# Tile vs Wood as a baseboard



## MattCoops

In floor installations involving tile, I prefer a tile baseboard rather than a traditional wood baseboard. 
Tile baseboards look especially great in stone applications.

What do ya'll think, tile or wood as baseboard?


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## send_it_all

I agree with you 100%. especially good in wet locations such as bathroom where wood base will be in contact with water and eventually deteriorate.


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## ron schenker

Ditto. However many HO's would prefer to save $$ and go for MDF. At least in my neck of the woods they do


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## send_it_all

I just wont use mdf in a bathroom. When I bid a bath remodel or a base molding job, I just figure pine or even poplar for the bathrooms into the price.


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## send_it_all

And I always back prime wood trim in bathrooms.


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## MattCoops

No priming, painting, sanding, caulking, or any other maintenance with tile baseboard besides grouting and sealing.


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## dtadpole

Sorry to bring this post back from the dead, heck its halloween!:thumbup:

But I am getting ready to put up some moulding in our kitchen, which is slate. I was thinking of using the extra 1/2 pieces of 12 inch tile for a base moulding. 
Would I just mortar this right to the painted drywall or what should I attache it to the wall with? Thanks for all your help.


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## AtlanticWBConst.

dtadpole said:


> Sorry to bring this post back from the dead, heck its halloween!:thumbup:
> 
> But I am getting ready to put up some moulding in our kitchen, which is slate. I was thinking of using the extra 1/2 pieces of 12 inch tile for a base moulding.
> Would I just mortar this right to the painted drywall or what should I attache it to the wall with? Thanks for all your help.


You would attach it to the wall with your thinset adhesive.

As far as how it would look, cut tiles have been used for such, but you have to be carefully in how you apply your grout along a rough cut tile's upper edges to get a "clean look" along the wall. 
You see, for a proper base-board application of tile, you would want bull-nosed pieces used.


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## MattCoops

You don't HAVE to have a bullnose edge.
The chestnut granite in the picture I posted above is not bullnose and mad from cut pieces.

If you want a bullnose on a slate stone tile you can get a bullnose blade for a wet saw and bullnose them yourself.

oh and I wouldn't use grout on top of tile where it meets wall.
I'd use a siliconized caulk that matched the color of my grout.


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## jethro

Greetings from a newbie to this site. I just finished laying new 1/4 inch porcelain floor tile in my guest bath and was considering using tile for the baseboard. The old floor had 4 inch square tile with a 4 inch bull nose base board tile. I went back with a 12 inch square tile. I've laid floor tile before but have never tried doing tile baseboard. What I am considering is to do 4 inch cuts of the same tile as I used on the floor but instead of having a raw edge I thought about doing a wooden cap mold on the top edge of the tile all the way around the room. I found a small "Colonial Cap" molding that looks like a miniature chair rail that I think would work great. It has an offset that would let it sit flush to the wall above the tile.

Here are a few questions:

Do you think the cap mold would look too busy? Iif so, what is the best way to finish the top edge?
W
hen doing tile baseboards is it better to apply the thinset to the wall or to the tile?

Should the baseboard tile rest directly on top of the floor tile or should I leave a grout gap between the base tile and the floor tile?

Thanks....
Jethro


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## srankin1826

I realize I am resurrecting this thread from the dead. But I came upon it through a search and thought I would contribute. 

If you want to use cut tiles for a baseboard there is an easy way to get a uniform grout line along the top of the cut tiles:

My wife came up with the idea. We put a line of the blue masking tape about 1/8" above the cut tile on the wall. We then spread grout along the top of the tile using the smear with a finger method (similar to forcing caulk into a right angle gap). After waiting about a half hour, we pulled the tape off and vacuumed up the bits that crumbled off when we pulled the tape.

The end result is a uniform grout line on top of the cut tile used as baseboard in our kitchen.

cheers,

Sam



AtlanticWBConst. said:


> You would attach it to the wall with your thinset adhesive.
> 
> As far as how it would look, cut tiles have been used for such, but you have to be carefully in how you apply your grout along a rough cut tile's upper edges to get a "clean look" along the wall.
> You see, for a proper base-board application of tile, you would want bull-nosed pieces used.


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## johnlvs2run

I'm planning to use cut tile for baseboard material with a stained concrete floor, and have a question.

There's a 1/2 inch space between the wallboard and the floor. There was quite a bit of dirt in this space 
behind the wood baseboard, and the ants in particular put in or toss out a lot of the dirt from the spaces.
Ants and other insects use this space to get into the house, and the baseboard has rotted in a few places.

Can the 1/2 space be filled in, or is there a good way to seal it?

Thanks.


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## LeviDIY

To give this thread its 3rd/4th revival from the dead... I see the pros of a tile baseboard especially in a bathroom with a tile floor as uniformity and easier to clean... also, water splashing won't damage as easily compared to wood (if properly sealed and wiped off sooner rather than later).

If you have to go wood in a bathroom baseboard, how would you protect it from water? Would you caulk or silicone where it meets the drywall/wall on top and the tile on bottom?


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## debbiekellaway

*Bathroom ceramic tile as baseboard on uneven walls*



MattCoops said:


> No priming, painting, sanding, caulking, or any other maintenance with tile baseboard besides grouting and sealing.


We had new drywall installed in the bathroom after some flooding. The walls are not 100% level to the floor. Will it be possible to install ceramic tiles as a baseboard on these imperfect walls? They are just off a little. Can a little more or less thinset or grout make up for any imperfections? I hate to have the drywall re-done (or complain to the contractor).


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## Bud Cline

debbiekellaway said:


> We had new drywall installed in the bathroom after some flooding. The walls are not 100% level to the floor. Will it be possible to install ceramic tiles as a baseboard on these imperfect walls? They are just off a little. Can a little more or less thinset or grout make up for any imperfections? I hate to have the drywall re-done (or complain to the contractor).


Not a problem. Go for it.


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