Shoe Molding Orientation

[Buck Turgidson]

I am going to put down some shoe molding. It is not quarter-round, rather it is rather flat-sided on one side. I have seen it installed both ways, with the long side to the floor, and long side to the baseboard.

I am curious if there is a standard way of installing it, or is it up to me? I don't want it to look funny to a trained eye. I have an obstruction, and it would work better for me to install it long-side to the baseboard so it will clear the obstruction.

[Alan Bierbaum]

Base shoe is designed to have the tall dimension run up and down; put the narrow flat against the floor.

[Bridger]

long side to the baseboard

[Nehmo Sergheyev]

- Buck - standard way of installing it, or is it up to me?

- Rico dJour -

- TonyM -

- Nehmo - This pdf has some pics, the first three

suppose it's a matter of taste, but I put the flattened side of the profile vertically. If horizontal and someone kicks it, the shoe (the real shoe on someone's foot) may be guided up to hit the wall. If vertical, the shoe is more likely to be stopped, preventing damage to the fragile wall.

[Tom Plamann]

I've seen it done both ways. However, the one case where I saw it installed wide side down, they were unsure which way it went and guessed wrong.

Tom Plamann

[Bridger]

I've seen it installed flat to cover a gap in the floorboards....

just looks *wrong* to my eye....

[Unisaw A100]

My Dad put up some garden variety (available at any lumber yard) chair rail. He put it upside down (phat part along the bottom edge).

I stopped going to visit them at Christmas.

Now, in the case of a multi-piece molding (moulding David) you can get away with some things but it's best to work it out on paper first/do a short mock-up.

UA100

[Leon]

ROTHFLAO You gotta love an answer like that.