Positing MDF baseboards against pine baseboards is pretty easy:  MDF blows.  That’s not to say that installing pine baseboards is a piece of cake.  We’re saying that pine will make your life easier than MDF.

One thing that few remodelers mention is that MDF is heavy stuff.  Even though we’re not talking crown molding here, if you’re dealing with MDF crown molding that stuff is heavy to hold up.  But consider this:  hauling home 250 linear feet of MDF is a real job.  And in the process, you’ll end up breaking a board or two and/or nicking the stuff.

In the fight between MDF and pine baseboards, it’s pine all the way.

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.

Why Removing Baseboards Isn’t So Bad

Because you’re installing flooring, you’re also raising the height of the floor.  This means that the baseboards simply get raised another half-inch, inch, or whatever up the wall.

Nail alignment stays the same.  You don’t have to guess where the stud are.  Because the baseboards are moving vertically but not horizontally, the nails will still hit the studs.

And this is the best part.  You’ll first need to score the paint along the top of the baseboard.  This leaves a horrid mess:  a deep gouge in your drywall.  But never fear, layering is here!  Remember, the baseboard is moving up.  So, it will effectively cover up the score marks.  All you need to do is make sure there are no bulges in that scored area to mess up your baseboard.

How to Remove Baseboards

Tools and Materials

• Pry bar
• Claw hammer
• Thin scrap of plywood (1/4″ thick and about 4 inches square)
• Utility knife
• Stud finder

Procedure

1. Score along the top of the baseboard with the utility knife.  Score several times lightly rather than one heavy pass.
2. Start at the stud closest to the end of the baseboard.  Locate with a magnetic stud finder.
3. Lay the wood square on the wall, just above the baseboards.  Make sure square is positioned at a stud.  This is where the nails will be.
4. Slowly, carefully tap the end of the pry bar into the top of the baseboard and pry back.
5. If it’s hard to pry back all the way, get it started with the pry bar and continue with the claw hammer.