Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Removing Baseboards to install Laminate?

I have been reading a lot of the posts. I appreciate all the shared knowledge in this forum.

I am planning to install Dupont Real Touch Elite laminate. It looks to me to be of good quality. Anyone have any experience with this product?

I would much rather remove the baseboards to install, instead of adding quarter round. One area I plan to put laminate is in the foyer which now has carpet. If I remove the bb's, will they have to be replaced higher on the wall than they currently are? If so, my mitered corners won't match, and I don't want to remove more base than necessary. Any comments or suggestions?

Where the foyer joins the Great room, there is a 5ft opening. I know about the transition strips, but the Dupont matching trans peices only come in 47" length. What is the best way to deal with this?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

Well you kinda figured it out already. You either remove enough so your corners meet, or you have a weird looking corner, or you leave the base alone and add 1/4 round.

You can special order longer transitions. Home Depot & Lowe's only carry the short doorway transitions, in stock.

Thanks for the reply CDW. I have another question.

What do most do in the kitchen, at the dishwasher?

I have heard some prefer to take the dishwasher out and lay the laminate under it, or some say to just raise the bottom panel and slide some under the front.

Under the cabinets I currently have cove base...Is that common to put back with laminate?

I would personally install the flooring under the washer, and hopefully it NEVER leaks.

Cove base is...ugly in my opinion...seems more commercial. You can get some wooden kick plates to install there instead.

I would personally install the flooring under the washer, and hopefully it NEVER leaks.

Cove base is...ugly in my opinion...seems more commercial. You can get some wooden kick plates to install there instead.


I agree that the wooden kick plates look nicer, but then what? Add more quarter round to cover the gap for the laminate?

No, install the kick plate over the laminate. Should be thick enough to cover it. You only need about a 1/4" gap.

Thanks HotinOKC!

I will be sure to check in to the wood kick plates..I didn't realize they were 1/4" thick.

Do you have any experience, or opinion of the Dupont Real Touch Elite laminate? I brought some sample boards home of the Dupont, Pergo, and Bruce. The Pergo scratched pretty easily, and the Dupont seems to be about the most scratch resistant, and looks/feels more like real wood.