Baseboard Molding Ideas
Also see:This page contains some ideas for building combination baseboards. Using 1by finish lumber and commonly available molding profiles, designs can be built to mimic historic profiles or create new ones.
Basic Combination Baseboard
This is a common baseboard design made up of 3 parts: the base cap, a 1x6 and quarter–round shoe mould. Other small profiles can be used in place of the base cap and shoe used here, to vary this baseboard design. Likewise, boards wider than this 1x6 can be used in rooms with high ceilings.
To install this and the other baseboards here, the 1by is installed first using butt joints at inside corners and mitered outside corners. The shaped pieces should be joined with miters on outside corners and miters or coped joints on inside corners.
5–Piece Baseboard Design
This baseboard is built using 1by lumber and 4 small molding profiles. The blocks along the back push this face out to about 1½ inches making it suitable for use with deep, Victorian style door casings.
The base cap is created by stacking 3 separate moldings: a cove, stop bead and small bullnose profile. The shoe is a standard quarter–round but other small profiles can also be used along the bottom. A 1x6 is used here but wider boards can also be used.
To install this baseboard, 1x2 furring strips are nailed to the wall framing first and the 1by is nailed along the front. A bullnose bead is stacked on top of the base followed by the stop bead and cove. All pieces of a profile should be installed before moving on to the next.
Stacked Baseboard Design
This is a stacked design, also suitable for use with deep door casings.
The backer board is a 1x6 with a bevel cut along the top edge. A second, smaller 1by board is stacked along the face and capped with a piece of rake mould. The top and bottom of the baseboard are trimmed with the usual base cap and shoe moldings.
Victorian Style Baseboard
This baseboard design is suitable for large rooms with high ceilings, trimmed with deep, wide casings, chair rails and crown moldings.
To build this profile a 1x8 serves as the backer board and 3 different panel molding profiles decorate the face. The top is finished with a beaded base cap molding.