Should I Install my Floor Tile or my Baseboard Trim First?

Which is right, and which do you prefer? We discuss this in the latest Renovate Australia podcast …

Builders prefer to do the baseboards first and then bring the tile right up to the tile.

Home-owners generally prefer the look of doing the tile first and then installing the baseboard trim.

If it is installed with the tile up to the baseboard trim then you should leave about a 1/8″ gap that you should fill will caulking. Our gap was unfortunately filled with grout, which is now cracking because of movement of the walls and floors.

Problems I have found with doing the baseboard trim and then the tile:

• cut edge is exposed, so any imperfections in the trim is visible
• border of the room is a visible joint
• if you don’t want the visible trim you need to install some 1/4 round over the joint
• Very difficult to replace the baseboard trim with new without damaging or replacing the tile

With the cracking that we have in the gap between our flooring and baseboard trim I picked up a product called Selleys Mortar Works. From what I was told it should be the correct product to fill the gap left by the cracked grout, so we will see how it performs…

It’s probably pretty obvious after listening to my podcast that my preference is for the baseboard trim to go over top of the flooring. But how do you prefer your floors and baseboard trims to be finished?

Other sources of information:

• The Garden Web – Baseboards and Construction Sequence
• This Old House – What comes first tile or trim?
• HGTV Remodels – Tile first or last?

Music is “Do What You Can” by Lee Rosevere