installing baseboard

[phoneman697]

I am ready to start installing baseboard in our basement remodel, but have a few questions. We are going to have carpeting installed in the basement. Do I have the carpeting installed first then install the baseboard or do I install the baseboard first then the carpeting? If the baseboard is installed first, how far off of the floor do I need to hold it so that the carpet layers can tuck the edge of the carpeting under the baseboard?

Thanks
Jeff

[Crash2510]

I would install the baseboard after the carpet because the carpet kickers are not very kind to nice baseboard. If you don't want to fix it wait till carpet is installed.

[sparkeyjames]

For a nice professional look install the baseboard first. Then the carpet. Thus covering the bottom edge of the baseboard. Cut the carpet so it fits as tight to the baseboard as possible.
I have never needed to get a carpet kicker closer than 3 or 4 inches from the wall.
By the way how will you be attaching the carpet to the floor? Is the floor cement?

[phoneman697]

The floor is concrete. We'll be having the carpet professionally installed. I'm not sure how they will attach it to the floor. I guess I kind of thought they'd use tack strips since we wanted a pad under the carpet.

[Salty]

As I recall, the cut edge of the carpet typically gets tucked down between the baseboard and the tackless strip. There is about a 1/4" gap between the baseboard and the tackless.
I hope you are absolutly sure you will not have any water in the basement. I see you are in the same state as I am and it can sometimes rain a lot. Even a small amount of water seeping in along the edges of the wall can create a problem. Regardless of dehumidifiers, the moisture can also build up behind cabinets or furniture that is sitting against the wall.
This can cause a mold problem that you cannot see because of the carpet. I went through this years ago and I will never again put carpet in a basement or live where it is installed in the basement.
Just my 2 cents.

[sparkeyjames]

I have to agree with Salty. Carpet in a basement is bad news as far as mold accumulation is concerned. If your basement is fully waterproofed then carpet may be ok. I would stick to the indoor outdoor type carpets in a basement and skip the pad. They can be cleaned easier.

[JimD]

I put ceramic tile and laiminated hardwood down in most of the basement due to concerns about water and because I like them better. The bedroom in the basement is carpeted but it is at the back "walk-out" part. I put the baseboard down before the carpet but I also made sure the baseboard was up 1/2 inch or so off the concrete so the carpet could be tucked under it. If you install the base molding tight to the concrete, you loose visually some of your molding and I wouldn't blame the carpet guys for dinging it up - you are forcing them to trim the carpet against the molding.

Jim

[cgallery]

Base first, then carpeting. Carpet installers are accustomed to doing it this way, it won't be a problem.

I would suggest carpeting w/ a soft backing, however. Otherwise, the hard backing on many carpets really does a job on the base. If painted, it scrapes the paint right off.

[messmaker]

I have been hearing about water resistant unlayment that is for basements. It picks the carpet and paddding up off the floor just a bit.It sounds like a good idea.

[68KANE]

I put ceramic tile and laiminated hardwood down in most of the basement due to concerns about water and because I like them better.
Jim

Ditto for the tile in the basement. We have double doors that lead out into our side yard (which is the lowest part of our yard) and were concerned about water coming in. We did put carpeting in another part of the basement but used some Legato carpet squares from Home Depot. They were easy to work with and had the padding already on them. With a slight shag pile to them, you can't see the seams.

[Thalermade]

Baseboard does have to go on first.

Call the carpet folks and ask what gap you should leave between the floor and the bottom of the baseboard.

It has been several years but I think my gap was 3/8.
I bought some 3/8 bar stock and cut it into several pieces to use as spacers under the baseboard when installing the baseboard.

Russ

[jaybee]

The last time I installed carpet in a new house [lo, these many decades ago ], the carpet was tucked under the gap left by the drywall - then the baseboard was installed to just almost clear the carpet. Made for a very tightly finished look.

[coach]

I worked trim molding for several years on new builds and remodels. If I had all the linear feet of base molding transformed into board feet of lumber; I'd be in wood for a life-time.

Quick answer, base goes on first.... even on a remodel. The gap should be 3/8" up from the floor. The carped installers will likely use tack-strips with cut nails to drive into the concrete. That strip will be just shy of the molding. The carpet will then be tucked under the molding.

The only time I've EVER laid the base after the flooring was when the order called for tile or hardwood, and the customer didn't want a quarter-round on the base molding. Otherwise, the trim is all in place before the paint crew ever arrives. That is well before the flooring crew.

[sparkeyjames]

If you install the base molding tight to the concrete, you loose visually some of your molding and I wouldn't blame the carpet guys for dinging it up - you are forcing them to trim the carpet against the molding.

Jim

I certainly would blame the carpet guys for dinging up the molding. If they are professionals your molding will be just as you put it in when they leave. Otherwise get a different carpet installer.

SparkeyJames

[phoneman697]

Thank you all for your replys. After discussing it with the wife, I think we are considering going with Laminate flooring. I was kind of hesitant with putting carpetting in the basement, eventhough ours is dry, I still worry about the moisture and mold issue. We've ordered several samples from Lumber Liquidators and iFloors.

68Kane, how do you like the Legato carpetting from HD? That is actually one of the carpetting types that we considered, especially because we could do it our selves.