Install Moulding Before Carpet

A really thick shag carpet can make it difficult to judge how high to place the trim.

Install moulding before carpet.

Or you may be replacing the baseboards but leaving the carpet. The trimmer is not going to make a special trip back to install the base after carpet is installed. If you re in one of these situations follow these instructions to install the trim after the carpet. Install the carpet install the carpet all the way against the wall.

When installing baseboards before carpet ask the installer how large of a gap to leave between the floor and the trim e g. Fasten the molding with nails. For things like tile or hardwood you would want to give a to inch clearance for the installers to be able to put the flooring in and be able to slide the edges beneath the baseboards. This means that if the installation company needs to re stretch the carpet at a later date they may need to loosen some of the baseboards in order to pull the carpet up.

If you plan to install baseboard moulding before adding carpet it needs to be installed 1 inch above floor level to allow room for both pad and carpet. Oftentimes it is best to install the baseboards after the carpet is installed simply because of these tack strips. For most installers this is not a problem and can be done easily. This is because when installing the baseboards after carpet installation they tend to wedge the carpet in between the tack strips and baseboards like a vice.

Then touch up base if need be. Baseboard first set on 3 8 wood lath strips tack less set between 3 8 1 2 inch away padding brought up to tack less and carpet installed and stretched over tack less and tucked under base. If adding baseboards after carpet is laid it should be installed at the same height as without carpet. Measure the length of a wall adjacent to the finished wall.

The carpet installer can run the tack strip up to the trim then roll excess carpet under the trim. Baseboards are often installed before flooring since they must be finished in place with either stain or paint and this is much easier without worrying about staining the hardwood tile or carpet. You don t need to. However consult with your installer to be.