Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Expansion Gap to Large

Hello!
I am installing a Bruce Solid Hardwood floor. I started the job following the directions given by Bruce which called for the gap at te vertical to be 3/4 ".
The gap seemed to large for my liking so I called the company. The answer was that the instructions assume that the baseboard was removed.

Not knowing that... I kept the 3/4" gap between... the flooring and the existing baseboard. Short of ripping the floor up... can anyone suggest a fix? I do have 3/4 round moulding available... but it is the same size as the gap...

not certian what to do

Thanks!
Joe McGee:)

3/4" molding should cover the 3/4" expansion gap. The molding is attached to the baseboard.

twelvepole
I understand what you are saying. But with no clearance between the two, what do you do in the winter when the floor contracts? The way I see it, unless I find a fix, I'm looking at gaps.

Thanks For Your Advice
Joe McGee

Joe,
I hate to say it, but you have a problem. You are absolutely right that if you left a 3/4 gap to the existing baseboard, a 3/4 piece of 1/4 round will not work.

Is this a floating floor? Click together? I sure hope so, or it sounds like you'll either be ripping it up or looking for thicker baseboard.

Any sort of trim (like stop or screenmold) you put on to give you more thickness would look like crapola probably.

Yo! Gunnie!
I agree and have been thinking about a possible fix. So let me run this by you. Put a piece of 1 1/4 inch latice board into the gap. It is a 1/4 inch thick (so the gap becomes smaller). And will be about 1/8 inch lower than the moulding. The 1/8 inch gap between the moulding and baseboard could be filled with caulk or matching crack filler. It is 3/4 inch hardwood I'm laying down.

Your thoughts?

Thanks!
Joe McGee

Ehhhhhh.....maybe? Painted trim I hope? That might work, but I'd say you'll probably have to caulk, wait til its completely cured, then caulk again to fill the "divot", then paint.

Not the best way, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I'd maybe take a scrap or 2, tack em in the way you've described, then see how the boss (or GF or sister, or whoever) likes the look.

Oh, I did not realize you left a 3/4" vertical gap beneath baseboard. Larger quarter rounds are available.

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Thanks Guys!
I went ahead and tried the old fix. I put lattice board into the gap. That shortened the floor gap (from 3/4 to 5/8)... it also formed a gap between the moulding and the baseboard (about 1/8)...

Those areas that did not get a 3/4 inch gap (about 1/4 of the room... were given a 1/2 gap instead..

The moulding was installed puting the lattice board where it was needed and placing the moulding against the wall where it wasn't.

The result... it comes across as thought the wall was out rather than the floor... not only that but the difference is so slight that the wall gap is not noticed unless your on top of it.

Thanks!
Joe McGee:)

Glad it worked out! As long as you like it, thats what matters.