Should Quarter Round Match the laminate floor or the baseboard?

17 years ago

Hi,

We are looking at putting laminate flooring in our house in the bedrooms, family room, dining room and hallway. We have offwhite baseboard in all rooms. I was wondering what color the quarter round usually is.... does it typically match the color of the laminate flooring or should it match the baseboard?

Thanks!

Carrie

Featured Answer

miss_marble

17 years ago

Quarter-round should match the floor.

Meg, the best floor layers take the baseboard off and put the wood (or laminate) closer to the wall (not all the way though, as there has to be space for it to expand and contract) and then they put the baseboard back on, thus the baseboard itself covers the raw edge of the flooring and there's no need for quarter-round. Or so I'm told by my designer and several floor guys. My house has quarter round because the builder did it that way.

The only thing about the quarter round matching the floor, is that it eats into the height of the different colored baseboard, and we know that big baseboard is in. The one in the picture is beautiful, nice and high, and looks great with the quarter round. Now mine is very short (buidler grade) and really needs to be replaced by the kind in the picture!

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Comments (7)

meg711
17 years ago
Our builder put in quarter round that matches the hardwood floors, not the white floor molding. I do remember a discussion on this board or the kitchen board a while back in which people said that they prefer no quarter round but I didn't really understand it. Maybe quarter round is out of style?
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meg711
17 years ago
miss marble,

Thanks for the information and the nice comments. I guess I didn't need quarter-round either because the hardwood floors were one of the first things in the house. (It's new construction.) They put the floors in, close to the walls, and then they put up the baseboard--because that's what this builder does. So go figure. I didn't know enough to even question it, or know that they were going to use quarter round.
terriolsen2
17 years ago
Meg, I love your flooring -- it's hardwood, right? Who makes it and what color is that? thanks!
meg711
17 years ago
Thanks Terri! Unfortunately I don't know much about it except that it's 4" quarter-sawn oak. The stain is natural but with some nutmeg added so that there would be contrast with our cabinets. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

I used to know a Terri Olsen. Did you by any chance go to college in LA? (I know; it's not an uncommon name, and neither is mine.)
carrieob
Original Author
17 years ago
Thank you for the responses! Meg - Your wood flooring looks great! We also have a very large baseboard and I didn't think it sounded right when the installer guy said that he would put in a white colored quarter round and then we could paint it to match the baseboard (off-white). I think it would look odd.... but he also said he didn't have any quarter round available that matches the flooring we like!! My husband said that he could take off the baseboard but that it might break so that we don't have to use any quarter round... But that's another huge project in and of itself! Especially if the baseboard breaks and it has to all be repurchased and repainted. We are putting laminates in all of our bedrooms, living room and dining room, so this is a LARGE project. Maybe I need to find a different installer who actually has the quarter round to match the flooring??

Thanks again everyone!
Carrie
Buehl
16 years ago
Meg, if you're still around, what is the height of your baseboard?

(I know, it's been a year since this thread petered out, but I'm hoping Meg is still around!)