Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Jul 29, 2008 03:01pm | #1

   The one that looks right for the house at hand.

    

    

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2. 
   hammer1 | Jul 29, 2008 06:06pm | #2

   It's not the type of thing that you take pictures of unless it ends up in the background. A majority of the time I use 1x6 or 1x8 square edge boards with a cap molding. Many of my customers are replacing standard moldings in an existing home or building new places with upgraded trim details. E-Z base is popular for ordinary houses. It has a similar look but in one piece. You have to be aware of the thickness of door casings. 3/4" stock doesn't look too good butting against something thinner. You can use a plinth block but that design doesn't go for everyone. Things always look different once the floors are down and the furniture moved in.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

   
1. 
   rasher | Jul 29, 2008 11:54pm | #3

   That's what I use, too. 1x8 (3/4 thick) base with a cap on top. 1x8 butted at inside corners and the cap is coped. 1x8 mitered and biscuit on outside corners, as well as the cap.Oh yeah, and whoever hung up that gingham ruffle over that window in the last pic should be grounded...

   Edited 7/29/2008 4:55 pm by rasher

1. 
   boiler7904 | Jul 30, 2008 12:09am | #5

   Oh yeah, and whoever hung up that gingham ruffle over that window in the last pic should be grounded...

    

   Come on now.  It accents the exposed subfloor quite nicely. 

1. 
   PLUM72 | Jul 30, 2008 05:37am | #6

   While Piffin may usually be right, he avoided the question like a true professional or politician.  No offense just a little humor there...  I just was curious what type of base molding many of you prefer.  Is there a cut you prefer over others... 

1. 
   Piffin | Jul 30, 2008 05:58am | #7

   No offense taken, but I really have not used the same baseboard design in two houses running for over twenty years.
   There is a purpose and a style to every element in a home's design. Copying and re-copying a "favorite" would be an insult to the owners. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   KenHill3 | Jul 30, 2008 06:48am | #8

   I like to just run 2 1/4" colonial everywhere- base, casing, shelf cleats, whatever.

3. 
   Piffin | Jul 30, 2008 01:58pm | #9

   I guess that beats clamshell everywhere 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

4. 
   wooderson | Jul 31, 2008 12:37am | #13

   I have a friend who just bought a new house. They have the glue-on commercial grade rubber base, but the builder used colonial base upside down for trim on the tops of all the windows and doors with drywall returns on the sides. I wanted to take a photo but my friend and his wife are thrilled just to have a house and I did not want to offend them with my opinions.

2. 
   hammer1 | Jul 31, 2008 05:47am | #17

   Ha ha! At least that curtain didn't cover over my molding work, even though that window was stuffed in the corner. I didn't have much clearance around those beams and braces either. Glad I saw that coming.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   Tyr | Jul 30, 2008 08:38pm | #10

   There will be shoe installed after the floor goes down-right? Tyr
   I had to match some turn of the century base on one job but no way to combine mouldings to match. Had a shop custom cut the profile into their blades (not too bad bucks wise) and they ran off what I needed. Just another way to skin a cat MEOW! Tyr

1. 
   hammer1 | Jul 31, 2008 05:42am | #16

   I really like the look of an added shoe molding. It won't be used in this house. It doesn't look right if uneven tiles are used. No sense using it with carpet. There can be issues with how and where the shoe molding ends, against or on top of casings. I haven't done a job where an engineered floor was used and an expansion gap had to left around the perimeter. If you click on "base" in the right column of the link, it shows the most common baseboard moldings that have been used in New England since the 1950's. The newer B400 Speedbase is stocked by most local lumber yards in solid pine, poplar, finger jointed and primed pine as well as MDF. It's the most common baseboard used in this area due to availability, choices and cost. It's 5/8" thick, so it fits with the common 11/16" casings that are typically used. Those are in the center column. The B300 and B400 are popular, particularly with paint jobs in upgraded homes and work well with a shoe. There are all kinds of moldings available today in many materials, sizes and shapes. An interior door often requires 38 lineal feet of casing. Multiply that by 30 doors along with windows and costs can add up quickly. That 1x8 red oak wasn't cheap. More often than not, consumers and builders look for available, economic solutions in both material and installation costs. If you want to go custom, your imagination and pocketbook are the only limits. http://www.brosco.com/mouldings.cfm?page=consumerBeat it to fit / Paint it to match

3. 
   MSA1 | Jul 30, 2008 11:55pm | #12

   Thats what I like too, but as Piffin said I certainly wouldnt put it in every house. That would look dumb in a cookie cutter ranch.

3. 
   JeffinPA | Jul 30, 2008 12:07am | #4

   Piffin is right again of course.

   In every part of the country the best profile is different and in every house, different.

   I would never put a 5 1/4" ogee base in a craftsman home, but in all the mid range colonials in my area, that is all they use.

   When people start upgrading in my area, they tend to upgrade from 3" colonial to either the 5 1/4" ogee base or a 1x with a base cap (they call it a lip molding round these parts).  Since I like the traditional colonial look and grew up in an old farm house with 1x8 and lip molding, that tends to be the look I am personally most attracted to if the fit is there.

4. 
   junkhound | Jul 30, 2008 09:56pm | #11

   For years, it was whatever scrap (12 to 20 ft oak, maple and walnut with a foot or two on each end incomplete) was on the pile at continental hardwoods in Kent, WA.

   They chip it all now ($%#$!!@), but still have a goodly stock.  They found a number of folks (not me) were grabbing the stuff and then selling it online.  A lot of my finds (bad ends, splits, etc) just went for kindling.

   When I first built and was poor, simple ripped 1x spruce with a cove routed on the top side. 

5. 
   peteshlagor | Jul 31, 2008 01:08am | #14

   I've used an oversized (3 3/4") casing for base with the same profiled 2 1/2 as casing.  I thought it looked sweet.

    

6. 
   clinkard | Jul 31, 2008 01:43am | #15

   My favorite from both installation and upkeep is the simple step bevel or just bevel, 7 1/4" tall and solid wood none of that mickey mouse MDF junk. Easy to cope in, no dapping needed over here. And should you ever want to paint again, easy to sand and scrape. (and paint)

7. 
   Matt | Aug 01, 2008 02:19pm | #18

   Short answer:  It depends.

   Depends on what is available.  Start by going to your local lumber yard or wherever you (or your builder) buy interior finish materials and find out what is in stock or readily available.  If I tell you that 7.25" speed base is the way to go for a colonial style house and that is not available in your area except via special order which would make it 2x the cost of a simple 1x8 with base cap on top what good would that be?

   Like someone said above too: It also depends on the casing you are using.  This is particularly true if you are going to use pre-hung (& pre-cased) doors which usually come stock only with certain molding profiles.  Of course, generally anything can be ordered.  Many stock casings are thinner than 3/4" so that effects your ability to use one by as a base.  Sure you can add back band or do other things to the casing but it all depends on what type of house you are building.  Most stock casings like 3.25", 4.25" colonial, or 5.25, 6.25 or 7.25 speed base (speed base a faux base cap made into it) are thinner that 3/4" so the mate up correctly with the standard door and cased opening casings. 

   Why don't we (re)start here by you telling us what general style of house you are building, (or remodeling) and what type of casing you are thinking you might use?  Weather you plan to use stained or painted trim would likely effect things too.  Some general sense of a budget and the value of the subject home might be helpful too.

   On the other hand, maybe you are just collecting ideas to perfect your craft as go along trimming out scores of homes for your customers?

   As far as molding styles in general, I like this Windsor one web site.  Click on the house style links at the bottom, and then as you hover your mouse over the various elements in the pictures it shows you the profiles (they are trying to sell you) :-).

8. 
   Matt | Aug 01, 2008 02:50pm | #19

   PS -  you said: "or perhaps one your customers choose most often?"  I have only built a few houses where the customer actually chose the base molding, and even then in that rare instance it was more just an element of a molding package that was of a particular style and budget that I put together based on what style they want and what they can afford.  Granted I don't build really expensive homes, but still I find that giving people too many choices does nothing but make it hard and confusing for them and just stalls progress on the project.  I'd say at least 50% of the customers I deal with don't even know what "base molding" is much less how the different trim elements go together to make up an appropriate trim package.  I'm working with a guy right now and every single choice I give him his answer is "I'll get back to you".  The house was already framed when he put a contract on it, and I've been working with him for a month and he has already added 3 weeks to the project.  Builders and remodelers more often than not make a large number of decisions as to what is appropriate for a particular client's budget and house style.  More often than not the "choice" might be more of a (builder talking): "This is what the molding package consists of that I'm going to install in your house...    Then they choose extras like more crown molding - and even then, I choose the profile.   This is not to say that if a customer wanted to make these kinds of decisions I wouldn't let them, it would just be a matter of "this is how much it is going to cost you".  Most customers just don't get involved at that level on average cost homes. 

   Granted I don't build truly custom homes  Where the customer is making hundreds or possibly 1000s of decisions.  I'd say I more just customize the homes I build for a particular customer.

1. 
   Piffin | Aug 01, 2008 06:16pm | #20

   I had one customer who when he said I'll have to think about that and get back to you, he meant, I'll have to ask my wife what I think. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Matt | Aug 02, 2008 04:50am | #21

   Was that a Freudian slip or was that what he actually mean???...  or admitted..

   Yesterday, I heard someone say "my boss is at home"  and yes - I can identify with that.  After all- she is the love of my life... bless her heart...    OTOH -  She still doesn't know that my cell plan includes free incoming calls... ;-)

   Know what I mean though about customers and too many choices?

    

   Edited 8/1/2008 9:53 pm ET by Matt

1. 
   Piffin | Aug 02, 2008 02:15pm | #22

   I know exactly. Been working with one guy who must have studied and tried out over 300 toilets before deciding which one to get. Then he bought it himself and pissed off my plumber, so I had to install it myself. I'm about done with that guy 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   MisterT | Aug 04, 2008 02:08pm | #23

   My Favorite base molding hasn't filled out it's profile yet...REZ!!? you there?? RE-EZ!!!.
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   "After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
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   If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???

9. 
   basswood | Aug 04, 2008 04:13pm | #24

   The molding I install most often is 5-1/4" colonial speedbase, in paint-grade poplar or soft maple: