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Re: Baseboard Molding Transition

From: djhochhausen@shaw.ca
Category: Flooring
Remote Name: 24.70.95.203
Date: 23 Mar 2006
Time: 08:47 AM

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Question: I'm installing new baseboard molding after installing some laminate flooring. The floor levels are different between the kitchen floor, bathroom floor, and the living room. What is the best way to install baseboards when they run across different level floors? I have multiple instances where the baseboard would run across the kitchen and living room floor which are at least 1/2" - 3/4" apart in height. I do have a transition strip (reducer molding) that would run across the spot where the two floors meet....which can be stretched across to meet the walls on both sides....but, the area above the transition strip would not look very good without a baseboard if I terminate the baseboard on each end of the transition strip. If anyone can provide some insight into this it would be greatly appreciated. THANKS A LOT !!

Builders Websource® Answer: Our preference is always to achieve equal floor height between transition areas, such as hardwood and tile, or hardwood and laminate flooring. This requires raising the level of the lower floor with an underlayment of the right height. However, this is not always possible and is certainly more costly. If you're stuck with a minor offset between  two adjoining floors, you have two options as follows:

• If the differential height is a small fraction of the baseboard height (such as 1/2" for a 6" baseboard molding), you can trim (rip) the bottom of the baseboard molding on a table saw to accommodate the differential height. The result is that the top of the baseboard molding will be a level, continuous line across the transition. However, this means that all the baseboard moldings in your living room (and any directly adjoining room with no doors) will also require ripping to maintain a constant level. If it's one room, this is probably acceptable. If there is an adjoining room, such as a bathroom, it's OK to have different heights since there will be a door and casement molding creating a physical separation and a small height difference will not be noticeable.
   
• Alternatively, you can run the baseboard molding across the transition, leaving a 1/2" to 3"/4 gab in your kitchen (where the floor is lower). Then, you can find similar filler material of the same thickness of your molding and nail/glue into place. If you don't like the seam, you can use some quarter-round material in your kitchen to cover the gap. Where the quarter round meets the transition, you can bevel or chamfer the corner to give it an aesthetically pleasing termination. This chamfer is commonly done, for example, where a chair rail meets a window casement molding.

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