Installing Floor Trim Before Carpet

This will help prevent some of the minor scratches the edge of the carpet can cause before it is chiseled behind the tack strip.

Installing floor trim before carpet.

Remove your pencils and continue all the way down your wall. The trim will be installed on top. The molding should be installed after the floor covering and should be adjusted any time the flooring is changed. When installing baseboards before carpet ask the installer how large of a gap to leave between the floor and the trim e g.

They will need to be careful not to damage the baseboard when installing the tack strips. Cut the baseboard get your baseboard cut to the exact length of the space you ll be putting it. Keeping the base off the floor helps the carpet installers to tuck the perimeter. For most installers this is not a problem and can be done easily.

Baseboard is usually installed before the pad. Leave about a half inch at the bottom of the trim uncovered then remove it after the carpet is installed. My advise install the trim and doors first and stress to the carpet installers to be as careful as possible. Installing base molding before carpet is like installing window door casing before the window door.

3 8 is the maximum needed. Then touch up base if need be. When installing baseboard before carpet the easiest thing to do is to install it even with the bottom edge of the drywall as previously described. When installing the molding don t simply follow the flooring.

In some cases this will not be possible since. However consult with your installer to be sure they have no concerns. The pad is great to kneel on but the tack strips aren t. The pad is cut to fit against the tack strips.

You can also put a strip of 2 inch delicate work painter s tape on your trim before the carpet goes down. The carpet installer can run the tack strip up to the trim then roll excess carpet under the trim. If you do you ll likely end up with wavy uneven molding. Baseboard trim before or after carpet baseboard first set on 3 8 wood lath strips tack less set between 3 8 1 2 inch away padding brought up to tack less and carpet installed and stretched over tack less and tucked under base.

You don t need to leave any gaps.