Flooring – the reason and the fix for gaps between laminate planks

First, remember to lay your wood perpendicular to the floor joists. Laying it parallel can cause a waving effect which is unpleasant.

Next, find the longest, longest, straightest wall which is perpendicular to the joists. Measure out two feet from the wall all the way down the wall. Then find the best line down these marks, snap a chalk line, Measure back to the wall about 23 and 5/8 inches. Snap a this line. Line up your first run of floor against this line, tongue side out (nail through the tongue).

As for room to room, if they are really out of square with each other, try building a transition between rooms:

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This allows you to lay each room separately, allowing each room to be square.

It depends on a couple of things. How much time you want to invest, how your current baseboards are installed, size of current baseboards, and what you want everything to look like.

As long as it isn't a HUGE deal to take baseboards out I would almost always go with removing them.

1. Your finish will look better. No quarter round looks way more professional. Also I hate the process of do you make your quarter round the color of trim or floor - I always vote trim.
2. It is cheaper. Quarter round costs money. So does staining/painting it.
3. It saves time. If you have the right tools taking your baseboards out is easy. And when you put them back - well they fit. Try to position your tools so that if you gouge the wall it is hidden under the baseboard. This is easy with practice. Who cares if the drywall has some nicks under the baseboard. Cutting your quarter round to fit will take a lot of time. Also what do you do between a set of doors where you need to put in 10 inches of quarter round? Well you will be back on this board asking!

Take the baseboards out, freshen them up while you are at it, install floor, pop baseboards back. Touch up paint and caulk where needed. Not taking them out starts the job faster but then after your install there will be quarter round regret (because of point #1).