Trim is an important part of every Steller Floor installation.
Steller Floors are solid hardwood floors that float without nails and glue. All hardwood floors require expansion gaps to accommodate changes due to humidity, and that's why baseboard trim is often at least 1/2"-3/4" thick--to leave room for expansion and hide any potential contraction.
With Steller Floors, we similarly recommend 1/2" expansion gap on either side of rooms that are up to 40-feet wide. In fact, with each order we provide a foam nitrile gasket that you can use as a spacer under your baseboards--it will compress when the floor expands due to increased humidity and it will expand with drier conditions.
When you have removed (or not yet installed) trim
In general, it is best to have your finish carpenter install your trim after your hardwood flooring is installed. That way, the height of the space between the subfloor and the trim will certainly accommodate the flooring since it will rest on top. In this case, you will simply place the rubber gasket spacer along the walls during installation, and when the trim is installed later, it will cover the gasket. This step will also accommodate doorways in a similar fashion.
When you have already installed trim (or don't plan to remove it)
Especially in renovations, there are always special cases where it is undesirable to remove trim--especially near doors. In these cases, you ideally want your trim spacing to already accommodate the height of your flooring (because a fortune teller built it). But if the space under the baseboards doesn't accommodate the height of your flooring, you'll need to use a tool (probably a Sawzall) to undercut a space under the trim for your flooring to fit underneath. With 3/4" flooring, the space will need to be 3/4", and with 5/8" flooring, it will need to be 5/8" tall. Ideally these spaces allow at least 1/2" of depth for gasket underneath the trim. In these cases, its always a good idea to reconsider removing your baseboards and re-hanging them, versus undercutting them so that you're less likely to make mistakes.
When your trim doesn't exist: modern flush baseboards
Very modern styles of interior design appear to not have trim at all, and may even suggest that there is a gap underneath the baseboard before it hits the floor. When these aesthetics are combined with hardwood floors, what appears to be effortless is actually quite a bit more effort than the traditional approach.
When you want modern flush baseboards with a Steller Hardwood Floor, you can either raise your drywall or undercut pre-hung drywall 5/8" or 3/4" and allow for 1/2" of depth for expansion. If 1/2" is not enough space for the width of your room (it is larger than 40' wide) or if you are expecting large humidity swings, you should also probably additionally shim your drywall to create an additional 1/2" between the drywall and the studs to allow for more expansion space.
When your Steller Floor meets a complex or detailed shape (like a hearth or fireplace)
When your hardwood floor meets a decorative and complex shape, like a hearth or fireplace, you often want these areas to feel integrated and finished with your floor. In general, these cases are excellent reasons to hire a finish carpenter, but you can also approach these scenarios DIY if you prefer.
In the best case scenario, you will have trim that matches your wall aesthetic before it meets your floor, and it treats your flooring the same way the rest of the trim in the room treats the floor: it hides the expansion gap. Sometimes you can add a rock-textured trim to match the hearth, and sometimes you can scribe wooden trim to match the details of the hearth and simultaneously hide the expansion gap for the flooring.
In an alternative scenario, you might need to run your flooring up to your fireplace, skip the expansion space and scribe the flooring to match the detail on the hearth. We do not generally recommend this approach because any change in humidity will either leave a gap near the hearth (that you will likely need to cover with caulking), or expansion could be shifted to the opposite side of the room. In this case, you'll want to keep your humidity constant so that expansion and contraction won't be a concern. If you can manage your humidity, this is a completely acceptable approach.
Reach out for Steller Support!
We are here to help you with your flooring project and if any questions begin to vex you, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We can help you troubleshoot over the phone, by email, or by zoom appointment! 1-800-955-7671 or support@floorsbysteller.com