each end of the first course to ensure a 1 4 inch gap between the baseboard and the laminate flooring.

However you may choose to remove the baseboards. There s more to installing your own flooring than the actual laying of the floor itself. 5 finish the first course of laminate by custom fitting the last piece. Trim molding and baseboards are essential for achieving a finished polished look for your new laminate floors.

As you can see it s not rocket science just push it all the way to the walls.