Question about quarter round on baseboards on tiled floor.

16 years ago

Ok, my downstairs will all be laminate with standard baseboards and quarterround. But there is the entryway, hall, bath, laundry that will be slate tile- someday hopefully sooner than later. I will be using the baseboards and also the quarterround to complete the look. Currently there is carpet and old laminate in this area.

DH says I have to remove the baseboard to install the tile. But the tile is a little higher than the laminate so when the two rooms join the baseboards will not match- No, I will not raise all the other boards to match up to this, huge waste of time and material. I was told to install the tile right up to the baseboards and simply install the quarter round. Just making sure this is right way to do it. Right or wrong???

Then onto the master bath. Entire upstairs is carpet. We want to tile only the masterbath which has an open entrance off the master bedroom. There are baseboards in masterbed and bath. If I put tile in bath should I remove the baseboards in bath area and reinstall on top of new tile or should I put tile just up to baseboards and put quarterround down. My other question is this, is it going to be weird to have quarterround in bath area but not in carpeted part of bedroom? We like look of the quarterround so we would like to use it if possible. I can end the quarterround at the entrance area very nicely. I will be using flat porcelain tile for this room.

So I have some pretty easy questions here, hope you all can help.

By the way, I just tiled my hearth with granite and although it looks amazing it is probably one of my least favorite DIY things to do. I think the uneven slate will be much more fun as it is more forgiving than flat granite.

Featured Answer

green-zeus

16 years ago

When you have baseboards that don't match up because of the height of different floor treatments, use a transition block on the wall. If you are a pretty good woodworker, you can make your own but you can also buy them.

Comments (8)

jerry_t
16 years ago
If you have standard 3 1/4" base I think it works better to raise them anyway so they don't look too short. Instead of using quarter round, a base shoe profile looks neater imo.
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Shannon01
Original Author
16 years ago
I appreciate the replies. I think I may have mislead you though. My baseboards are already raised off the floor as the laminate that is already there is under it. When I lay the tile the tile will be same height as prior laminate. So I can slide tile under the baseboard or I can have it just come up to it (in case tile is a smidge higher than bottom edge of baseboard). My question really is, does it matter whether the tile is under the baseboard or next to it?

Then of course I still have the question about the bathroom. If I have quarterround in bath, do I just end it at the enterance to bedroom? Because the bedroom is carpet and only has baseboards. Wonder if this would look funny or is it supposed to be like that?
jerry_t
16 years ago
The tile does not need to extend under the baseboard. It's an either or there.

Stop the quarter round by using an end return (cut 2-45's) glued up instead of just leaving a bare end. That will give you a finished end.
buzzoo7
16 years ago
Tile of any kind needs 1/4-inch at the walls for expansion (believe it or not). It doesn't matter if you cover it with base or baseshoe or 1/4-round. Jerryt's end cap suggestion is a good way to finish off the ends. Often it's hard to get base to follow the contour of the finished floor since often they go up and down slighty in an area or two. The baseshoe or 1/4-round will bend easily to follow. You just have to consider whether the thickness of tile+substrate will be high enough to cover so much of the base that it is too short/funny looking when it's finished. If so you may want to pull it off and put it higher. As for slate installation- in my area the rate for slate installation is about twice that of regular tile and for good reason. While slate is rough in surface, the difference in edge thickness can make for an ugly transition frome tile to tile and a real tripper on top of that. Then there is a need to seal it very well before you can grout. And even the it's still a lot of work to get it clean of grout because of all the grooves and pockets that the grout wnats to stick in. Just a caution.
Shannon01
Original Author
16 years ago
Buzzoo7 I really appreciate your advice and I totally agree. We found the slate we liked but like you said, each pc is thicker or thinner than the last. But then we found a special purchase at HD that already comes with grout release and the thickness of tile is consistent. We will layout tiles and put any odd pcs on the edges as the ones that need cutting down. This will keep the tripping to a minimal. After installing granite on my hearth and fireplace surround, I see why they charge so much. This is probably my most frustrating DIY ever. I did get great advice to use one of those "frosting" bags to lay the grout to limit the mess. I hate cleanup.

So it sounds like I can lay the tile and bring it just to the baseboard bottom edge, then add the quarterround. Other postings suggest caulking. So should I get caulk the color of my grout and squirt a little between the quarter round and the tile??? I know they say to do this in bath and laundryroom so I guess it would then be continued down the hall too????

Thanks all.
buzzoo7
16 years ago
Using a grout bag for slate is a great way to go. Putting the caulking uder the quarter round is always a good idea since it seals the edge to keep liquids from getting into the areas under the base. Slate is rough enough that no matter what you do there will be small gaps under the quarter round and the caulking will also help to make it look better. I hope all goes well.
Shannon01
Original Author
16 years ago
I just realized that I am always ten steps ahead. I guess that it good because when I actually get to the project I have all my ducks in a row. I am currently laying the tile on my hearth and surround. But that leads to redoing the floors because we ripped up the existing hearth which disrupted existing floor, but we never liked it anyway so out it goes! I have done laminate before so I have that down. I did not have to do tile in prior house so this is new. This is probably the only DIY that we have not done before, literally we have done everything one can do to a house except build it by from the ground up. Maybe that will be the next house??? Nooooooo!

What color caulk would you suggest. The baseboards are white and so is quarterround. The tile is slate with grout that will be dark charcoalish. I am thinking the white but wonder if if dark would keep the white line of the base of the quarterround looking straight. If I do white it may give the illusion that the molding is wavy. Or am I doing the caulk under the trim farther back where it will not show?? I am assuming that I put it on the edge and it will show???