My partner and I just replaced our carpets with hardwood floors, and while going through the process with our contractor, we realized we forgot to discuss the baseboards. Now, our bedroom's baseboards look different from the rest of the house, and I'm wondering if that's a bad thing. They added some kind of extension, but I feel unsure about how it looks. Should the contractor have addressed this with us? Is there anything we can do to fix it? We've got a chat scheduled with the contractor tomorrow, and I'm feeling a bit stressed about it.
4 Answers
Sounds like a bit of lazy workmanship. They should’ve discussed the baseboards with you and ideally should have removed them during installation. But don’t worry too much; it can be fixed, and you'll get used to the new look over time!
It's definitely helpful to know for next time! A bit of planning can save you heartache later.
Honestly, it’s not a huge deal, and many people won't even notice the baseboards once the room is set up. Just take a moment to breathe and focus on how the room flows overall. Sometimes it’s all about perspective!
Right? You might find that the furniture or decor will draw eyes away from the baseboards anyway!
It sounds like they probably used shoe molding or quarter round to cover the gap. An alternative would have been to remove the baseboards completely, install the flooring up to the wall, and then reattach the baseboards. If you're not happy, you can always paint the shoe molding to match either the floor or the baseboards! The important thing is to keep those gaps for floor expansion, or you might face buckling down the line.
Yeah, you have to allow for expansion. Otherwise, you risk damage, so those gaps are a must!
Exactly! If you decide to go with shoe molding, it can definitely be painted ahead of time to make the installation smoother.
No need to stress! Your contractor may not have assumed that you wanted to change the baseboards since they are a separate project from the flooring. You can hire a carpenter to install new baseboards if you'd like, and if you're planning to paint them, consider wood that’s easy to paint on or already comes pre-painted.
For sure! It could be a hassle to remove the baseboards, especially if they're older, but just keep in mind that some are easier to take off than others.