Hi, just finished sheetrocking, drop ceiling, electrical and plumbing, all the trim work is next... How high off basement cement floor should I install baseboard moulding? I plan on either putting carpet, or vinyl tile over floor after moulding and painting is done.. Alos, should I paint the walls, then install moulding or install moulding and then paint walls and moulding? Thanx for an help you can give me...

 

I pained the walls, then the baseboard and then installed the base board 3/4" up from the floor. (I think 3/4" anyhow) when we had carpet put in our basement the installers said that baseboard needed to be inplace befor they could install the carpet, we called around several places but could only get a "rough" idea for highth. Seems everyone said between 3/4 and 1 1/2".

Painting the baseboard before installing prevents having to tape the wall and visa versa. You then only have to touch up the area where nails are placed.

Brian

 

Some of it depends on the thickness of the pad and carpet that you plan. But most good carpet installers can work with a wide range of baseboard installations. I think anywhere between 3/8" and 3/4" would be typical. In my opinion, 1.5" would be too high. Best bet would be to select the carpet and pad, and then call your intended installer and ask how high he wants the baseboard. You can then use that thickness of shims between the subfloor and baseboard to keep the baseboard height even. A finish nailer makes the job a million times easier and faster. Rent one if necessary.

If you are going to put in vinyl flooring, then leave the baseboard off until the flooring is in.

I think painting the walls without the molding, and then painting the molding before installing it, is the way to go. It'll be easy later to do touch-up painting at the molding seams and filled nail holes.

Learn to make a cope joint.

 

John,

So glad you put this tip in your suggestion. "learn to make a cope joint" did a search for cope joint and discovered that even though I had no idea that I was doing it on the chair rail in my son's room I had actually made a cope joint. Was the only way I could think of making a 2" piece fit nicely. Found this link www.msbuilder.com/lib/ms081.shtml will have to practic, sound much easier and and better fitting then my technique (tracing the molding shape and the back side of another piece. Not a perfect fit but looks so much better then any of my other ideas.

Brian

p.s. my brain just kicked in a figured out what he was talking about on the site above. cool.

Brian