I would like to get new laminate flooring to replace my old carpet.
I’ve been looking into edging options because I live in new construction with paper thin walls that wouldn’t survive replacing the baseboards.
I don’t like the traditional trim – called scotia – what are my other options?
To the untrained eye, the edges of laminate flooring may not seem important, but it is often these finer details that result in the overall look.
MailOnline property expert Myra Butterworth answers: To the untrained eye, the edges of laminate flooring may not seem important. But often it’s these finer details that influence the overall look of a room.
After you’ve spent money on a new floor, it’s understandable that you don’t want to fall at the last hurdle and end up with a design you never went for due to a poor installation job.
Fortunately, laminate flooring and its furniture have come a long way in recent years.
There are wooden and imitation wood floors to suit different budgets. Solid wood tends to be the most expensive, engineered wood falls in the middle, and laminate floors tend to be the cheapest.
Improvements in laminates mean that they can often look as good as their solid or engineered wood alternatives, especially if properly installed.
That includes making sure the edge looks neat.
If the floor is laid before installing the skirting boards, they can cover possible cuts and side gaps. If you can’t do this, then Scotia is a decorative fixing where the floor meets the skirting boards, as shown in the image below.
The image above shows the laminate flooring and then the scotch where it meets the baseboard. Most good laminate floors can be chosen with a fine scotch to match the wood design.
For For those who are on a budget and don’t want to spend money on removing baseboards, using Scotia is a good way to plug expansion gaps.
Alternatively, if you are paying for more expensive engineered wood, you may want to pay more to re-attach the baseboard or for the product to pass under the baseboards.
Of course, you can install the new floor yourself or hire a professional to do the job for you. A professional installer will help you find the best option; If you do it yourself, it’s worth asking your flooring supplier about the options.
We spoke to some experts about the various options now available, including DIY master and first-ever Big Brother winner Craig Phillips, along with laminate, wood and luxury vinyl flooring specialists Quick-Step.
DIY master Craig Phillips gives his advice on joining laminate flooring and skirting boards
DIY Master Craig Phillipswho was the first winner of Big Brother, answers: There are many options to make beads around the edges.
One option is to remove the old baseboards first, keeping in mind that all floors will need a small expansion gap from the finished edge of the floor to the wall.
The new skirting board can be reinstalled on the new floor, saving the expansion space.
If you do not want to remove the baseboards, you will need to leave an expansion gap that will need to be covered, which is usually covered with scotch tape. The scotia should be fixed to the baseboard, not to the floor.
If you don’t want to use Scottish beads, there is the option of cutting out the baseboard underneath and sliding the flooring underneath. This would be a more difficult and time-consuming way to install the floor and I would not recommend trying this method unless you are competent at DIY or professionally.
Laminate floors and the type of edging used have improved in recent years
Lee Thompson of flooring company Quick-Step responds: A few years ago, your options would have been quite limited. He would have had to remove the old baseboard and replace it or use a generic scotia that might not be the same color as his floor.
Fortunately, there are a few more options today, so you should be able to find something that works and will keep your baseboards in place and your walls free of damage.
But don’t dismiss Scotland so easily. You will find that most good laminate floors can be chosen with a fine scotch to match the wood design.
It’s not just a similar color either, the wood pattern is exactly the same and may be the smartest way to finish your laminate floor if you can’t replace the baseboards.
If you really don’t want Scotia, then you might want to consider something like a multipurpose profile. These do not protrude as much from the ground and therefore offer a subtle look. However, not all laminate floors have them available, particularly in a mixed pattern, so you may be limited to certain brands.
If you don’t like the Scottish edges, one option is to slide the laminate under the baseboards to cover the expansion gaps.
If you are an experienced DIYer and plan to install the flooring yourself, you might consider undercutting the baseboards.
Depending on how close the bottom of the door is to the carpet, you may need to trim it to make your new laminate floor fit, so why not do the same with the baseboard? Then you can simply slide the floor down. Of course, if you are having the floor installed by a professional then they should suggest this as an option if possible.
I’m not sure what type of baseboards your home has, but you can also find baseboard covers. These can be height adjustable and most laminate flooring companies should offer them.
They attach to the front of the plinth and, with a paintable white finish, look impressively stylish. Also, if you are also painting, do it before fixing them and you won’t have to bother being too fussy with the cuts as they will cover up any small mistakes.
Another option that most laminate companies offer are skirting boards, which can be adjusted in height.
