Baseboard and Interior Architecture
Baseboard hides the gap between the wall and floor, and for that reason, it is present in almost every room of the house. It was developed in the eighteenth century as owners of grand houses began to prefer plaster walls over wood paneling, and today it remains true to its purpose of protecting wall surfaces from shoes, furniture, and other domestic hazards. As an architectural detail, baseboard provides a foundation to a wall, as a base does to a column, giving the eye a starting point as it absorbs a room's decoration.
Over the years, baseboard has diminished in stature if not ubiquity. Georgian and Federal homes had substantial baseboard molding, sometimes made of marble, but always with its detailing in keeping with door and window casing. Baseboards with traditional egg-and-dart or rope designs are appropriate for such interiors. Victorian and Craftsman decorators also preferred deep baseboards, although, with more straightforward profiles, the latter often favoring a wide, flat baseboard with a slightly rounded top edge. Modern homes typically have a narrow ranch-or Colonial-style baseboard molding, sometimes with the same type of trim also used for the window and the door casing. Baseboard provides a foundation for a wall, above, and it should complement the window and door casing.
Choosing a Baseboard
When choosing baseboard, it's important to make sure it pairs well with the door and window trim. Hold a piece of baseboard against the casing's edge, in the manner they will be installed, to make sure they meet nicely. Sometimes a poor match can be remedied with plinth blocks installed beneath the casing.Â
You'll also need to decide whether to install a base shoe-a slender, usually rounded strip of molding installed along the baseboard's bottom edge. Base shoe is flexible and can follow a floor contours to hide gaps left by the baseboard. The new baseboard's profiles (Miami Baseboard and New-York Baseboard) have shoe-molding already built-in. The profiles like that will not only create a polished look but definitely will cut in half the installation time
Quality Baseboard
Shock resistant baseboard is 20% stronger than pine wood. Some baseboard molding from this collection manufactured of High Definition Polymer System (HDPS). This amassing material is not just extremely durable but environmentally safe as well. Environmentally friendly Microcellular material does not contain any PVC, CFC, or Formaldehyde. Baseboard made of this material is fully recyclable, hypoallergenic, and have outstanding moister-resilient qualities.
A comparative baseboard molding study was conducted on the moisture-resilient capabilities of molding made from wood, MDF, and HDPS. All the various types of moldings were immersed in 92°F water for 180 hours. On the left-side picture (lower image) you can see that the baseboard made from our High Definition Polymer System did not change it's dimensional qualities, on other hand baseboard made from MDF almost doubled in size due to water absorption and swelling (the image above). To learn more about this experiment, click on the following link - molding's moisture resilient qualities study.
Our high-quality baseboard offers maximum long-term protection against scratches and dents. This baseboard is ideal for high traffic areas and commercial applications.
Baseboard moldings are available with smooth or ornamental design. All baseboards have deep and highly defined details: built-in wire and cable channel on all baseboards (non-electrical). Complimentary flexible baseboards are available on your request.