Should I Install My Baseboards Now or Later?

Common Construction Questions for Epoxy Floors

When constructing a new home or remodeling, many property owners want to lay down epoxy flooring. At what point during the construction process should you add baseboards and trim? Should you install any trim first, or only after you add an epoxy coating to your floors?

Why Baseboard and Trim?

Baseboard and trim pieces typically are used to cover up gaps between two different parts of a wall. For example, moulding goes between the wall and the ceiling, while baseboards cover the gap between the floor and the wall. When carpet or vinyl flooring is laid, the baseboards also help to anchor the edge of the material to the floor and prevent curling. With epoxy floors, there is no lifting of the material to worry about, but you still want to wait to install baseboards until your epoxy floor is completed.

Wait With the Baseboards

Although epoxy is much tougher than paint, and the application process is more complicated, there are comparisons that can be made. Say you apply the baseboards and then follow up with epoxy. As with paint, the area underneath the trim will not be coated with material. If you change the trim at a future date and leave the floor the same, your trim always has to be the same thickness as the original, or even thicker. Otherwise, the edge of your epoxy will not meet up with the baseboards! That’s an interior design disaster just waiting to happen!

So first, always apply your epoxy coatings to your concrete floors and then attach the baseboards. And if you know you want epoxy floors, polished concrete or concrete staining for any room of your house or building, contact California Custom Coatings in advance and we will visit your Sacramento or Northern California project to provide advice on making your application process as simple as possible.