Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - what would you do?

Hello all, long time reader first time poster, thanks for all of the useful info so far.

I'm about to install wood laminate flooring for the first time. Reading some of the threads of the past I still am not sure the correct answer. My question: Currently I have really nice base boards already installed, I'm lead to believe that I can
A.) Remove said baseboards then install the flooring, then replace them.
OR
B.) Leave them and install the quarter round to hide the gap left for expansion.

So what would you do?
Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the DIY forums clope :)

You can go either way but IMO...I would remove the baseboards...forget the quarter rounds. Looks a lot better that way. Trick is to remove it w/out damaging them and put them back on. ;)

I second the removal of the base boards. I'

m about to start thisproject and pondered the same thing. My reasoning (no that you asked fo rit :-) for not using the quarter round was that you need to make sure you nail the quarter rouds to the base board not the floor because the floar needs to 'float". Given that angle I KNOW I would bang the hammer against the new floor and ding it up or miss and dive th enail into the 1/4 inch gap. If you have a nail gun this wouldn't ba an issue, but I don't. PLUS, anyone who has installed this type of floor will come in and know you didn,t take the time to (very carefully mind you) remove the old molding and then put it back up.

On a plus side I'm going to take this oppertunity to spruce up the paint on my base boards and touch up where the paint on the wall meets the base boards - there is a few spot's it didn't come out too hot...

Don't use the 1/4 round. Everyone who knows flooring (including you) will know what you did. You'll be happier if you pull the baseboard and reinstall after the floor is in.

Thanks for your quick responses. I think I always knew the answer but was looking for a "magic" solution. So since I'm newly evolved from duct tape/silly putty remedies, can someone recommend the best way to remove a baseboard without breaking it? Is there a certain tool that works best? Sorry, I'm a new homeowner I've always lived in apartments this fix-it yourself stuff is both new and exciting.

Thanks

Not sure if there is anothher name for it - I have always called it a "pry-bar". Looks kinda like a crow-bar but MUCH smaller. Basically the same princepal as the back of a hammer.

You'r probably need a hammer as well - just be gental! Tiny taps to start off with.

They way I plan to do it, is to actually take of the molding on the side of my doors (just seems so much easier to put them all on the tabel say and cut the bottoms then use the hand saw). So I will start at the top of the side (if that makes ANY sense! LOL) so if I dent the wall or molding it wont be so obvious and take that off. That will give me access to the (cut) side of the molding that you can't see and I can start prying off from there - once started I plan to stay as close to than nails as possible and just go slow, being as carefull and gental as possible...

I like to start with a putty knife first - I often have trouble getting the pry bar in right away without dinging up the wall. I also like to use a small piece of thin plywood behind the pry bar so it doesn't actually touch the wall.

Some recommend driving the nail through the baseboard with a nail punch and then gently lifting off with pry bar.

Im presuming..(maybe not) that your existing baseboards are Not painted...and caulked along the top and at the corners.
If they are, then 1st you must score the caulking along the top..and at the 45degrees...(in/outside corners)...IF this should be your case.
If not, then forgo that task.
But I agree with the rest... Remove the moldings. May seem like a lot now...but SO much easier to install the floor.
Just be careful...and you may want to label where they came from..for future re-install.
Just my $.02 worth.

Great idea! Take a pencil and mark on the back of the baseboard where it was so it goes back in the same place. Dang, wish that had been my suggestion instead of jatco's.

Thanks for all of your insight, for the first time I feel like I have a handle on what needs to be done. Wish me luck.

I generally just # them and the wall (below the base line) were they came from, for easy re-install, then there's no doubt.

I just went through the same process that you are about to undertake and have a question for you.

What is currently on the floor?

I had carpeting on my floor. I removed all of the baseboards and replaced them with new ones and was not going to use shoe molding or 1/4 round. However, after installing the floor and the new baseboards, I noticed that the floor was far from level. This was not evident with the carpeting. There were some areas where the gap between the bottom of the baseboard and the top of the floor was about 1/8" to 3/16".

So, even though I went the correct route and removed the baseboards, I still had to install shoe molding to cover the gaps.

Currently it is a drywall mudstained concrete slab, with the occasional divot from removing the tack strip seems fairly level.

I know what you mean, jgido...
Often when I re-install, the depressions or unlevelness of the floor show up...so sometimes.. depending on how wide (tall) the base is and how long of a run, you can push the base down...closer to the 'new' floor and tack it into place there.
On a long run, it wouldnt be so obvious...and if you're painting the base, you can take up some of the 'visual' difference when (if) you caulk the top of the base.

jatco,

Unfortunately, all of my new 3 7/8" baseboards were stained prior to installation so there was no other choice but to install shoe moldings.