baseboard before or after carpet install?

[isubeatle]

redoing the basement and was curious if it's better to put the baseboard up before or after the carpet is installed. i want to put the baseboard up first so i can paint it and not worry about getting paint on the new carpet.

if i put the baseboard up first can i lay it flat against the floor or so i need to raise it up a bit first?

If i have the carpet installed first, should i paint the baseboard first, and be careful when nailing it up and then just fill in and paint the nail holes?

thanks!

 

[isuno1fan]

Why can't you paint the baseboard before you install it?

 

[BCClone]

redoing the basement and was curious if it's better to put the baseboard up before or after the carpet is installed. i want to put the baseboard up first so i can paint it and not worry about getting paint on the new carpet.

if i put the baseboard up first can i lay it flat against the floor or so i need to raise it up a bit first?

If i have the carpet installed first, should i paint the baseboard first, and be careful when nailing it up and then just fill in and paint the nail holes?

thanks!

Generally recommended to put the baseboard in first. Leave a small gap, your carpet company can give you a good measurement for this. You will be able to find the studs easier and if you take the carpet out, it won't mess up your board.

That being said, I usually always put my board in after the carpet. I guess I don't like to conform. :smile:

 

[Max57]

Install the base molding. If you are stretching the carpet (w tack strips), the stretcher will be placed against the base -- thus protecting your drywall from damage.

What type of carpet are you laying? Is your basement dry? I ask because I've fought with issues in my basement for over 20 years.

 

[isubeatle]

Why can't you paint the baseboard before you install it?

i'm really bad at measuring and installing trim and dont want to wait for paint to dry after i measure and cut wrong on a few pieces haha.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Generally baseboard first. Usually trimmers leave the base up just a bit (how much based on what flooring surface is going in) to account for variations in the levelness of the subfloor. I'd paint the base first, but be prepared to touch it up a bit.

 

[Cyclonesrule91]

Put the baseboards in before you have the carpet installed. That way the carpet installers have something to tuck the carpet under. I did my basement last year and used a scrap piece of the baseboard from cutting boards to fit. I layed a piece flat on the floor on each end of the baseboard so there is about a 1/2" space between the floor and the bottom of the baseboard. That measurement might vary some depending on what carpet / padding you are putting down though.

 

[isubeatle]

Install the base molding. If you are stretching the carpet (w tack strips), the stretcher will be placed against the base -- thus protecting your drywall from damage.

What type of carpet are you laying? Is your basement dry? I ask because I've fought with issues in my basement for over 20 years.

It's just your basic carpet i guess, not berber but not shag either. kinda in between i guess haha.

We used to get water in the basement a little bit, but we had a sump pump installed and since then we've had no problems with water at all.

 

[BCClone]

One other option to consider is floor heat. We have water veins under our cement and I know that is not possible for you, but a friend of mine just did something in a room with tile floors.

He put this electrical coil thing down, very thin, and a sealer is applied over it. It will keep the floor from becoming freezing in the winter. They have 0 rated pads that let all the heat through and don't insulate it out. Just a suggestion.

 

[Revolution]

Do the baseboard before and hold it up the thickness of the baseboard itself. That way when the carpet guys use their stretcher it won't push the bottom of the baseboard into the wall.

 

[CarolinaCy]

I've always painted/stained the base trim before installing, and done all of that prior to carpet install. For a spacer, you can either use a scrap piece of trim, door shims, or really anything else roughly 1/2" or less in thickness. Your pad will probably be around 3/8" thickness, so any carpet other than a berber should cover the gap just fine.

 

[cydline2cydline]

Put the baseboards in before you have the carpet installed. That way the carpet installers have something to tuck the carpet under. I did my basement last year and used a scrap piece of the baseboard from cutting boards to fit. I layed a piece flat on the floor on each end of the baseboard so there is about a 1/2" space between the floor and the bottom of the baseboard. That measurement might vary some depending on what carpet / padding you are putting down though.

THIS. I too did it this way when finishing my basement with 1/2 inch carpet pad and frieze carpet. Looks professionally done and installer had no problem tucking into the leftover gap.

The more difficult part with baseboards (for beginners like myself) was getting the corners fitting together well.

 

[CarolinaCy]

THIS. I too did it this way when finishing my basement with 1/2 inch carpet pad and frieze carpet. Looks professionally done and installer had no problem tucking into the leftover gap.

The more difficult part with baseboards (for beginners like myself) was getting the corners fitting together well.

As far the corners, if you have a stained baseboard, you'll have to use a coping saw for the inside corners, which is tedious, but looks good when done.

If the baseboard is going to be painted, just cut a 45 degree angle, and caulk the gaps after install and paint over it. Much faster and a lot less tedious work.

 

[State43]

THIS. I too did it this way when finishing my basement with 1/2 inch carpet pad and frieze carpet. Looks professionally done and installer had no problem tucking into the leftover gap.

The more difficult part with baseboards (for beginners like myself) was getting the corners fitting together well.

Ditto

 

[Cyclonepride]

As far the corners, if you have a stained baseboard, you'll have to use a coping saw for the inside corners, which is tedious, but looks good when done.

If the baseboard is going to be painted, just cut a 45 degree angle, and caulk the gaps after install and paint over it. Much faster and a lot less tedious work.

Yes, coping looks way, way better, and is much easier to get to look that way, especially if the corners are not true right angles or are out of plumb.

 

[Wales]

Ditto

Leave 3/8 of an inch off the floor for carpet and put on first so the stretcher goes against the base and not the drywall

 

[Scott34]

An easy way to keep it off the floor is to cut 2 to 3 small pieces of base(like an inch or 2 long), set those along the portion of wall you are installing the base on and set the baseboard on top of the small pieces that you cut.

 

[Jambalaya]

redoing the basement and was curious if it's better to put the baseboard up before or after the carpet is installed. i want to put the baseboard up first so i can paint it and not worry about getting paint on the new carpet.

if i put the baseboard up first can i lay it flat against the floor or so i need to raise it up a bit first?

If i have the carpet installed first, should i paint the baseboard first, and be careful when nailing it up and then just fill in and paint the nail holes?

thanks!

done this many times

--Prime, then paint the trim a couple more times while spreading the pieces out on the floor. You can knock out many more feet of trim this way, BEFORE it's installed

--install painted trim first before carpet.....if 3/8" or 1/2" thick baseboard, + plus standard carpet with pad, you shouldn't need a level ...

first take 2-3 shortened strips of trim and place them perpendicular to wall, using it for height measurables.See prior post from Scott 34

Then start with trim piece--just set upright on top of perpendicular pieces for balanced, even, application. This will provide a big enough gap between the trim and bare floor for the carpet install

 

[zach]

this. I usually go 1/4 to 3/8 for carpet.

Ditto

Leave 3/8 of an inch off the floor for carpet and put on first so the stretcher goes against the base and not the drywall

 

[Acylum]

I've had carpet installers beat the bejeebers out of baseboard. But they always want it installed first.