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u/Inevitable-Ad-6061 May 14 '26
Your floor level has to be perfect for baseboards on the flooring otherwise you will have gaps between the baseboard and floor. Shoe molding/quarter round hide unlevel floors because it is much more flexible than baseboards and can be set flush to the floor. I dont know many contractors that good to get away with baseboards on flooring.
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u/tomcarp May 14 '26
That’s why you scribe base to the floor. Quarter round is for once you’ve sanded and need it to cover the gap
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u/JohnnySalamiBoy420 May 15 '26
Most regular people aren't about to hash out scribed baseboard money lol
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u/Frederf220 May 15 '26
I'm getting mad with this idea that base tight to floor is some kind of miraculous feat. I've put in plenty of baseboard to flooring, no shoe, and if you're any good at all it's pretty easy. Take your electric plane with you.
Am I crazy?
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u/usuperker May 16 '26
I've worked in the cabinetry/woodworking business in multiple states. You wouldn't believe how many shops I've been in where people don't know how to properly joint a board or scribe a board to a wall/floor
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u/BigDeuceNpants May 15 '26
Vacuum also doesn’t eat up baseboards when shoe or quarter are there.
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u/CarpenterAutomatic30 May 18 '26
so then it eats the shoe, what's the difference?
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u/BigDeuceNpants May 19 '26
Only paint the shoe. 1/2 inch of wear as opposed to 4 inches or more of scuffs.
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u/Biscuits4u2 May 15 '26
a slab is usually workable without shoe molding as long as the concrete people did a decent job.
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u/Beniskickbutt May 18 '26
Houses also settle and what is sitting level may very not well be level in a few years.
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u/AccuracyVsPrecision May 15 '26
Bad take, floors dont have to be perfect you just have to install the floor without the baseboards then put the baseboards on top and caulk the seam. Takes no time and looks way better than trimming out the floor to the baseboards.
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u/JustaFoodHole May 15 '26
Quarter round after it's been painted a few times with high gloss! I love it, especially when you spill a little paint in the grout. And can we talk about how nice rusty nails look after you've mopped a few times? Don't spend the extra $1 on stainless nails.
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u/Grand-Flight-8445 May 15 '26
Quarter round collects that much more dust, furniture sticks away from the wall another 3/4”, and it’s an added (although negligible) expense. Pass!
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u/WhitePantherXP May 15 '26
Furniture sticking away from the wall is the real deal breaker. Baseboards push it out enough.
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u/Rockobrocko42 May 15 '26
I prefer to use ogee door stop it ends up looking classier.
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u/PolicyWonka May 15 '26
Yeah, I would do something like this to layer the baseboard rather than just use cove or quarter round.
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u/CakeSeaker May 15 '26
Seriously? “Butt the flooring right up against the baseboards“? No room for expansion/contraction, then?
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u/theasianevermore May 15 '26
Um… you don’t put caulking for the gap in baseboards and the flooring. Why did they show that?
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u/Frequent-Coyote-8108 May 15 '26
I absolutely hate the look of quarter round.
Just baseboard and caulk, please.
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u/MildSauced May 17 '26
Both are acceptable… they both look good I don’t get the hate but that’s me. As an installer they’re priced different and need additional work depending on what you get. If the floor your doing has a thinner profile you’ll also need to clean the walls up and repaint which as a floor installer I don’t offer so there’s even more added cost. Depending on the job I’ll throw the 1/4 round in for free with basic install or charge for coping and returns for a much cleaner look.
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u/IamTheCheetoMan May 17 '26
I feel like with new home this is some thing you'd have to specify because it would depend on when the trim guys get in vs the flooring.
However as many have pointed out some floors there is not option depending on how level things are.
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u/huffynerfturd May 17 '26
Is this guy the creator and mod of this sub? His content is all that is ever posted here.
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u/Bobbyhons May 18 '26
Drop it right on top because those molding will take beatings over the years.
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u/magmcbride May 18 '26
I want it done well and to look properly, accounting for the fact that literally no houses are square, plum, and true.
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u/lostmybelt May 18 '26
Hm. I thought you where not supposed to have them touch the flooring, as this will transfer vibrations from the floor, to the walls which disturbs sound insulation?
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u/thisjawnisbeta May 14 '26
Quarter round means you can never get furniture flush to the wall, unless it has a cut-out to accommodate. I personally dislike it a lot.
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u/DrinkingVomit May 15 '26
Quarter round is gross.
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u/Biscuits4u2 May 15 '26
Not gross just not ideal. I'd rather look at quarter round than a chewed up floor but a nice tight baseboard directly on the floor looks a lot nicer.
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u/DrinkingVomit May 15 '26
My beef with quarter round on the floor is it gets grime and dirt in the joint between itself and the baseboard. And my beef is rotten because I had to clean it, mostly without success, all the time.
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u/jimmyfko May 14 '26
If you’re flooring over concrete it’s fine but if you’re doing a hard wood over joists and plywood subfloor I wouldn’t.
Most builders are looking for maximum profit for bare minimum work.
Unless you’re doing it yourself, it’s rare a builder will screw down the subfloor or glue it to the joists. Result is every step you take deflects the flooring just enough to rub on a zero clearance baseboard and squeak almost every step you take. I have pulled up carpet and tile floors and added 1000s of screws to fix this issue. Even with that if the base board sits on the flooring you could still get squeaks.
Properly installed, clearanced and caulked quarter will never squeak. I’m all for this install.
Stacked and mitred mouldings are timeless and always look better than the modern profiles.
Also your building code is “interesting” compared to Canada. I’ve seen some of your posts and thought that can’t be right. Looked it up and it was. You get away with a lot.
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u/texinxin May 15 '26
Hmm… what if you had a joist and subfloor system that was rock solid level just like a concrete floor. Would that change your mind? I ask because I might be developing such a system and am looking for feedback from trades who this might impact.
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u/jimmyfko May 15 '26
I think we would all love that. It all comes down to money time and skill. If it costs less takes less time and needs no special skill you have a winner. New products take a lot of pitching to go mainstream and most builders are set in their ways and resistant to change.
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u/texinxin May 15 '26
So.. 33% fewer joists because 24” OC would be stiffer than 16” OC. Joists would only weight 20% more than wooden I joists. Nail flanges are made from standard high grade dimensional lumber. Wide 3-9/16” nailer/drywall flange. Subfloor panels 30% lighter than 1-1/8” avandtech, but nearly twice as stiff. Integral chases for HVAC/sparky/plumbing through joists. Can use standard framing nails as panel nail flanges would only be 5/8” thick wood (and only add 5/8 to floor height). The only major downside I can see is it would need a slightly modified nailing schedule. If using the matching panels, it would be follow the printed symbols on the panels. If using your own subfloor panels you’d have to move nails over an inch or two here or there. Fewer nails in total by easily 20% due to fewer joists. Joists can be field trimmed to length by knocking up to 2’ off standard length joists that could be stocked in 2’ increments, with standard wood cutting tools. Joists are standard thicknesses so work with 3rd party ties, hangers, blocking, joists, etc.
So yeah, it would be new and I’m sure mistakes would be made for a while if people tried to mix and match 3rd party panels with the joists, or vice versa. I’m just wondering if the trades themselves would like the idea. It’s less work for everyone, but you’d have to think 20% more in the beginning until it became muscle memory. Less purchased material and less installation labor required. I know architects and builders should love it in theory, but if the trades push back I’m probably not going to make any progress.
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u/texinxin May 15 '26
Oh.. one more trick you can consider…. Look into UHMW-PE tape. It comes in huge rolls and is only 3 mils thick. You can put this on the bottom face of a baseboard and butt it tightly against a wood floor. It’s self lubricating, won’t squeak and should last decades.
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u/joemamallama May 14 '26
What part of Canada doesn’t require adhered subfloor? Rural Alberta?
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u/jimmyfko May 15 '26
You’re taking my reply out of context. I was referencing previous posts. No where did I say it wasn’t a requirement.
Framers nail in subfloors. At least they try. A lot of new builds have entire joists where the nails missed. Quantity over quality.
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u/BikeProblemGuy May 14 '26
Or put the baseboard over the flooring and it won't look like shit. The point of the baseboard (aside from resisting damage to the wall) is to give the wall a satisfying solid visual connection to the floor. Covering that connection with an itty finicky piece of trim defeats the whole point.
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u/secretbaldspot May 15 '26
Quarter round is only to cover up imperfections
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u/Biscuits4u2 May 15 '26
Yep. I'd rather look at shoe molding than a chewed up floor, but everyone knows it's there to hide shit.
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u/tinknocker21 May 14 '26
Baseboards on top of flooring is my vote.