What are the current, yet classic, baseboard shapes these days? Last time I chose it was 5"-7" tall, plain and simple. I am replacing baseboards in a small, but somewhat upscale desert home with porcelain tile floors and would like something that does not obviously go out of style and still works for a 1200 square foot home with 9’ ceilings.
Plain and simple is the way to go, 8-10 inches tall.
Cast iron. They are the most eco friendly, and they will make the room the most comfortable.
Wow 8-10 inch baseboards seems tall to me for 9" ceilings. We have 5" baseboards for 8" ceilings. We just redid a bathroom and the general contract (an Amish builder who does a ton of reno and new build work including high-end suggested it). And I don’t understand @Massmomm 's reference to cast iron.
I think there are other factors to consider - what is the style of the house? What kind of casings and crown mold do you have? Generally, I think higher baseboards elevate the look as long as they are in proportion to the ceiling height and other millwork in the room.
Are you planning to use a quarter round or shoe mold at the base?
I am drawn to modern and have noticed that several friends who recently remodeled have used rectangular baseboards that I think have such a sleek, clean look. I do agree that 8"-10" baseboards sound very high for 9’ ceilings.
I think you would prefer a style that doesn’t gather dust. So, unless you have door casing and other molding in the house that has a lot of grooves and detail, or a traditional style house, get baseboard with no grooves or cuts on the top that hold dust. The easiest clean style is ‘clamshell’ but it is not very stylish.
A lot of people like a flat board modern style but it has a square edge top that creates a shelf for dust. I like a style that is minimal. My favorites are 307 MUL or 390MUL. Those might not be the right height but it should show the styles.
I personally think 5” high baseboard should be plenty for 9ft ceilings.
Our 1924 house has 8’-7" ceilings, some sort of mix between Craftsman and colonial interiors. The door and window trim must have been made up by a local contractor I’ve never seen it anywhere, but our town. The baseboards are pretty standard colonial 8" height including a couple of curvy pieces at the top. Same thing upstairs even though the ceiling are a few inches lower. I think anything smaller looks undersized, but I am used to old houses.
I worked with a client once where we were adding on to a 1960s split level. My client really liked his clam shell window casings and undersized baseboards, so that’s what we put in the addition.
I’d go with 5" by 3/4" painted white.
Wow- such high baseboards! Current house has 3", higher than the old houses- Florida and Wisconsin. Both plain which fits contemporary styling. Baseboards are functional- covering gaps between floor and wall plus acting as a bumper for furniture.
There is no one “style” to consider. It all depends on the house style and what’s customarily expected in your location for most houses. I would think you would go with something like the original baseboards. These are typically not changed except where the old needs to be replaced when renovating.
I personally dislike the Colonial styles and any other elaborate ones. This is not the part of the wall you should be directing your attention to- it should be unobtrusive and functional- not a major dust collector or something that would make any style of furniture feel out of place.
Wait-what???
@Massmomm could you please explain your “cast iron” comment?
I think @Massmomm was talking about baseboard heaters. Maybe it’s a Massachusetts thing, but that was what I thought of when I read the question as well. It wasn’t until I started reading the responses that I realized you meant something else. I call the strip that goes along the bottom of walls base molding.
I also am in the camp that it depends on the style of the house. We have a 100+ year old tutor. 9 ft ceilings on every level. The baseboards are large and elaborate, as is all the mill work in the house. And yes, they require regular dusting.
I would go simple if it works with the style of the house.
Ha, yes, I was thinking baseboard heaters, too!
I never thought of baseboard heaters, and I’ve seen some metal baseboards on Houzz, but not cast iron!
It is a vacation re talk in the desert (think Grand Canyon area) so whilst I like the 6-6” plain rectangle with a squared of top, I know how dusty those get in my home and I don’t need to showcase the ubiquitous red sand to my guests.
The style is tract home simple and we are upgrading details to give a more upscale vibe. Built less than ten years ago, there are no other fancy moldings at all.
Any baseboard will get dusty. It comes with the territory so get what style appeals to you. There are tools on the market, vacuum or otherwise, to tackle dusting baseboards without too much effort.
I have never heard baseboards called or described in writing as wall base molding. Learn something new every day!
We have hot water baseboard “heat”…but that is totally different than our baseboards…which we just call woodwork.
@somemom get a wool duster.
Then get any baseboard you want. With a newer more modern look, I’d go with some thing very simple, and not too high.
Just measured–8 inch tall baseboard with 9 ft ceilings. Perfect