"john" wrote in message
...
Does this seem like a decent cost ? 710 square feet of laminated
flooring of my choice at $3 a square foot. Installed on top of radiant
heating (concrete) at a cost of $4000 ? Everything is out of the way
too..all furniture and stuff is upstairs.

He recommends to leave the original baseboard trim where it is and not
remove it. When the wood goes up against the trim, he will use a molding
to connect the 2. Does that seem like a normal way of doing it ? I
want a tight seal since I have minor radon levels down there. Would it be
possible to have a better tight seal if the wood trim was removed ?

I appreciate any info, you guys have always been the best.



I have seen a number of installations where the flooring goes to the
original baseboard and the installer throws on some quarter round after.
Quite frankly I don't like the way it looks. The original baseboard looks
smaller. I did one room in laminate and ripped off all of the existing
baseboard myself and ran the laminate closer to the wall as per the
manufacturer's specs using the spacers. In my case there was a small gap
between the drywall and the floor which gave me plenty of room for
expansion. I purchased all new baseboard and quarter round and primed and
painted it before I installed it.

They should put down some plastic sheeting under the floor which will take
care of the radon migration.

One thing I have seen many times is the installer arriving on the day of the
installation with the laminate. The manufacturers recommend that the
laminate be stored in the space that it will be installed in for a few days.
You might be better off buying the laminate yourself and just hire someone
for the installation. I have found that talking to small private showroom
people was better than a big box store. Unfortunately the way the system
works is that no floor covering chain will carry the same models of flooring
as the big box stores. The brands may be the same, but the models are not.
Make sure to get the manufacturer's name, the name of the line, and model
that you like at each place.

Don't forget to ask about the transition pieces from one room to another.
Some installers just cut their own from some oak. After a while it stands
out from the rest of the floor. I think it is better to get the transitions
that match your floor.

Get at least three quotes before making a decision.