Selecting Baseboard Molding
It’s time to put on the baseboard! That’s right. The floors are in and it’s time to move on to the next step.
Baseboard (kick board, skirting board) is installed on the lower part of a wall to conceal the joints between the wall and floor. It provides a small amount of protection for the wall and acts as a decorative touch. So what’s are the options?
Baseboard Materials
I checked out plastic and wood baseboard but MDF is another candidate.
- Plastic baseboard can be glued or nailed. It’s very flexible making it a great choice for not-so-straight walls. Plastic also works well in bathrooms as it won’t absorb moisture. It’s manufactured to be nice and uniform.
- Wood is another other popular choice. It’s not as uniform and can split. Wood baseboards often have finger-joints; another potential problem area. On the plus side, wood can be cheaper
- MDF or wood composites have great uniformity. And they are light, making them easy to work with.
Baseboard Sizes
When selecting baseboard, you need to consider the height and length. Our current baseboard is very short. You can only see about an inch and a half. It doesn’t look good. Select baseboard tall enough to be a noticeable accent without becoming overpowering. I think 6″ is a good rule of thumb.
Longer pieces of baseboard require less scarf joints (where two pieces meet along a straight run). Scarf joints aren’t bad, but it’s better to avoid them if you can.
Baseboard Style
Baseboard can be a simple board or an elaborate assembly with multiple parts. Choose a baseboard molding that fits your space. Decide if you want a painted baseboard (usually white) or stained to bring out the natural beauty. What kind of wood do you want? Pine and poplar are common choices, but just about any wood can be special ordered. Pre-fabricated corners can add more decoration and make installation that much easier by eliminates angled miter cuts.
Baseboard Prices
It just about always comes down to price. These prices are for basic style molding from my local Big Orange. Details like length, height, and material can really effect the price. Decorative style, and type of wood can also increase the price.
- Wood: Go for the pre-primed wood unless you plan on staining the base molding. A 12′, pre-primed piece of pine costs $1.29 per linear foot. I also found a Pro-pack which consists of 10 count, pre-primed, 12′ boards (so 120 linear feet all together). The Pro-pack amazingly cost $0.29 per linear feet. I chose the Pro-pack.
- MDF: The only option for MDF is pre-primed. A 12′ board will cost $1.06 per linear foot.
- Plastic: Like MDF, plastic is also considered pre-primed. A 12′ board runs $1.21 per linear foot.
What do you think? What baseboard do you prefer?
Comments & Conversation on this Article...
11 Responses to Selecting Baseboard Molding
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September 16th, 2008 7:18 pm
1. PVC/Plastic trim is becoming hugely popular and available. We use it on exterior finish all the time and occasionally for bathrooms.
2. FJP (Finger Jointed Primed) trim continues to be the most popular trim material on the market. FJP is actually more stable and resists shrinking and splitting compared to solid wood. Obviously it’s really only good for paint grade trim work.
3. I’m not a huge fan of MDF trim. For me it’s not as strong, fasteners don’t seem to hold well and if it gets wet game over.
Just my two cents as usual.
September 16th, 2008 8:08 pm
Great comments Todd. I always appreciate your input.
September 16th, 2008 10:21 pm
Hey, I’ve installed several hundred dollars worth of trim during my upgrades. Figured I’d share two thoughts:
1) FJP is my usual route. The type we selected is $1.44/ft. I wish they made contractor packs, I’d buy that! FOR ME, even though it comes “primed,” it still needs a light sanding and we usually add additional primer. Extra work, indeed, but always worth the results.
2) We actually used tile for a baseboard in the bathroom. Folks who visit seem to like it. Muuuuuch harder to work with though.
I like the board you have in the picture. Very nice lines! Oh, and I never heard the term scarf joint. But most of my experience has been OJT, and I can rarely afford professionals to teach me the proper-terminology. Guess I’ll have to get my former education here!
-Jon
September 17th, 2008 1:30 am
I like the FJP myself, I think that it works well, looks good and the cost is reasonable. I agree with Jon though it does need some sanding.
I do not like plastic because I never think that it looks real. I also do not like working with it because I don’t like the feel of it. Putting a nail through wood is the most secure feeling.
I like the wide stuff. 6 inches is great but you can use a little narrower – just not too narrow. Wider gives it a richer look.
Good Post – thanks!
September 17th, 2008 8:16 am
@Jon, I have bull-nosing (short, rounded edge) tile for baseboard in my bathroom. I didn’t do the tile work, so I don’t really have much experience installing it. But it does look good!
Jocie painted about half the baseboard yesterday. I don’t think she roughed it up at all but it looks great. I’m excited about installing it and getting the floors closer to being finished.
May 27th, 2009 10:57 am
Where can I find PVC (not polyeurathane) baseboards that are 6+ inches in height? Places like Home Depot only sells the standard 3 1/4 inch variety.
May 27th, 2009 11:02 am
Lowe’s has 6+. I’ve bought it from there last summer. We have a place called “Hoods,” down here on the Gulf Coast, and they have some, too. Hope that helps.
August 20th, 2009 1:37 pm
I need to just put back on, the plastic baseboard that has come off around my entire (small) bathroom. Is that recommended? The person who put it on originally apparently didn’t use the right adhesive as the baseboard still looks OK. Since it al already cut…..I thought I would just recement it. Is that a good idea? Or should it be replaced? Also, IF I use the same baseboard, what type of adhesive is best to use? The wall is firm, not paper or anything, sturdy with no damage from where the baseboard was attached. Thanks for any help you can give me.
August 26th, 2009 4:01 pm
Liquid Nails is what some people that I know have used to glue it. However, if you have sheetrock – it will take the paper (if not more) with it if you ever have to remove it. I would prefer to use something with less strength if I was going to glue it. Your local hardware store could likely give you some guidance. I have used a brand nailer to put it in my house.
January 12th, 2010 5:12 pm
I’m so sorry to inform all of you, but the “baseboard” in the picture is not really baseboard!!! That’s door casing!! Specifically, that is a 11/16″ x 2 1/4″ colonial door casing. Not meant for this application. I think whoever started this page should have done just about 2 minutes worth of research before posting. Don’t mean to be nasty, but to someone who works in the trades, and knows his/her stuff . . . . . . . this picture is a sin. Would be like trying to tell a mechanic to put bicycle tires on a pick up truck.
January 12th, 2010 8:15 pm
@Trim Carpenter, Thanks for the update. The original picture was actually just something I found publicly available online. Thanks to your great info, I’ve updated it to a picture I took.
On a side note, it sounds like you’d really be able to contribute to our DIY forums. I hope you’ll consider creating an account.