I'm going to tear out the carpet in my bedrooms and install prefinished 3/4" oak flooring. Do I need to also remove the baseboard molding for this? I know I'm supposed to leave a gap between the wall and the molding but wasn't sure how much and if quarter round molding would cover it.

Thanks
Rut

 

What's the remaining subfloor in the bedroom and how much space do you have between it and the bottom of the baseboard?

 

It is 3/4" plywood subfloor. I'll have to measure the gap later between the subfloor and baseboard.

 

It's one of my pet peeves...not removing baseboards, the finished floor looks so much nicer when you use the wall as the expansion gap guide. I also think that shoe molding looks more polished than quarter round. It also make it easier to undercut the door casing and jambs. Otherwise, you need to partially undercut the baseboard so that you can hide the edges as you tuck under the casing. The baseboard when re-installed, will cover any previous marks on the wall as you will be higher by the thickness of the flooring.

You will also want to install the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists system. It is plywood and not OSB correct?

 

I'm just a DIY homeowner, so I don't have the in-depth expertise of some folks who will answer your questions here. I do however have personal experience with exactly what you're talking about, and it sort of amounts to "if you want it done right, do it yourself." Or at least a learning experience, regarding telling others how to do it right.

The first hardwood I had in my house was going to be a glue-down on concrete slab, where carpet had been. I had laminate install experience, but between the perceived trickiness of glue and some slab leveling issues, I decided to go with a pro. Turned out the highly-recommended installer showed up, estimated, and then brought some other guys with him on day one (he was on a union OT job, so his side business was sublet). That was the last I saw of him until the job was complete and he wanted his money. The farm-out crew did okay. They were pretty slow, but I was paying a flat rate and figured quality takes time. To my fault, it wasn't until a lot of glue was dry that I noticed the baseboard was still on. With limited product available, I didn't make them start over, and bought into their "this is the way everyone does it" story regarding trimming it out with quarter round. The overall job was good, and I honesty can say that the baseboard/quarter round look doesn't bother us. It is a beautiful floor. But there is a better way, and I have done it in every subsequent hard flooring install, all done be me. Pull the baseboards. Any nail gouges or other damages can easily be filled, generally allowing reuse. If not, buy new baseboard. It's a small budget item compared to an overall hardwood job. Sand if necessary, and repaint in the desired color before install. Keep paint for touch up after sealing edges, gaps and corners with silicone when in place. If the thickness of your baseboard is insufficient for the required expansion gap, undercut the drywall, for 1/2" to 5/8" of additional room. I've done it with a utility knife and a guide (1 x 2 board that's true or a long straight edge like a carpenter's level). If you're good with a sawzall, that works. An undercut or jamb saw can be picked up cheap on eBay or rented, for much faster and precise work.

Having it both ways in my house, I can honestly say don't think twice. Go to the effort and do it right. It's just your time, and not much of it in the big picture of flooring a whole room.