Vinyl Plank (LVP) Installation
Luxury vinyl plank installed from tear-out to the last row: removal, slab prep, planks supplied and laid.
Finishing details
Baseboard & Trim Installation in Orlando, FL
The edges that make a new floor look finished.
KPC Flooring installs baseboards, quarter round and crown molding in Orlando and nearby cities, most often alongside a new floor.
- Pulled and reset
- Quarter round and shoe
- Crown molding
Why trim is part of a flooring job
Floating floors are installed with a small gap at every wall so they can expand and contract. Something has to cover that gap, and that something is trim. It also hides the ragged bottom edge of drywall and protects the wall from vacuum bumps and scuffing shoes.
Because floor and trim meet along every wall, it makes sense to plan them together. A new floor next to chipped, sagging or mismatched baseboards still looks unfinished.
Keep, add or replace?
There are three common ways to finish the edge of a new floor.
| Option | What it means | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Leave baseboards, add quarter round | Baseboards stay; a small molding covers the gap at the floor | Baseboards are in good shape and the height works |
| Remove and reinstall | Baseboards come off before the floor and go back on after | You like the existing trim and it comes off intact |
| Replace | Old baseboards pulled and new ones nailed up | Trim is damaged, dated or the wrong height for the new floor |
Quarter round and shoe molding
Quarter round is a small molding with a rounded profile; shoe molding is a slimmer, more upright version of the same idea. Both run along the foot of the baseboard and cover the expansion gap without pulling the baseboards off. They're especially useful when the floor level rises, as with vinyl plank over tile.
Baseboard heights, profiles and materials
Many builder-grade homes have short, plain baseboards around three inches tall. Swapping to a taller board, five inches or more, is one of the simplest ways to make a room with a new floor look more finished. Profiles range from flat and square-edged, which suits modern rooms, to colonial and ogee shapes with curves along the top.
Most baseboard today is MDF or finger-jointed pine: both are stable, straight and less costly than solid hardwood. Near exterior doors, or anywhere that gets mopped often, PVC or composite trim is worth considering because it won't swell if water reaches it. Taller profiles also cover more of the drywall edge, which helps where an old floor left marks on the wall.
Crown molding
Crown molding runs where the wall meets the ceiling. It isn't tied to the floor the way baseboards are, but homeowners often add it in the same project once the rooms are being redone. Tell us which rooms you have in mind when you call, and we'll look at them during the visit.
How trim fits into the flooring schedule
Trim comes off at the start and goes back at the end.
Decide what stays
Together we decide whether baseboards stay, come off and go back, or get replaced.
Pull before the floor
Baseboards being reused are pried off carefully before the old floor is taken out.
Install the new floor
Vinyl plank, hardwood or laminate goes in with the right gap at the walls.
Trim goes on
Baseboards, quarter round or shoe molding are nailed along the walls, with corners coped or mitered, and doorways get their transitions.
Baseboard and trim questions
Do baseboards have to come off to install a new floor?
Not always. If the baseboards are in good shape and the height works, they can stay and quarter round covers the gap. For a cleaner look, or when the floor rises, they come off and go back on, or new ones go in.
Can you reuse my existing baseboards?
Often, if they come off without splitting. Older or brittle trim sometimes cracks during removal, so we'll tell you how likely that is before work starts.
What's the difference between quarter round and shoe molding?
Both cover the gap between the floor and the baseboard. Quarter round has a fuller, rounded profile; shoe molding is slimmer and lower. Which looks better depends on the baseboard height and the room.
Why do new floors need quarter round or baseboards at all?
Floating floors need a small expansion gap at every wall. Trim covers that gap and the bottom edge of the drywall, which is never perfectly straight.
How tall should new baseboards be?
It depends on ceiling height and style. Three-inch boards are common in builder-grade homes; five inches or taller looks more substantial in most living areas. We can hold up options against your wall.
My walls aren't straight. Will the trim show gaps?
Drywall is rarely perfectly flat, and floors dip in places. Baseboard is pressed tight to the wall as it's nailed, and inside corners are coped so the joint stays closed if the wall bows.
Do you install crown molding?
Yes. It's often added while rooms are being redone. Let us know which rooms when you call.
Can I order baseboards without new flooring?
Most of our trim work is done together with a floor. If you only need trim, call (407) 427-8271 and describe the rooms, and we'll tell you whether it's something we can take on.
What affects the cost of baseboards and trim?
The total length of wall, the profile and material, the number of corners and door openings, and whether old trim is reused or replaced. It's priced as part of your flooring quote during a free in-home estimate.
What happens at door casings and between rooms?
Where trim ends at a door casing, or the floor changes from one room to the next, the transitions and trim layout are planned together so the edges line up.
Have a question that is not answered here? Call and ask — se habla español.
Call (407) 427-8271Finish your new floor properly
Call (407) 427-8271 and ask us to include baseboards and molding in your quote.