Proper height of Baseboard

[sid]

Getting ready to have carpet installed and I want to know the proper height to install the baseboard from the floor (Short shag or berber). I have seen this question posted before, but I don't believe a definitive answer was given.

The best advice the other articles gave was to ask the carpet installer. We had the sales guy here the other day to measure up the floor space, and I ask what height he would recommend. But he really didn't have an answer. He pointed to the wallboard that I left up 1/2" from the floor and stated that that would be plenty.

I thought that the industry would have a standard ?

Thanks

[dpb]

Absolutely no standard -- the width of the baseboard could be anywhere from ~3" to 8" or even more in older, high-ceilinged rooms.

The question to ask is how thick is the carpet and the underpad and how much do you want to show of whatever is your baseboard. From that, pick a height.

But, as a general rule, I always used 1/2" ply as a spacer block for typical new construction, adjusting only for the unusual circumstance.

--

[sid]

My plan is not do anything outside of the norm, just some short shag or berber with typical pad used in a basement.

I assume the installer will use a nail gun to install the tack strips.

[Gordon Shumway]

Why would you want to install the base trim off the floor? That would increase the difficulty of the trim installation for no reason.

Most homes have base moulding installed on the floor (underlayment) for all carpeted rooms. Any rooms using something other than carpet such as hardwood, tile or sheet goods would be installed before the base moulding. The base moulding would then be ripped to a width that will line up with the height of the moulding in the carpeted rooms.

[krw]

I wouldn't think so. The tacks (nails) are part of the strip. Some will do a real number on baseboard with their kickers, too. Be prepared to touch them up.

[Oren]

I bet a nickel the installer uses a hammer for the tack strips.

[LSMFT]

Use your head. You want air flow across the floor and up through the baseboard. More space is better than less.

[Robert Neville]

In a production house, base molding is frequently installed before the final flooring (carpet, wood, tile). This lets the painters come in a spray the walls and ceiling without having to protect the floor. You don't have to install the base trim this way, but it means the trim has to be painted separately, and you have to touch up all the seams.

You can install carpet flush with the base trim, but it makes stretching very hard, means the edges have to be perfectly cut and makes the base trim look short. Far better to use the gap under the base trim to hide the edge and allow for stretching..

Ripping molding to match height? Only if the cost of labor is not a concern.

[aemeijers]

Best method is to install it after the carpet, and do whatever looks right, IMHO. If you are afraid of paint on the carpet, 1/2" will work. If there is a visible gap, you can always add shoe mold.

[Micajah]

Typically, we would cut pieces of scrap baseboard and use them to hold the actual baseboard off the floor when we'd nail it in place. That would place it at 1/2" off the floor, typically and that's sufficient for about any carpet. The pad is laid to about the tackless strip, so all that fits under the baseboard is the edge of the carpet, and that can be compressed..

Micajah

[Gordon Shumway]

I hadn't considered the production techniques of some of todays houses. I was talking about the way our house was built about 40 years ago. The painters did come in and paint the interior prior to any base moulding and casing installation. All of our trim is stained not painted.

Our trim is installed directly on the subfloor for the carpeted rooms. The carpet installers have never mentioned any additional difficulty with our house compared to any other house.

I would think the added time to rip the trim to match the height wouldn't be as long as one would take for a cigarette break. If it took longer than that I would consider getting someone that knew what they were doing.

[Gordon Shumway]

Please explain how you get air flow up through the baseboard.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Personally, I don't see the correlation between the carpet and the baseboard. The baseboard is a trim to make pretty between the wall and the floor. If you want to add carpet, fine, but if you take the carpet away, anything but close to the floor looks like crap.

The industry standard is to do a good job of trimming, little or no gap.

[LSMFT]

Heat rises when the thing is hot thus drawing in cold air from the bottom. You should know that.

[aemeijers]

OP is talking about the wood moulding on the base of the wall, not the flippin' radiators, y'all. Suggest you sort 'by subject' and read the first 2-3 posts of a thread before you comment.

-- aem sends...

[DanG]

BS. Base is normally raised off the floor. This makes life better for the carpet layer and allows more of the base to show. My age is showing now, but we used to use 3/4 back in the days of red and black shag. With heavy padding I would imagine it would still work just fine.

[RicodJour]

You mean like the guy's doing it on time and materials and his next job just got delayed? ;)

Unless there are architectural detail and alignment issues it makes more sense to just raise all of the baseboard up 3/8", no?

R

[Gordon Shumway]

I am aware that hot air rises. Any fifth grader would know that. What you haven't explained is how it goes "up through the baseboard."

Explain that.

[Jerry - OHIO]

I think he ment if you hold it up there will be an air gap cause the backs of base has an air gap. And the base between nails won't be tight, unless you space the nails every 2".Walls agen't straight at the seams of the dry wall. Jr.

[Steve Barker]

or "across the floor". Here in Kansas, we call that a draft, and it is undesirable.