Baseboards are an essential part of your home decor and cannot be neglected in any way. Baseboards play an important part in a house as they can be affected by many factors, such as carpet installation, the floor getting wet, or dirt on the walls.
How high a baseboard should depend on the overall size of the room and the height of the floor ceiling. Taller baseboards create a modern yet elegant look in houses. Here’s the recommended height for the carpet baseboard.
The recommended height for a baseboard should be 1 inch above the floor. To be clear, it should be 7 percent of the overall room height. Supposing you have an 8-foot-long ceiling, your baseboard should be 3 to 5 inches high, which is a perfect height.
Your baseboard should have room for your carpet and padding both to settle down subtly and to tuck in the edges neatly. It should be at such a decent height that it will not be a problem for a professional to install a carpet and padding of any thickness, and the edges will still look good.
Do You Put Baseboard Down Before Or After Carpet?
To put baseboard down before or after the carpet is totally a personal choice. Some people want it to look neat, so they put the baseboard down before installing the carpet. However, some prefer placing their baseboard after the carpet installation.
It is always better to get a recommendation from your carpet installer to have a better idea about the size and height of the carpet and padding and also to avoid any inconvenience in the future. Let us see both scenarios to know when it is best to put down your baseboard, before or after carpet?
Baseboard Installation before Carpet
Installing a baseboard before carpet installation is comparatively easier to do. Before carpet installation, you can install it even with the bottom edge of the drywall, but it is not possible in all cases as not all homes have drywalls spaced just above the floor.
The best-recommended way is to take preference from the carpet manufacturer as to how much longer should be kept for carpet and padding to be installed. However, the ideal height is 1 inch or even a bit higher than that, depending on your floor ceiling height.
Putting down a baseboard before carpet installation is also ideal for preventing any damage to the baseboard from hammer strikes if you nail down tack stripes before setting up your baseboard. This way, if your baseboard needs any painting or nailing, you can do it without damaging your carpets. Because, of course, no one wants their brand new carpets to get paint stains or nail holes.
Also, you never want people to walk all over your new carpet while installing your baseboard. So, it is better to get your baseboard installed before your carpet.
Baseboard Installation after Carpet
Some people prefer putting down their baseboards after carpet installation because of the uneven baseboard that might appear if installed before a carpet. The majority of the houses in America have uneven floors. It is always better to take measurements every few steps to avoid any uneven measurement or installation of the baseboard.
One more way to avoid this issue is to place the baseboard snuggly on the carpet to avoid any unevenness. You should also nail the baseboard into the wall and not on the floor.
Does The Baseboard Go On Top Of The Carpet?
Yes, baseboards go right on top of carpets as there should be no gap left in between. Firstly, your carpet will not stay in place if the edges are not tucked in properly on the baseboard. Secondly, if any kind of flooding happens to the floor, the water may cause your carpet and the walls to rot because there’s no barrier between them. Thirdly, it will not give your home the aesthetic you’re looking for.
So, you need to avoid any gaps appearing between your baseboard and your carpet. A few remedies to fix these issues are:
- Apply Caulk
Carefully apply a thin line of caulk between your baseboard and the carpet. Then, stuff the carpet under the molding. Be careful while doing this, as you can stain your new carpet if not done with care.
- Use expanding foam.
You can use expanding foam to fill in the small gaps between the carpet flooring and the baseboard. Use enough foam till you fill all the gaps are filled. Then, tuck the carpet underneath to close the gaps.
- Add padding under the baseboards
You will need to use extra padding to fill in the gaps. For this, you will need to pull the carpet back a bit and tuck it again after adding the padding.
- Add additional molding
Add an additional layer of trim or molding on the pre-existing molding or baseboard to close the gaps.
- Adjust or replace the baseboard
The baseboard is often put up with such a margin to accommodate the carpet and the padding. So if there is a lot of gap in between, adjust or replace the baseboard.
Should Baseboards Be Raised For Carpet?
Baseboards should always be raised for carpets. There are 2 main reasons to do this. The first is to make room for the carpet and the padding to be installed and fitted underneath. The second is that if there were not any gaps between the baseboard and the floor, the drywall would pick up moisture from the floor in case of flooding of the floor or carpet.
In the other case, baseboards act like a shield to protect the walls from damage due to the floor. In order to avoid both of these situations, it is always best for the baseboards to be raised for the carpets.
Can A Carpet Be Installed Without Baseboards?
You can install a carpet without a baseboard. It is totally a person’s own choice to opt for carpet installation with or without a baseboard. However, your house will not look finished until you install baseboards above the carpet.
As the baseboard protects your walls from dust, debris, and flooding of the floor, it also gives a finished and neat look to your floor and walls.
We hope this guide was helpful for you in assessing how important a baseboard is for a carpet installation.
Sources:
homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-herb-garden-indoor-outdoor-13771633.html
