Hi all, hoping you can help with a couple things that I've gotten conflicting info on. We are replacing the carpet in our mid-70s home with 3/4 inch prefinished wood. The subfloor looks to be 5/8" plywood with a layer of particle board over that. The particle board is definitely coming up.

1. So, first question, Is 5/8 inch plywood a sufficient subfloor for 3/4 inch solid prefinished wood, or do we need 3/4" of plywood as a base? If 5/8" is sufficient, is there a special type of nail or staple that the installer should use in this situation? Any special procedures?

2. Should the base trim come off, and the be re-installed on top of the wood, or should the wood be installed right up next to the base trim with shoe molding covering the gap? Or is this simply a matter of preference (my preference, not the installers)? The base trim is already kind of thin, so I'd prefer to not cover another 3/4" of it with the wood floor and shoe. But I had one installer tell me he thought taking the trim off would potentially invite trouble (breaking/splitting) due to its age (30-some years). Not sure if this is a legit concern or if he just doesn't want to do it or something? I have no idea.

Thanks for any insight you can give me!