Using door and window molding as floor base molding

[Mikepier]

Just curious has anyone used standard door and window molding for the floor? I know at HD and Lowes they have them labeled as such in the aisles, but I have used moulding meant for the doors and windows for the floor because they are easier to work with. My floors and walls are not perfect, and these moldings I am using are 2 1/4" wide by about 3/8" thick, making it easier for me to flex the moulding to contour with the floor and wall, thus eliminating the need to caulk or put a shoe molding. I am close to finishing my basement and find that if I used the big

4"+ base moulding it would be difficult to work with. So far the smaller moulding is working out great. I just wanted to know what others think.

[jamesgangnc]

There are no "rules" about it. But usually baseboard molding is simple making it easier to clean and keep clean. Intricate molding will colect dust and dirt more and will be harder to clean if used at the floor level.

[Vic Smith]

With molding I think you should use what you like. Might not look good if you go too wide/tall because of proportions, but going narrower/shorter as you are should still look good. That's just my take. I flipped the shoe I recently put in so the tall side was down, because it covered the old varnish line on the floor that way. (I had the floors sanded/varnished, then decided to put in new base/shoe to match.) To my eye it looks real good.

--Vic

[Cindy Hamilton]

I'm sure someone would be happy to go on and on about matching the scale and style of the woodwork to the scale and style of the room it's in.

We are putting new molding in a small vestibule. None of the stock millwork thrilled us, so we got 1 x 4 red oak, and he's going to round over one edge for the baseboard and both edges for the door casings. Simple, just the way we like things. I'll stain it to harmonize with the door and flooring.

Do what pleases you.

Cindy Hamilton

[RonB]

It is one of those personal things and people do swap to meet the effect they want.

One Caution: Make sure your thicknesses and edge radius is OK so you don't have a square cut end sticking out a little proud of your door molding. Voice of experience.

RonB

[willshak]

Mikepier wrote the following:

When my house was built in 1984, the GC used ogee door and window trim as baseboard in all the rooms. The longer I looked at it, the more I wanted to change to regular base molding. I finally changed it to wood baseboard molding in all the rooms. In the kitchen and baths, where mopping and spills are common, I used the plastic baseboard molding. The plastic molding is more flexible than wood, so you may want to use that if your floors are uneven.

[EXT]

One can be flexible, if it looks good, then it should work. I have seen baseboard used as window casing, I have used door stop as baseboard quarter round when I didn't want it to protrude into the floor, in utility areas I have used 1/4" plywood scrap cut into strips and routed with a round over bit for baseboard.

One molding you may want to attempt to locate is "Combination base". It is a short baseboard molding that flares out at the bottom so that it doesn't need a shoe or quarter round. It is especially handy when working over carpet on top of concrete as there would be no place to nail the shoe or quarter round. It is also flexible enough to follow undulations of poured concrete. Sometimes it is difficult to find.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I know a guy that knows a guy that did the same thing. Seems that when the Mattress Tag Police came to do an inspection, they noticed the improper use of molding in his house. They reported him to the authorities. He ended up with a $5000 fine and 200 hours of community service and had to put floor molding in to avoid jail time.

None of my business what you do in the privacy of your home, but I'd advise never posting it publicly.