Baseboards and carpet

[snjnanc4]

I plan on having someone installing carpet in my basement. I'm hearing different opinions that the baseboard should be about 1/2 off the ground. Mine is all the way to to the ground. I'm getting different answers. Does it matter that mine is all the way to the ground and will it look bad or wear faster?

Thanks!

[LazyPup]

When properly installed the baseboards are left 1/2" high in carpeted areas so when the carpet is laid the end of the carpet is tucked under the baseboard. That not only conceals the cut edge of the carpet, but it aids in keeping the edge of the carpet down tightly on the tackless strip to hold it in place.

When the baseboards are down tight against the floor it will dramatically increase the labor time to install the carpet as the edge cuts must be made exact with no margin of error which would normally be concealed under the baseboard. It also makes it difficult to keep the carpet properly locked into the tackless strips.

[kactuskid]

It's also a good idea to install it off the ground floor to keep the wood from wicking up any moisture from the concrete floor.

[snjnanc4]

So do you recommend that I remove the baseboards and put them 1/2 inch off the ground? Is it really worth doing all that?

[LazyPup]

There are some advantages to having the baseboards elevated as I pointed out, but given that the baseboard is already installed I definitely would not go to the bother of moving them.

[Terry Cousins]

The first thing you need to know is that a good carpet fitter can cut and trim any carpet material tight to any shape of wall.

Here in the UK the skirting (baseboard) is almost always fitted tight to the floor. The only exception I came across was when I worked on a hotel development for a well known tight fisted contractor who demanded that all the skirting had to be fitted ¾" off the floor.

His reasoning had a certain logic to it: why should he fork out for a 6" skirting (and lose a percentage of depth when the carpet butted up to it), when a raised 5" skirting would not only perform the same task but cost less as well*

*As a footnote I can tell you that all the carpet fitters condemned it to a man!!

Terry


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