Baseboards:

Most homes have wood trim along the base of the wall known as baseboard or mopboard.

Wood Baseboards

With wood base trim, however, there are several options. You can leave the baseboard in place and make cuts to the edge tiles to align tightly to the baseboard leaving a gap or grout line consistent with the other grout lines in the tile grid. Keep in mind that you will loose a portion of the height of the baseboard consistent with the thickness of the tile, mortar bed and underlayment board you use. This is an easier option since you don’t need to remove the existing base material.

Some baseboards have multiple components. They are built from separate pieces of wood molding. A common piece is called a baseboard “shoe”, which is a small trim piece, usually quarter round, installed at the bottom of the base trim piece. This piece can be easily removed, re-installed, replaced, or just left out. If your baseboard does not have a shoe and you need to cover some irregular cut edges, you can add this trim component to your baseboard.

You can also remove the entire baseboard in a room, set the tile and then re-install the baseboard. To remove existing baseboard without tearing wallpaper or damaging paint, first score the top of the baseboard with a utility knife. This will separate the baseboard from paint and caulk that could stick and cause damage to the wall. Then with a stiff putty knife inserted from the top (possibly with the use of a hammer) gently pry the baseboard from one end to the other until the nails release the baseboard from the wall. If you decide on this remove and replace option, remember that the height of the baseboard will change and will not match remaining baseboard in other adjacent rooms.

One other problem with removing old baseboard is that many pieces (especially small pieces) have cracks in them or may break when you attempt to remove them. Be prepared to replace some pieces with a matching trim profile and matching stain or paint. If you remove the baseboard completely, you might consider installing brand new wood base trim. However, you’ll need several other tools and some carpentry skills or you could hire a professional for this part of the job.

One of my favorite options, especially in kitchens and baths, is to remove old vinyl or wood baseboard and replace it with tile baseboard. Many manufacturers have ceramic and porcelain products specifically made for baseboard.

Ceramic Baseboards

Another common base trim material is vinyl cove base a material with a curved shoe at the bottom.

(1) Vinyl wall base molding is only about 1/16” thick and usually 4” tall. Generally it comes in 4-foot sections when you purchase the cove style. The cove style has the slight curve at the base. You can also purchase base molding in a roll. The rolled version usually does not have the bottom curve and is primarily used for carpeted areas. Following are basic techniques you will need to install both types of vinyl base molding.

(2) To cut a piece of base molding, place it face down on a scrap piece of wood. Take a small square and line it up with your measurement mark. Press down on the square to flatten the molding. Using a utility knife, make several passes until you have completely cut through the material.

(3) For end-of-runs and joints, you will simply butt the base molding up against a door casing or the next piece of base molding. Make sure that you have cut the material squarely to avoid gaps.

(4) When you get to an inside corner, run the first piece squarely into the adjacent wall. Take the next piece of material and carve away the curved bottom portion so that it joins seamlessly with the first piece.

(5) For outside corners, you need to wrap the base molding around the corner. To make it easier to bend the material, carve away a little of the back of the base molding. Start by positioning the piece of material and marking the point where it will wrap. Use a square to mark the back of the molding.

(6) Take the piece and bend it so the material is face-to-face. Using a utility knife, carefully carve away about half the thickness of the vinyl. The resulting thinner area will bend more easily around the corner.

(7) When gluing the material in place, make sure the room is well ventilated. Apply the adhesive to the back of the base molding. Using a notched trowel spread the adhesive to create thin rows that cover the entire area that will touch the wall. Don’t over-do it. You don’t want the excess adhesive to squeeze out when you install the molding. Press the molding in place and make sure the entire area is pushed firmly against the wall.