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2025-11-14T21:35:06Z

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{{Short description|Lowest part of an interior wall}}
{{Other uses}}
{{use American English|date=October 2022}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2013}}
[[File:Wall.svg|thumb|right|alt=Wall.svg|Diagram of a wall<br />{{leftlegend|#e88200|[[crown moulding]]}} {{leftlegend|#00cf40|[[dado rail]]}} {{leftlegend|#d9d04c|[[dado (architecture)|dado]]}} {{leftlegend|#664fe1|baseboard / skirting board}} ]]
In [[architecture]], a '''baseboard''' (also called '''skirting board''', '''skirting''', '''wainscoting''', '''mopboard''', '''trim''', '''floor molding''', or '''base molding''') is usually [[wooden]], [[Medium-density fibreboard|MDF]] or [[Polyvinyl chloride|vinyl]] [[lumber|board]] covering the lowest part of an interior [[wall]]. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor. It covers the uneven edge of flooring next to the wall, protects the wall from [[kick]]s, [[abrasion (mechanical)|abrasion]], and furniture, and can serve as a decorative molding.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wood Baseboard vs. Vinyl Baseboard {{!}} DoItYourself.com|url = http://www.doityourself.com/stry/wood-baseboard-vs-vinyl-baseboard#b|access-date = 2015-09-30}}</ref>

At its simplest, baseboard consists of a simple plank [[nail (engineering)|nail]]ed, [[screw]]ed or [[Adhesive|glued]] to the wall; however, particularly in older houses, it can be made up of a number of [[moulding (decorative)|molding]]s for decoration. A baseboard differs from a [[wainscot]]; a wainscot typically covers from the floor to around 1-1.5 metres (3' to 5') high (waist or chest height), whereas a baseboard is typically under 0.2 metres (8") high (ankle height).

== Materials ==
Plastic baseboard comes in various plastic compounds, the most common of which is [[Polyvinyl chloride|UPVC]]. It is usually available in white or a flexible version in several colors and is usually glued to the wall.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Creating the Built Environment: The Practicalities of Designing, Constructing and Owning Buildings|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NVmRAgAAQBAJ|publisher = Routledge|date = 2003-09-02|isbn = 113581824X|first = Leslie|last = Holes}}</ref> Vinyl baseboard is glued with adhesive and can be difficult to remove or to replace. It has a long lifespan, which can mean lower maintenance.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wood Baseboard vs. Vinyl Baseboard {{!}} DoItYourself.com|url = http://www.doityourself.com/stry/wood-baseboard-vs-vinyl-baseboard#b|access-date = 2015-09-30}}</ref>

Wooden baseboard can be available in untreated, lacquered or prepainted versions. Prepainted baseboards can be made from a single piece or [[finger joint]]ed wood, often softwoods, while hardwoods are either lacquered, or raw for staining and made from a single piece of wood.

[[Medium-density fibreboard]] (MDF)) is a common material used for baseboard trim and [[Molding (decorative)|molding]]. It is an engineered [[wood]] product manufactured from refined wood fibers combined with [[wax]] and [[resin|resin binders]]. MDF is denser and more rigid than standard [[particle board]] and can be easily machined and painted.{{sfn|Darbyshire|2010|p=247}}

Tiles can also be used as a baseboard.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KlPNvXD0LDYC&dq=tile+skirting&pg=PA596 | title=Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings | isbn=9781118658581 | last1=Emmitt | first1=Stephen | last2=Gorse | first2=Christopher A. | date=5 February 2013 | publisher=John Wiley & Sons }}</ref>

== Multi-purpose baseboards ==

Heaters are sometimes installed in place of or in front of baseboards. These come in [[Electric_heating | electrical]] and [[radiator]] varieties, the latter relying on hot water as their heat source.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Baseboard vs. radiator heat| date=July 2002 |url = http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/qa/baseboard-vs-radiator-heat.aspx|access-date = 2015-09-30}}</ref>

Where walls are difficult or expensive to modify, or must be left in their original state, and local regulations allow it, [[electrical wiring]] and signal cables may be routed round rooms inside cable channels, also known as [[Electrical_conduit#Trunking|trunking]], that double as skirting board. The regulations for [[electrical wiring in the United Kingdom]] do not allow this type of installation.

==See also==

* [[Quarter round]]
* [[Crown molding]]
* [[Dado (architecture)|Dado]]
* [[Dado rail]]
* [[Panelling]]
* [[Picture rail]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book |last=Darbyshire |first=A. |title=Mechanical Engineering |publisher=CRC Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-136-43699-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RnDOaAT5vnwC&pg=PT258 |access-date=2025-11-14}}

{{Woodworking}}

[[Category:Woodworking]]
[[Category:Floors]]
[[Category:Residential heating]]
[[Category:Architectural elements]]

Baseboard - Revision history

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