Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

[TSJHD1]

Using 5/4x6 wood baseboard trim, with a base cap and shoe in bathrooms with a tiled floor. New work. 3/4" Advantec subfloor. Tile is 3/8" thick and will get 1/2" Durock under it.

Question? What's the best order to have everything installed, and why?

And for purposes of locating the toilet supply during rough-in so that it will end up in the center of the visible part of the baseboard, how high off the sub-floor should it go?

Sorry if these are basic questions.

Thanks,
Tom

[S. Donato]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

i would install the base after tile work for the only reason that it will keep it out of the way of the tile installers. i would hate to see something that nice get messed up by a falling tile.

as for centering the supply just do a mock up on the floor with scraps of all the supplies if you are uncomfortable with just adding the thicknesses on a calc. don't forget to add the thickness of that mortar that will be used.

[GunForHire]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

Nail it down before and just hold it up a full 7/8. You say your gonna use shoe anyway. And besides, if you wait too long, you just might get to run some base behind a toilet thats been peed in by multiple roughnecks. And we all now how nasty this can be.

[Lavrans]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

Ditto. I always install base after tile. Less chance with elevation problems, etc.

I try to keep the supply above the baseboard. Two reasons:
1. I don't like the look of it.
2. If there's a problem with the plumbing you don't have to remove the baseboard to fix it.

But, if you do need it centered, talk to the tile guy. Underlayment plus mortar plus tile plus 1/2 baseboard.

[Lavrans]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

Nail it down before and just hold it up a full 7/8. You say your gonna use shoe anyway. And besides, if you wait too long, you just might get to run some base behind a toilet thats been peed in by multiple roughnecks. And we all now how nasty this can be.

Well, yeah, always base before pee ;-)

[hdrider_chgo]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

Tile first, then base. That way nothing is in the way of anything else. The base can't get damaged if it isn't there. You'll also need the door jambs, casing, vanity, etc set before you can run base. You sure wouldn't want to put that all in before tile, it would all be in the way and risk damage.

Trimmers go in once, and put down cabinets, doors, base and shoe in one trip. And less chance for height misunderstandings.

Avoid toilet supply penetrating the base. That's more work, and unnecessarily complicated, and requires increased communication between trades, driving up costs and increasing risk of misunderstandings. Doesn't look great either, as someone said above.

[GunForHire]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

To each his own I guess, but lemme get a few things straight..... we are talking about baseboard.... in a bathroom.

In my lifetime, I've seen WAY more base destroyed by mallet swinging carpet installers than by stone masons laying tile. Should we leave the base off everywhere that's getting carpet too?

Not too sound like a smarta@#, but why wouldn't you put it on. It's baseboard. In a bathroom. It ain't stain grade mahogany radiused casing. If it gets damaged, yank the SOB off the wall and replace it.

And yes, without vanities, you're probably only gonna have one or two pieces that you can nail up anyway. If I know, the contractor is using shoe, I'm nailing it up and let the floor layers be damned.

I allow one day to return to all trim jobs for shoe mold, base that buts into cabinets, and door locks.

So if anywhere else in the house (besides this bath) was getting tile also, you'd leave it off too? I just do not see any great advantage in it.

[Tree eater]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

base first
paint second
tile third
because other wise the tile guy or gal has to make special trip to grout.

[hdrider_chgo]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

Not too sound like a smarta@#, but why wouldn't you put it on. It's baseboard. In a bathroom. It ain't stain grade mahogany radiused casing. If it gets damaged, yank the SOB off the wall and replace it.

And yes, without vanities, you're probably only gonna have one or two pieces that you can nail up anyway.

So, let me make sure I understand. You are suggesting:

1. Send the trimmers in and nail up a couple of pieces of base.
2. Tile
3. Remove and replace any of the pieces of base that were damaged or perhaps set at the wrong height.
4. Send the trimmers back to put in cabinets, doors, casing, etc.
5. Put in the rest of the base.

Not my idea of efficiency.

[hdrider_chgo]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

base first
paint second
tile third
because other wise the tile guy or gal has to make special trip to grout.

So you would:

1. Put up some of the base.
2. Paint these pieces of base.
3. Tile
4. Put in doors, cabinets, and casing.
5. Put in the rest of the base, and the shoe.
6. Paint again.

??

And why would putting in some of the base and painting it allow the tile setter to save a trip?

[GunForHire]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

hd,

I hate to break this to you, but there is no international standard here.

The OP said that he IS using shoe mold. So what's the grave concern with being off by a 16th with your finished floor height? That's what shoe mold is for. If you and your crew have that much difficulty calculating finished floor height, you are not doing anything in my house.

Maybe we should just wait until ALL of the flooring is down, before running any base. Would this be more efficient?

You know what would be even more super-efficient? No base.... just have the painters paint a white stripe on the bottom of the wall.................And speaking of the painters, they are coming back for a final trip after the cabinets are in, no matter how the base is done.

I don't think that there is a single soul in this forum that gives a darn about making anything easier on the painters anyway.

[Justin Thomas]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

So, let me make sure I understand. You are suggesting:

1. Send the trimmers in and nail up a couple of pieces of base.
2. Tile
3. Remove and replace any of the pieces of base that were damaged or perhaps set at the wrong height.
4. Send the trimmers back to put in cabinets, doors, casing, etc.
5. Put in the rest of the base.

Not my idea of efficiency.

My thoughts exactly.......how inefficient do you want to be, your creating more problems than anything (punch out) just do it one time and be done. It makes for a much cleaner job

[gary robertson]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

hang door case door base what you can tile set cab shoe.setting door after tile sucks and takes more time then most of the above.

[SteveC]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

FWIW
Toilet supply height is speced by toilet manufacturer, too high may be an issue.
Trim and vanity after tile, before toilet install.

[BThomas]

Re: Bathroom Base Trim: Before or After Floor Tile?

There wre opposite opinions about setting the supply in the base and over the base. Check to see the style of the bowl. The one piece bowls need the supply about 4" off the finished floor. Putting the supply above the base you discribe will be too high for a one piece bowl and give you very little room to fiit the line between the valve and tank on a two piece.
Bill T