Wall Base | Baseboard Moldings
Wall Base Molding
Sizes
Wall base or baseboards come in various sizes: 2.5", 4", 4.5" and 6" thick and 48" long (4'–120' rolls).
Composition
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Rubber Baseboards
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Vinyl Baseboards
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Blend / Thermoplastic
Profiles
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Cove with toe (designed for commercial spaces)
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Straight with no toe (toeless, common in hotels and residential) base
What Are Wall Baseboards?
Wall baseboards, also known as cove base, are a type of trim typically made of rubber or vinyl and cover the bottom few inches of a wall. Baseboards come in a roll and protect against scuffs and bumps from many elements that hit your walls. Baseboard trim can also be used to cover gaps or inconsistencies between your floorboards and walls. They’re generally used in commercial settings such as offices, stores, and hospitals but can be used in your home.
Baseboards can be made from various materials. Rubber baseboards have a matte finish on the surface, while vinyl baseboards are shinier. Rubber comes in 1/8 inch and .08 inch upon request. Rubber baseboards with the toe that sticks out from the wall are recommended for high foot-traffic spaces and are also a standard for keeping up with most city building codes. The majority of baseboards sold in the United States are made of vinyl or vinyl-rubber blends for design and sanitary purposes.
Vinyl baseboards, baseboards with blends of rubber and vinyl, or thermoplastic baseboards are built for durability. Vinyl and rubber baseboard moldings are a great option if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to add protection to the walls of your home or space.
Color Options
Each of the wall baseboard manufacturers has over 100 colors of baseboard molding. The most common rubber baseboard molding colors are black, gray, brown, and white, followed by similar earth tones such as tan, beige, blue, and green. Vinyl baseboards have primarily gray, brown, and red colors.
Matching Colors
Here at Floor City, we have a team of experts ready to help you identify the color and style of your existing baseboards and find the closest option to fit your specifications. The molding that we sell comes brand-new from the manufacturer, all made with industrial-strength high-grade rubber or commercial-grade vinyl material designed to fit against most standard walls for your home or other spaces.
We recommend ordering a sample to get an exact match, but we will also send you high-resolution photos of the product. However, colors may vary slightly, as with all photos viewed through various screens.
Rubber vs. Vinyl Wall Baseboards
Baseboards can be made of rubber, vinyl, or rubber-vinyl composite. Each has its pros and cons.
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Vinyl: Vinyl is the least expensive of the three types of wall baseboards. Its interior is lighter than its exterior, which means nicks and gouges stand out. Vinyl baseboards might make wall imperfections, like gaps, noticeable. It is also less flexible than the other types of baseboards.
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Rubber-vinyl composite: Made with rubber and vinyl, this base’s interior is still lighter than its exterior but more flexible than regular vinyl wall base. This makes it easier to work with.
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Rubber: Baseboards made from 100% rubber have the highest price point. Its color is consistent throughout, which means nicks and gouges are virtually unnoticeable. It hides wall imperfections nicely and is flexible, so it’s the easiest type of base trim to work with.
What Are Standard Baseboard Sizes?
You will find the widest variety of widths, thicknesses, and lengths among the rubber baseboards, as it’s the most popular type. Cove base comes in heights ranging from 2.5 inches to 6 inches. Thickness is generally about 1/8 of an inch, and the most common height is 4.5 inches to cover previously removed base installations. A 6-inch baseboard is also commonly used when there’s water damage on the lower portion of the wall. This will allow the installer to hide the effects of flooding, fire, or accidental damages, if any. Cartons contain 120 feet of baseboards, either in four-foot increments or in one continuous roll. It comes in the following profiles:
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Straight baseboard: This is a completely vertical baseboard without a toe.
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Cove wall base: This base has a toe with a rounded or smooth intersection for better maintenance.
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Butt-to-wall baseboard: This also has a toe that butts against the floor. The leading edge of this toe is square for a tight fit.
How to Install Wall Base Moldings
Installing wall baseboards in your home is relatively easy, but it does require some care.
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Begin by sanding the area where you plan to apply your base trim.
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Unroll your baseboard. You should be able to apply it continuously until you come to a doorway.
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Use a V-notched trowel to apply adhesive to the back of the base. Keep the adhesive within approximately 1/4 inch of the top so that it does not seep out when you apply the base to the wall.
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Press the baseboard against the wall and move it up and down about 1/4 of an inch to ensure it adheres properly.
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When going around inside or outside corners, use a hair dryer to soften the base to make it more flexible. Also, cut the toe to go around or fit inside corners as needed.
When looking for baseboards for your home, business, or office, ensure you make the right choice. Consider your needs and your budget before making your purchase.
Wall Base for Carpet
Straight or base with no toe is often used for carpet installation. Cove base molding is best applied in vinyl, laminate, and tiled floors. Retail stores use baseboards as it makes cleaning or maintenance simple and fast. The wall molding protects the lower portion of the wall and offers an accent to any room that separates the floor from the wall.
Rubber wall base molding is popular for having the ability to be molded and shaped in and out of corners. Glue is required and can be applied with a caulking gun or putty knife. We recommend using a 30-ounce cartridge and a large caulking gun to apply adhesive to the base and wall. A 3- or 5-hole nozzle will also help spread the adhesive onto the backing of the base before you press firmly on the wall.
Going Around Corners?
Try scoring the back of the floor molding material on corners to make the base fit firmly against the wall of your home or office. Roppe cove base is a great option for your home, apartments, condos, and other residential living spaces.
Wall Base Brands / Manufacturers
We offer baseboards from the following manufacturers:
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Armstrong
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Burke
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Flexco
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Johnsonite
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Roppe
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Tarkett
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VPI Corp
Floor City is a leading wall-base distributor specializing in commercial projects for large retail and corporate spaces. We distribute wall base molding for home, office, and other commercial spaces nationwide. All orders must be in full box quantities, as we do not cut or mold to fit custom spaces. Baseboards are sold in 120-foot rolls or coils and 4-foot pieces. All shipments are special orders and are only returnable if material is deemed damaged or defective from the manufacturer.
Custom colors and various lengths, thicknesses, heights, profiles, and external corner options are available in sizes 2.5- to 6-inch heights. If you don't see the product you are looking for, contact one of our flooring specialists at (800) 898-9540 to discuss your requirements and answer any questions.
