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.
Installing laminate flooring without removing baseboard.
The main purpose of baseboards is to hide the gap between the floor covering and the wall but over the years they can become so much.
How to install click laminate flooring without removing baseboards.
Be sure not to caulk baseboard to floor.
The following is a guest post from an esteemed diy er at this point professional diy er on a tough subject.
How to install hardwood floor without removing the baseboard.
Caulk top of baseboard to wall with clear caulk.
Sand and paint baseboard.
Is it necessary to remove baseboards when installing hardwood flooring.
It will be a mess 9.
Installing hardwood floors without removing the baseboards is possible and it s a suitable option for other types of flooring as well.
Removing the baseboard so you can reinstall it after the new flooring is installed is one way to save some money.
The other option would be to install quarter round on the existing baseboard to cover the gap between the laminate or hardwood flooring.
If your baseboards have been glued to the wall and would cause damage if you tried to remove them it may be best to leave them.
It is not absolutely necessary to remove baseboards to install new hardwoods but remember that wood floors require an expansion gap of 1 2 inch along the surrounding walls to accommodate expansion and contraction with changes in moisture and humidity.
5 finish the first course of laminate by custom fitting the last piece.
Install underlayment and flooring.