Ideas for matching height of baseboard trim

[Eric Wheeler]

Hey Guys,

Need some ideas on how to match the height of baseboard. I am attaching a drawing to help explain my situation. But I did a tile floor in a kitchen and dining room. The tile height is about 3/4" higher than the hardwood floor in the hallway and living room. The wall surrounding the stairway needs a piece of trim but the floor changes height along that wall. The baseboard needs to match the height of the exisiting living room baseboard. But it also needs to match the height of the baseboard we are going to put into the kitchen/dining. The only thing I can imagine looking slightly good is to notch the trim around the floor height at the end of hall wall, but then I'd have to rip down the entire kitchen/dining to keep the same height all the way around. But even then I don't think it'll look that great cuz ripping down the trim that is already only 2.5-3" will look odd. Looking for some ideas from you pros out there. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You in Advance,

Eric

[Sam Murdoch]

If you are using a plane base board - no detail - this change is difficult to do nicely but if the base board has a cap molding you can easily have the molding return up 3/4" and the continue on its merry way along the top of the tall base board. Looks good and professional. Of course this might mean that you need to replace all the base boards in these room to achieve the look - or - if you do in fact have plane boards - just add a profiled cap to it all.

Or, simply make the new baseboard taller and perhaps a bit thicker for the old base to terminate into it. No reason that they have to match exactly.

[Eric Wheeler]

no detail at all, just slightly arced wood, no routerd top edge or anything, the cheapest most basic looking baseboard is what is existing in the living room that I'd like to match

[Tom Ewell]

242987if you can find a reasonable area for the transition do a double miter to raise the trim over the tile floor.

[Eric Wheeler]

242987if you can find a reasonable area for the transition do a double miter to raise the trim over the tile floor.

That never occured to me...I'm having a hard time picturing what it'd look like being only 3/4", but I think I'm gonna try it tomorrow. Thanks

[Jeff Duncan]

There's one other possibility you may want to consider.....replacing your baseboard:eek: Since it's so low already it's going to make for a hard transition and make you kitchen bsbd really low. Even going with an inexpensive speed base should improve the look of your room for short money.

just a thought....good luck,
JeffD

[Eric Wheeler]

There's one other possibility you may want to consider.....replacing your baseboard:eek: Since it's so low already it's going to make for a hard transition and make you kitchen bsbd really low. Even going with an inexpensive speed base should improve the look of your room for short money.

just a thought....good luck,
JeffD

If it was my house I would, but the customer doesn't want to replace all of it throughout the living room and hallway...They already didn't really want to replace the kitchen to do the tile, but I showed them how stupid it'd look adding that much tile, and that I can't take it off without either damaging the trim or damaging the drywall behind it.

[scott vroom]

A double miter solution won't work.....3/4" is too small. You have 3 choices:

1) run the full sized baseboard aver the wood floor then rip it down 3/4" where it transitions over the tile. You'd have to continue ripping it down in the tiled room at least until you run into a door case or a cabinet etc.

2) run the full height molding across the tile, over the transition and continue running it across the wood floor. This would leave a 3/4" gap along the bottom of the baseboard across the wood floor. You'd fill the gap with strips of wood then cover that seam with a base shoe.

3) You could use a plinth or similar blocking at the transition. This would be the easiest solution.

Good luck.

[Tom Ewell]

A double miter solution won'twork.....3/4" is too small..

Why doesn't this work, aesthetic reasons?

A "reasonable area for the transition" includes aesthetic considerations.
Looking at Erics’ drawing, the reasonable area is a tough one.

If it looks bad then it doesn't get done

On the other hand if it looks like it belongs then it becomes an"architectural detail"
quite often admired by the customer and a show of craftsmanship.

[Dave Zellers]

Since you have a 3/4" difference in floor height, I assume you have a beveled threshold there. I would think about transitioning the base board to mimic the threshold profile at that point.

[scott vroom]

Tom, do you have a pic or drawing that shows your idea?





Why doesn't this work, aesthetic reasons?

A "reasonable area for the transition" includes aesthetic considerations.
Looking at Erics’ drawing, the reasonable area is a tough one.

If it looks bad then it doesn't get done

On the other hand if it looks like it belongs then it becomes an"architectural detail"
quite often admired by the customer and a show of craftsmanship.

[Tom Ewell]

Tom, do you have a pic or drawing that shows your idea?
Sure, a picture worth a 1000 words thing, I suppose.

Went out this morning and cobbled together what I was talking about with some old std 3-1/4" MDF base. This one is setup for a 2x4 wall (with drywall) and the 3/4" elevated floor projects in 1".


243198

location, size of base, etc. make for the variables and eye appeal.

Edit: Eric's problem is no fun , I presume that the hallway wall and elevated floor are "flush". If that's the case then place the double miter anywhere on the return side that works and rip the bottom of the base to lay on top of the elevated floor.

243201

In this shot I just modified the prior setup. With a do over, I'd move the double miter to center on the wall somewhat, whatever looks decent .

[scott vroom]

Nicely done, Tom. I would have thought that a 3/4" step-down wouldn't look good, too small....but after seeing your sample I'd have to agree it's a viable alternative in Eric's application.

[Ted Calver]

Oh Boy! Tom, thanks for the pictures. I have been pondering a similar situation and you just saved the day:)

[Martin Melderis]

I built up the baseboard on the lower side, rather than ripping it off of the higher side. Just ripped a strip off of a piece of the same baseboard stock to use for the filler strip. Once you add your transition piece over the gap it looks great.
243300243301243302

[Phil Thien]

Is it just me, or did your original message say the tile was 3/4" higher than the hardwood floor? The pic makes it look like the tile is lower.

Doesn't matter one way or another, but which was it?