Do baseboards go on before or after installing engineered hardwood flooring?

Question

My floor installer says after, my baseboard/painter says before. The floor is cement and not necessarily even. Which should I do???

Answer 1

baseboards last. most engineered flooring is floating these days. that means you will have a gap between the floor and the wall so the flooring can expand and contract with temp & humidity fluctuations. the baseboards need to cover that gap.
its usually nice to paint the baseboards ahead of time, then install them, then do another touch up coat after youve puttied the nail holes.

Answer 2

The problem with installing baseboards first is that you don't know the exact height they should be to sit flush with the floor. And they don't cut the ends of the floorboards exactly even. So, they can't just butt the floor ends up to the baseboard if it's too low. In fact, if you already have baseboards installed in a room where they are putting the flooring in, one method of trimming up the edge of the flooring is to install a 1/4-inch round moulding that gets attached to the existing baseboard. Maybe that's what your painter has in mind.

If you have the baseboards off now, do the floor first and then the baseboards. But, do paint them before they are cut and installed. That way all you have to do is caulk the cracks and gaps, fill in the nail holes, and do touch-up painting to complete the job.

Answer 3

We just had a new home built with engineered hardwoods and the baseboards went on after with a hardwood detail board as well. Go with your floor installer.

Answer 4

the flooring guys are correct.......
this applies only if the baseboards are already off.....
if the baseboards are put in last this will save you money because if they are put in first you will have to put in quarter round molding to fill in the gaps........
your painter carpenter may be saying this just as a way to make you have to pay more money...........

Answer 5

after. you want them to sit on top of the floor.