Is it inevitable to use quarter rounds when filling the gap between floors and cabinets during installation of SBC flooring similar to LVP?
Asked by Marcus Christiansen 
3 months ago
Last Updated: October 9, 2024
Hey there! We recently had our floors redone with a material similar to LVP called sbc, and the installer used quarter rounds to fill the gap between the floor and cabinets. Do you know if this is necessary or if there’s a better way to deal with it? It’s definitely not the prettiest solution.
Take it out, get some wood, and stain it to match the cabinets
It should match either the floor or trim color. It needs to be replaced.
Consider installing baseboard instead. It may be pricier, but it offers a more appealing look and is the appropriate choice for that space.
It’s typical to coordinate the quarter round with your trim. For example, if you have white baseboards, the quarter round would be white as well. Our cabinets have trim that matches the cabinet color, which is why it stands out.
I would have recommended using oak quarter round instead.
The cabinet should have been a match.
They could have chosen a different color other than stark white. Bare wood quarter round would have been a better option.
The gap around the edge is needed to accommodate the floor’s movement, but the trim should match the floor or cabinet for a seamless look.
If it’s painted a color similar to wood or grain, it should look decent.
Typically, they create shoe moulding that complements the flooring. It should either match the floor or the cabinets to avoid a mismatched look.
In my area, white is the most affordable option. Just remove it, paint or stain in the color you prefer, and tap it back in. Wishing you good luck!
During my kitchen floor renovation, I decided to go above and beyond. I took out the floor cabinets to make the process easier. It was a lot of effort, but I love the sleek appearance now.
I really hope they plan on painting the cabinets.
The flooring is made to move and expand, so it won’t fit under the cabinets
By doing this you are voiding the warranty on your floor. When you place the weight of cabinets on the floor, you have restricted the flooring from expanding and contracting. This can lead to the floor buckling, which is why this installation is a no-go.
I opted for real wood flooring to avoid that issue.👌
Each plank was securely nailed to the subfloor.
Well that’s not a fair comparison to his floor.
Did you actually see what they wrote? The trim piece is there because the cabinet isn’t resting on the floor, and there is a gap
The cabinet isn’t directly on the floor 😂
Huh? Haha
If they installed the flooring under the cabinets, they wouldn’t have to use trim. The trim is simply used to hide any gaps between the flooring and the cabinet base.
I don’t agree that placing cabinets directly on the floor stops wood from expanding and contracting, as long as they’re not permanently attached. However, the original poster mentioned that the floor was redone with the cabinets already in place, so they’re not actually resting on the new flooring.
It really should have been shoe molding.
Yeah, a stained wood piece would have definitely been a better choice.
I’ve actually found this to be the best solution. Have you considered using 3/8” tile edging? It really adds a deliberate look to it, making it seem more like a design choice rather than an afterthought.
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Hey , that looks fantastic!
Oh I absolutely adore this
That looks fantastic in a modern kitchen! Unfortunately, it would not suit any other setting. Still, it’s a great design for that specific space!
Looks amazing and complements the modern aesthetic of the kitchen
Shoe molding is more attractive when stained instead of being white. It just looks bad.
That doesn’t look great, Christine. Remove them and get some proper wood ones to stain and match. You should be able to fit them tightly against the cupboard without the need for caulking. Pay attention to detail and take your time to make it look neat all the way. Even flexible plastic ones with adhesive strips would work better, as they can be a tight fit even on uneven surfaces.
1/4 inch is a must but should be coordinated with the surfaces it connects to or the color of the flooring, if preferred
They should use the same type of wood as the cabinet. I might need to either replace it or paint the cabinets to match.
Not good. Not good at all. Have a professional carpenter redo it. No need for caulk in that situation.
They offer quarter round that complements the LVP
True, but like everyone else mentioned, it really should either complement the floor or the cabinet. It reminds me of when we redid our entryway after moving in.
It’s common to do this, but the quality is lacking.
No worries, the painting has not been done yet. It’s amusing how everyone seems to be an expert craftsman now.
Raul, quarter round is always a no-go.
What can the installer do if the homeowners’ clients are not willing to spend money? Quarter round is the more affordable choice that 80% of people go for to save money.
Still unpleasant.
Personally, I prefer using a base shoe in that situation.
If you hired someone to do it, I’d recommend having them come back to correct it. I’ve been in the flooring business for 15 years and this kind of work is just not acceptable.
Quarter round is always ugly no matter how you apply it.
Baseboard/shoe molding/toe kick
Is absolutely right.
Can you explain what a toe kick is?
Why did he choose that color? Are they planning on painting it or are they making you do it? Who on earth did you hire so I can steer clear of them?
It seems like primer to me, but painting over it shouldn’t be a big problem either way.
When my customers needed floors installed (because I don’t do vinyl), I used to start by taking off the toe kick and any cabinet trim that touched the floor. Then, once the new floor was in, I would add a new toe kick and base to match the cabinet, not the floor. But in your situation, once it’s painted (either matching the cabinet or floor), it will look much better.
Hey, this cabinet end is a bit weird because it looks like it wasn’t meant to be visible. The toe kick end being exposed is throwing me off. Also, the flooring on the right side seems to fit snugly (around 6″ or so).
The overhang on the right is just an optical illusion caused by the toe kick extending 5″ over the floor. The board at the back is actually the kick plate.
Definitely see what you mean now that you’ve pointed it out! The end of the kick plate is visible, indicating that it’s a cabinet side that wasn’t meant to be exposed. Adding a base shoe stained to match or painted could fix that. Seems like there was a gap when the old flooring was removed or the installer didn’t cut the old flooring perfectly. Removing the kick plate sounds like a good first step.
Hey, we ripped out the old tile, but there’s still some tile under the cabinets since we’re not replacing them. It doesn’t sit flush though.
It’s pretty common to opt for quarter round, but it’s unfortunate that paint grade was used instead of matching the cabinet or flooring color. There are better alternatives such as new baseboard or molding that could fill the gap and match the cabinet. Take a look at pictures online to explore SPC, LVP, or even laminate flooring molding choices. Best of luck!
This one is like the trim around the entire room
..normally a toe kick [ which is slimmer than a quarter round ] is typically utilized and it ought to be stained to match the color of the flooring….
That trim doesn’t seem like quarter round – it appears to be cove or ogee molding. It looks unfinished right now; it should have been painted before installing.
Initially, I thought the same but take a closer look at the photo and focus on the piece disappearing at the left side.
Huh, yeah… upon closer inspection, it appears to be 1/4 round after all.
You need to find a way to fill in that space, although he could have attempted to coordinate with the cabinets.
It’s something you can’t avoid due to the necessary 1/4” expansion gap. However, if your cabinets have a kick plate similar to a baseboard, you can detach it and position it on top of the flooring after installation to cover the 1/4” expansion gap or use a small molding.
Yep, unless you install the floor before the cabinets, it should match your cabinets.
You could have opted for unfinished corner round, then stained it to complement the cabinet.
It would have been better to stain it instead of painting it!
You have the option to swap out the base shoe for a wooden one that’s stained to coordinate with your cabinets.
I don’t usually remove baseboards when I work on projects, but it’s essential for doing a good job.
Hey , do you know what kind of baseboard that is? The original poster said they had their floors redone, and quarter round was used to fill the gaps that were left (possibly because the new flooring is thinner than the old).
The flooring installers suggested using quarter round, but I requested they make it as flush as possible and caulk instead. They placed kickboards over the flooring, but the flooring doesn’t extend under my cabinets.
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That’s definitely going to get dirty and be noticeable. You might want to consider ordering color-matching caulking so it looks much better and stays clean.
Opt for shoe moulding instead as it is a better choice, and it should match your cabinets. That’s the approach we took with ours.
To create a seamless look, my floor features coordinating rounds. You have the option to use those rounds to match the cabinets or purchase new ones to complement the floor.
I typically paint before installing and then apply a final coat to one side.
Maybe try blending some nice colors on it. The bright white really pops.
But what exactly is this?
I believe there’s a small chip in the base of my cabinet,
Oh, he really didn’t do a great job. I’m sorry to say that. We usually end up using some type of baseboard, it’s just something we can’t avoid.
Quarter rounds are typically used to cover up mistakes in flooring installation
And that guy is definitely not a professional installer.
What do you think could have been done differently in this situation? Remember, we don’t have all the details about what was discussed or the customer’s budget.
Hey, I was checking out the caulking job and the really bad installation of that quarter round. It’s hard to believe that guy considers himself a pro.
Most installers don’t paint QR or base
Plus, it’s clear that nothing was installed on that side of the cabinet face, it’s clean. Under the toe lock, there was a pre-installed base that’s short of the outside corner already
So what can this installer do if the client won’t pay for the necessary work?
This is the issue with these groups – no one knows the full story or has seen the site conditions but are quick to give their opinion.. I highly doubt the person posting will ever admit, “I had all these options but I chose the cheapest, now I don’t like how it looks”
1) check out the caulking
2)check out the installation
Did the customer request a poorly done job?
It’s tough to get QR installed perfectly without fixing the short toe kick first.. that’s why there’s a gap at the top
Having excess caulking at the top is a mistake but let’s not go overboard.. let’s leave the judgment to those in the trade, or if you’re in the trade, you’d know these details just from the picture alone
Well I hope you’re not in the trade because installing QR is actually quite simple, that’s why it’s so commonly used.
I would have ensured a flawless installation on the floor (which didn’t happen, the fact that you missed that…) and a seamless finish on the top without needing caulk since it can’t be painted.
I would have painted it prior to installing.
I would have taken out the toe before laying the floor down, eliminating the need for QR there, and having the QR cut at a 45-degree angle at the corner.
Using smaller QR as well.
In the case of installing QR, the proper job would have been to lay the floor under the cabinets. If that was impossible, then use a transition bar for that specific floor and cut it on a table saw to match the QR but in the same color as the floor, blending it in seamlessly. This wouldn’t even cost $20.
There you have some advice from someone who specializes in finishes.
Sure, do the work you truly desire to do for free. Sometimes clients looking for cheap deals are exactly that.
What could have been done differently?
We ended up taking out the old tile, but it turned out the tile extended under the cabinets causing an issue with leveling and creating a gap.
I wasn’t expecting it to turn out this way and no other options were presented. It wasn’t about the cost.
Hey Mon Castillo, these are some tough decisions to make when considering changing the flooring to match the existing conditions. If the QR matched the cabinets, it won’t match the floor. If the base is installed, it would still be white and wouldn’t match your cabinets. You didn’t face this problem earlier because it was built on top of your old flooring.