How to Lay Laminate Flooring Under My Baseboard

Roll out a strip of plastic moisture barrier along the edge of the room where you want to start, end to end. Set the first laminate floorboard at one end of the floor, on the plastic, next to the wall. Set two spacers between the board and the base trim to make a space there that will allow for floor expansion.

Fit a second board off the end of the first one, connecting them by pressing the ends together until they snap into place. Repeat, laying piece end to end along the wall, putting spacers next to each. Cut the final board as needed on your miter saw to fit against the base trim.

Set the second course in place by fitting each new board by its long side onto the long side of the first course. Arrange the boards so the ends are staggered. Repeat, building across the whole floor course by course, rolling out more underlayment as needed.

Cut the boards of the final course length-wise, on your table saw, so they fit along the ending wall with a half-inch space left between the floorboards and the baseboard.

Install a base shoe around the perimeter of the floor, using a trim nailer to secure it. Shoot nails every foot or so through the face of the shoe and into the baseboard behind it. The trim will hide the spaces around the perimeter and make it appear as if the flooring goes under the baseboard.