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Helping You Make Your Home Your Castle |
Furniture & Furnishing & Decorations
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About Baseboard Molding
Choosing Baseboard Molding
Introduction: The more you know about
baseboard molding the better you will be able to
make choices of the kind of baseboard molding you
want in your home. In the world of architecture,
baseboard molding is a wooden board that covers the
lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to
cover the joint between the wall surface and the
floor and hide the expansion gap between the wall
and the floor on wood floors.
As a secondary function the baseboard protects the
wall from damage from kicks and abrasion and
prevents furniture from being pushed against the
wall. It also serves as a decorative feature.
The baseboard molding is also referred to as a
skirting board, skirting, mopboard, floor molding
and base molding. Baseboard molding provides the
finished transition between the uneven edges where
the floor meets the wall. It is either painted or
stained to provide the finish that best coordinates
with your homes décor.
The most basic baseboard is a skirting board that
consists of a simple wood plank attached to the
wall. The baseboard molding can also be made up of
a number of different moldings pieces to provide an
elaborate decorative finish. There seems to be a
zillion different baseboard molding styles to
choose from so selecting the style for your home is
not easy.
It is quite common to have a quarter round molding
between the baseboard and floor. Quarter round has
the added advantage of covering more of the floor
and gives the finished flooring installer a margin
of error that can be covered by the quarter round
and baseboard. Recent trends in home construction
and interior design are using more elaborate
baseboards to give the home a more distinguished
look.
Baseboard molding is primarily made of wood and is
available in paint or stain grade versions. It is
also available in plastic and flexible rubber for
curved walls. Paint grade will not take stain well
and is only suitable for painting. Paint grade
baseboards can be either finger-jointed (small
pieces joined together) or solid
and is available as primed or clear. Stain
grade woods such as oak, pine, and maple are clear
(not primed) and are more suitable for staining in
natural finishes.
Baseboard molding can be purchased in many
different widths. The 3 ¼ inch is the most common
used by contractors and DIY homeowners, however it
comes in a variety of designs and widths up to 12
inches. The taller the ceilings in a home the wider
the baseboard molding should be. Homes with ceiling
over eight feet should have at least six inch
baseboard molding. That is all the basics about baseboard molding. When selecting your baseboard molding keep in mind the ceiling heights and the final finish of your home. Related articles:
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