Baseboard Design

Any homeowner worth his/her weight in sawdust already knows that baseboards are a great way to spiff up any room.  And baseboards fit right in with my credo of:  fast, easy, and (can be) cheap.

But how are baseboards designed?  What’s their basic makeup?  And what’s all this about single-piece baseboards vs. built-up baseboards?

Refer to the picture below and to this key here:

Single Piece Baseboard – It’s a single piece, as opposed to a built up baseboard.  You can tell by looking at the top edge of the baseboard.  Some baseboards are constructed of multiple pieces, and the top part is always a separate piece.  This is a single-piece baseboard; a cohesive unit.

Baseboard Profile – The profile is probably the most obvious baseboard design factor.  Here you find two horizontal grooves which will catch the light and create attractive shadows.

Quarter-Round – The quarter round is less baseboard design and more baseboard practicality.  The quarter-round is a separate piece and it covers up the gap between the floor and the bottom of the baseboard.

Gap – Finally, it’s worth noting that another element of baseboard design is that it covers up the gap between the flooring and the wall.  This gap is necessary.