Our whole first floor, except for the kitchen and half-bath, was
carpeted, with the carpet installed between the baseboards, as is the
custom. We have replaced that carpet in most rooms by bamboo -- after
removing the 3 1/2" high baseboards. In the areas where we installed the
bamboo a few years ago, we just put the baseboards back over the bamboo
and without base shoe molding. Now we have just laid bamboo in one more
room and are wondering whether it would be better to rip the baseboards
down so that they still extend up the wall by the same amount as before
-- and to redo the baseboards in the other rooms with bamboo flooring as
well.

Perce

On Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:54:21 -0400, "Percival P. Cassidy"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Our whole first floor, except for the kitchen and half-bath, was
>carpeted, with the carpet installed between the baseboards, as is the
>custom. We have replaced that carpet in most rooms by bamboo -- after
>removing the 3 1/2" high baseboards. In the areas where we installed the
>bamboo a few years ago, we just put the baseboards back over the bamboo
>and without base shoe molding. Now we have just laid bamboo in one more
>room and are wondering whether it would be better to rip the baseboards
>down so that they still extend up the wall by the same amount as before
>-- and to redo the baseboards in the other rooms with bamboo flooring as
>well.
>
>Perce

Height is a matter of personal choice (IMO). I prefer the base be
taller, rather than shorter. Depends on the ceiling height. Mine a 10"
ceilings, so small base doesn't look as good.

Using 2" base in a room with say 6" crown would not look as good as it
would with 4". My house had 2.5" before the carpet was installed. It
looked like 1.5" -- ugly.

It looked terrible, so it was removed. Mine is now 4" tile instead of
MDF, wood, etc.

2 cents...

On Jun 21, 1:54*pm, "Percival P. Cassidy" <Nob...@NotMyISP.net> wrote:
> wondering whether it would be better to rip the baseboards
> down so that they still extend up the wall by the same amount as before

They would match, room to room, conventionally speaking.

It's not a law.
-----

- gpsman

"Percival P. Cassidy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:jrvn4e$7hh$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Our whole first floor, except for the kitchen and half-bath, was carpeted,
> with the carpet installed between the baseboards, as is the custom. We
> have replaced that carpet in most rooms by bamboo -- after removing the 3
> 1/2" high baseboards. In the areas where we installed the bamboo a few
> years ago, we just put the baseboards back over the bamboo and without
> base shoe molding. Now we have just laid bamboo in one more room and are
> wondering whether it would be better to rip the baseboards down so that
> they still extend up the wall by the same amount as before -- and to redo
> the baseboards in the other rooms with bamboo flooring as well.
>
> Perce

I personally don't like the cheap look of short baseboards (builders like it
because it is cheap to buy). When our kitchen floor was redone, I glued an
additional 1" to the bottom of the baseboards to give it a little more
height, and they look good. They are painted and the "door stop" that I use
instead of base shoe molding covers any seam that may be visible.

I would not rip a 3 1/2" baseboard any shorter, they are already undersize
in my mind.

On 06/21/12 03:02 pm, HeyBub wrote:
> Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
>> Our whole first floor, except for the kitchen and half-bath, was
>> carpeted, with the carpet installed between the baseboards, as is the
>> custom. We have replaced that carpet in most rooms by bamboo -- after
>> removing the 3 1/2" high baseboards. In the areas where we installed
>> the bamboo a few years ago, we just put the baseboards back over the
>> bamboo and without base shoe molding. Now we have just laid bamboo in
>> one more room and are wondering whether it would be better to rip the
>> baseboards down so that they still extend up the wall by the same
>> amount as before -- and to redo the baseboards in the other rooms
>> with bamboo flooring as well.
>>
>
> It's a matter of personal preference; my baseboards are mostly 7". In my
> bathrooms, for example, I made "baseboards" out of cut flooring tile. So
> whatever looks good to you. You might browse through an "Architectural
> Digest," or similar, magazine and note what's used in good looking rooms.
>
> You can get baseboards of almost any height, but you may have to visit a
> millwork's shop. What little 7" baseboards the box stores have is pretty
> pricy (i.e., $1.90/ft).
>
> Note: If you have bamboo laminate, ripping it will quickly dull your saw
> blade inasmuch as most laminate is coated with aluminum silicate or
> similar - very tough stuff.

The baseboards are just pine. The few bamboo boards we've cut don't seem
to have had any adverse effect on the carbide-tipped blades of the miter
saw or table saw..

And I've realized that an alternative would be to extend vertically the
baseboard in the room that still has carpet so that they match the new
height of the baseboard that is now on top of the bamboo flooring.

Perce