Wall Base Trim Ideas
- If you want a room with an older traditional baseboard, combine several moldings to create a three-section molding. The straight, or board, section of the baseboard attaches to the wall in the middle while a cap applies to the top portion of the board. The cap is strictly a decorative piece that gives the top of the baseboard a more finished appearance. Application of the base shoe on the bottom of the board assists in a polished design.
- Size matters when you install a baseboard. A large baseboard, about 5 inches tall, becomes noticeable in a room design while a smaller baseboard of 1/2 inch can seem to disappear. Look at the other molding in your room and the size of your walls as larger baseboards work well in rooms with taller walls because they lower the length of the wall. One other consideration for size involves the total size of the baseboard when the trim cap is included in the design.
- Baseboards are available in a variety of woods or wood composites. If you are looking to keep costs down, install an inexpensive wood, such as pine or spruce. As these woods tend to be soft, they are less likely to split or warp. A more expensive wood for base molding includes oak, mahogany, birch, walnut and other hardwoods. One more option includes a high-density polyurethane reproduction that is quite expensive and may be a difficult to install.
- You can buy some baseboards with a treatment, which can consist of white paint, a pretreated stain or a vinyl stain overlay over wood composite. Certain baseboards, such as those from pine and spruce, do well with a coat of paint. The paint can be a darker hue of the wall color for a blending effect or contrast the wall color for a more dramatic appeal. Staining is also an option and works well with the more expensive woods, such as oak, mahogany, birch or walnut. You can stain them to their natural color or choose one that will coordinate with the wooden furniture in the room.
