Baseboard/skirting board before or after carpet tiles?

Question

I ask this question here as all results from my searches relate to installation of regular carpet, not carpet tiles

I'm tidying up a small laundry room under a stairway. I will be installing carpet tiles (50cm x 50cm vinyl-backed carpet tiles) and some skirting/baseboard. Should I install the carpet tiles first, then the skirting board on top? The arguments for doing it the other way around with regular carpet don't seem to make as much sense for carpet tile, which can easily be removed by lifting it from the centre and it does not have a tack strip.

Answer 1

You could do it either way. I probably would not put carpet in a laundry room as that area is more subject to spills, like a kitchen, and it’s harder to clean up detergent or water from carpet than vinyl, but...if you choose it, then: there are advantages to either order. The carpet tiles may need trimming and putting the baseboard on last will cover the edges so that will look a little neater.

Applied last, the baseboards will sit a little higher off the subfloor and may just look a little different. Only downside I see is if you want the baseboards to sit at a level that matches the height of another section of baseboard not above carpet tile, in which case you could rip it on a tablesaw to make it shorter to match the final height.

Answer 2

Baseboard typically goes in before padded carpeting and after commercial carpeting or carpet tiles. The reason is because padded carpeting can be easily and neatly tucked under base trim, and it's more difficult to install base trim at a uniform height over padded carpeting. On the other hand, you want your base to be down snug against low-pile commercial carpeting installed directly on the subfloor.