Hi Everyone,
Looking forward to installing baseboard this weekend.
The kitchen is tiled and about .75″ higher then the existing hardwood floors oustide the kitchen. The kitchen has three openings that flow to the dining room, foyer, and hallway, so I want to figure out what’s the best practice. The baseboard is a standard 3.25″
my preference is to not to rip the bottom of the baseboards as they go into the kitchen, unless that’s the best practice.
Any thoughts?
Tark
Replies
Where the two floors meet cut opposing 45's and a small piece to connect them together.
I think I understand what you are saying, yet what I should add is that each of these transitions happen at an walk-thru opening. (the openings used to have a door, which we removed and drywalled accordingnly) So as the baseboard on the tile terminates at the opening, the next baseboard that it meets is along the threshold of the walk-thru opening which is on the hardwood floor, which is now turned 90 degrees. I guess what I'm saying there is the .75" drop and a 90 degree turn. I hope that makes sense. . .Tark
The ideal situation would be to maintain the same top height on the baseboard in all rooms. That means trimming off the bottom in the room (s) where the floor is highest. With the minimal height of the baseboard that you are dealing with, it's a tough call. If you are not locked into that height of baseboard, going to a 4" or taller baseboard will give you additional trimming height without the remaining baseboard looking to wimpy. In my experience, any place where you bring to pieces of baseboard together which vary in height, even by a quarter inch or less, is an eye-magnet and always looks like a mistake.
Good luck...
Dennis
Here's a link to a thread where this was discussed before. Maybe it will be of some help:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=72481.1
I'm with djohan....rip the base in the kitchen.
3.25"' base is shorter than I like when ripping is required.....how much base is being run outside the kitchen?
If it's a small enough amount, step it up to 4" instead of ripping.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Thanks for everyone that responded, I had not had a chance to check back here until today.Ideally, ripping the bottom of the casing would have been easiest, yet I'm committed to these 3.25" base and taking .75" off the bottom looked like too much.Each of the transitions occur at a one of three passthrough openings (one for each side) between the kitchen and the other rooms. So in the space of about 6 inches, I have to drop .75" while make two 90 degree cuts. Sloping the baseboard to tie everything together did not look right to me.What I tried and seems to look nice is at the transition (which is at a corner), where the height changes, I terminate the baseboard by cutting it 45 degrees on its length and having another 45 degree cut next to it. So what happen is the detail of the top of the baseboard rounds the "corner top" of the baseboard and terminates the detail into the floor. Since the height differences occur on a different plane (at the corner of the passthrough), I start with this same detail in the different plane. Then I cut a 45 degree on it width wise to get past the threshold and then continue on my way.I should have taken pictures, but I forgot to today. I'm by no means a journeyman carpenter, but this seemed the most pleasing visually. I can post pictures next change I get, but hopely someone who can understand what I did, will come around and "bless" the solution I've come up with.Thanks Tark
I sure would appreciate a pic. It sounds like what you did is a "return" to the floor where the height changes, but I'm visualizing back-to-back returns which can't look good. Also, I keep stumbling over this sentence: "Then I cut a 45 degree on it width wise to get past the threshold and then continue on my way." A width wise 45 degree cut is simply called a miter. Is that on the outside corner?
Maybe you mean what I have pictured below. Of course, in your case, the baseboard on the right wouldn't be ripped to match at the bottom thus creating a drop. If so, I wouldn't know how to describe it with words either. Maybe a "partial return" or a "transitional return"?
View Image
"It sounds like what you did is a "return" to the floor where the height changes, but I'm visualizing back-to-back returns which can't look good. Also, I keep stumbling over this sentence: "Then I cut a 45 degree on it width wise to get past the threshold and then continue on my way." A width wise 45 degree cut is simply called a miter. Is that on the outside corner?"Also to someone else's question, there will not be a need for a shoe ont he hardwood floor.Yes, I did mean to say "return" to the floor and I did mean miter (although it should have read 90 degree not 45.) I have been experimenting (on paper) and I think I found what should be the most appropriate way. When I get a chance tomorrow, I think I'll mock it up and take a couple of pictures and gain some further feedback.I really appreciate everyone's inputTark
Are you putting shoe mold in the hardwood area?
Edit: looking back at the posting dates, I guess the job is all done?
Edited 11/13/2007 7:08 am ET by Matt
Baseboard?? different floor heights at outside corners
Tark,
I have the same situation, would greatly appreciate a picture.
Thanks,
kp7
Plinth blocks at the transition points.
Second on the blocks. I did a quick google and they are called base blocks. Something atractive that will look right. You can have different heights on each side. Throw a few more in around the place to make them look like they were meant to be used instead of had to be used. This one seems narrow. You could make it a bit wider. You don't have to use them on just the corners. Put them on the corners and then at the transition area. Sorry the pic is so small. Do a google on wooden base blocks.
Edited 11/12/2007 11:13 pm ET by popawheelie
Sounds like you are getting some answers to your questions.
What I want to know is how you handled the .75 inch drop in the floor! What transition did you make?