Baseboard

In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, wainscoting, mopboard, floor molding, or base molding) is usually wooden or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor. It covers the uneven edge of flooring next to the wall; protects the wall from kicks, abrasion, and furniture; and can serve as a decorative molding.[1]

For other uses, see Baseboard (disambiguation).
An example of a baseboard in combination with other wall components

At its simplest, baseboard consists of a simple plank nailed, screwed or glued to the wall; however, particularly in older houses, it can be made up of a number of mouldings for decoration. A baseboard differs from a wainscot; a wainscot typically covers from the floor to around 1-1.5 m high (waist or chest height), whereas a baseboard is typically under 0.2 m high (ankle height).

Plastic baseboard comes in various plastic compounds, the most common of which is UPVC. It is usually available in white or a flexible version in several colors and is usually glued to the wall.[2] Vinyl baseboard is glued with adhesive and can be difficult to remove or to replace. It has a long lifespan, which can mean lower maintenance.[3]

Wooden baseboard can be available in untreated, lacquered or prepainted versions. Prepainted baseboards can be made from a single piece or finger jointed wood, often softwoods, while hardwoods are either lacquered, or raw for staining and made from a single piece of wood.

Heaters are sometimes installed in place of or in front of baseboards. These come in electrical and radiator varieties, the latter relying on hot water as their heat source.[4]


Some do-it-yourself homeowners manufacture their own baseboards from 4x8 foot Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) sheets to cut the cost per linear foot significantly.  For example, at the time of this entry the cost per foot of ½” x 3 ¼ “, prime painted baseboard was $ .96.  A 4’ x 8’ sheet of MDF cost $60 and would yield a little over 112 feet of baseboard at $ .53 per foot.

Depending on the amount of linear feet needed and where you will install it, using MDF for baseboards is a good choice.  However, if you want the top edge routed you will have to do it yourself and waterproofed it too.  MFD baseboards are not recommended for bathrooms and laundry rooms.

See also

References
  1. "Wood Baseboard vs. Vinyl Baseboard | DoItYourself.com". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  2. Holes, Leslie (2003-09-02). Creating the Built Environment: The Practicalities of Designing, Constructing and Owning Buildings. Routledge. ISBN 113581824X.
  3. "Wood Baseboard vs. Vinyl Baseboard | DoItYourself.com". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  4. "Baseboard vs. radiator heat". Retrieved 2015-09-30.
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