Garage Baseboard Options

[ceo012384]

Well, in coming towards the close of my garage/workshop build (in case you haven't seen, My Build), I've started to think about baseboard/moulding options. Instead of a standard wooden baseboard, I was thinking about something a little tougher, and more importantly something that might create a water-tight seal between itself and the floor, facilitating easy mopping of the floor without allowing water to get to the drywall and framing wood.

I was thinking stainless steel plating and then using clear caulking to seal it to the floor, just run a bead of it around the room. Also, I think there are rubber ones available, but not sure how they would seal. Any ideas? What do you all have?

 

[thetastelingers]

I don't have any ideas, because I haven't even reached the point of thinking about it.
They just put some rubber baseboards in the offices here at work, but I don't think they are sealed.
I imagine you could put sealer under them before mounting them to the wall.

 

[filthy]

Vinyl baseboard should be fine. That is what they use in commercial settings.

 

[warrent]

And the vinyl ones are always coming un-glued and falling down. There has to be something better. Temperature compensating?

 

[ron in sc]

Instead of a standard wooden baseboard,

We used treat 2x6 and routered the top to give it a profile.

 

[toyota2]

I have always thought that the pvc boards would be a good choice for this. Like you said you can use clear caulking around the bottom. It will not look as good as stainless steel but would hold up good and be a little cheaper. You could even use a router and put a profile around the top to make it look a little better.

 

[comp]

And the vinyl ones are always coming un-glued and falling down. There has to be something better. Temperature compensating?

if you use the right glue they stay

 

[6768rogues]

There is a siding product called Hardi-Plank that is a concrete based board type material. You could use it for base board. It nails on, can be sealed to the floor, is chemically compatible with a concrete floor, is impervious to water, can be sawn easily with the right kind of blade and does not shrink or crack. It comes in at least 16 foot lengths and it paintable. Use stainless steel nails and have a friend help, because it is heavy. I think it would make great base board.

 

[larry4406]

I plan on using vinyl commercial base molding with the proper glue (problem for later, specs for later).

 

[comp]

I plan on using vinyl commercial base molding with the proper glue (problem for later, specs for later).

if it is on drywall, at least have a priner-sealer on the bottom 6" ,,and use a cove-base glue nozzle to glue it,,,,i used 3 beads on 4" and 4 on 6" pre-cut and fit it all
back to the Hardi-plank,,, that would be good, but i would use a good chemical caulk and screws ,,,so it it gets a jack ,etc hit it and break it EZ fix

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have always thought that the pvc boards would be a good choice for this. Like you said you can use clear caulking around the bottom. It will not look as good as stainless steel but would hold up good and be a little cheaper. You could even use a router and put a profile around the top to make it look a little better.

I've been thinking the same thing. One popular brand is Azek, http://www.azek.com/ It comes in standard dimensional sizes just like wood lumber, and you can cut and mold it to suit. It takes paint well, too.

 

[IDASHO]

Azek is GOOD stuff. Not too many places stock it, but it can be special ordered. And it isnt cheap.

There is a siding product called Hardi-Plank that is a concrete based board type material. You could use it for base board. It nails on, can be sealed to the floor, is chemically compatible with a concrete floor, is impervious to water, can be sawn easily with the right kind of blade and does not shrink or crack. It comes in at least 16 foot lengths and it paintable. Use stainless steel nails and have a friend help, because it is heavy. I think it would make great base board.

While hardi-plank is good stuff, it is NOT impervious to water, nor does it come in 16' lengths. Standard length for Hardi-plank is 12', and it ranges in widths from 6-1/4" - 12"

 

[comp]

Azek is GOOD stuff. Not too many places stock it, but it can be special ordered. And it isnt cheap.



While hardi-plank is good stuff, it is NOT impervious to water, nor does it come in 16' lengths. Standard length for Hardi-plank is 12', and it ranges in widths from 6-1/4" - 12"

primer-sealer and paint

 

[ron in sc]

There is a siding product called Hardi-Plank that is a concrete based board type material.

You might want to check that it can take the abuse of having things banged up against it. I just had a bunch of work done using hardie plank siding and boards. The material is quite easy to break if not handled carefully. I broke a long board in half when I dropped it. The boards have a kind or rough finish and I'm not sure I would like the finish as a baseboard.

 

[Fuller]

I've used Hardiboard as a base before. We pre-finished it with the same epoxy / polyurethane chip system as the floor, attached it and then coved the floor and the base together. It was sweet but I'm going to charge a lot more next time.

 

[hell_fish_65]

8" strip of corrogated steel. About 3 ribs. Chalk it to the floor and your set. It looks good and is tough.

 

[boiler7904]

If you haven't done the floor yet, consider doing an integral cove. Problem with that is that I've only see professional epoxy guys do the detail but it works great. You don't have to worry about sealing the joint because it doesn't exist. The only joint is between the top of the epoxy base and the wall which can be anywhere from 6" above the floor to a couple of feet.

I'm leaning towards Azek or Koma which is an identical product. I'll just caulk the joints.

 

[utah997]

I just ordered this:

http://www.diamondlifegear.com/basemolding5.html

For my garage. I think they look fantastic, but I'm not sure about the watertight seal at the base. I have a one foot foundation wall inside my garage that has epoxy on it.. so I'm not too concerned about the water aspect.

can't beat the look though..

 

[mister honey]

I've considered the Hardi-Board and AZAK ($$$) and TREX ($$$) as baseboards for my new shop.

I'm planning on polebarn steel siding for the wall covering; using a contrasting color j-channel to trim out all the edges. The j-channel along the bottom edge is prone to filling up with "shop crud" so I want to elevate it off the floor with an 8"-9" tall baseboard.

I was one of the last guys to get in on the Wolverine Coatings DIY offer (thanks, Eric!.) So, my current plan is to apply the Wolverine primer, topcoats & color chips to 4' x 8' sheets of 3/4" MDO (medium density overlay) plywood. I'll saw the MDO into 8" lengths, Wolverine primer the edges/back surface and finish nail to the wall studs and clear silicone caulk to the floor.

MDO has a smooth paper/resin bonded surface on both faces and is used in outdoor signage applications.

I think I'll bevel cut the MDO end joints to overlap and hopefully, the chip pattern will be an OK match with the floor.

Any comments or criticisms? I will test the Wolverine products on MDO scraps before going ahead with this plan!

Mike

 

[FunfDreisig]

Hardie makes a number of cement based "board" products. Some of them are smooth (Hardie-Soffit) and some are much thicker than the typical Hardie-Plank (e.g. Hardie-Trim).

FWIW I would not run interior wall sheathing to the floor, unless required by code. I plan to set any interior wall sheathing on top of a tall, thick base board that can get wet with little or no damage.

The exterior of my new garage will be smooth Hardie-Sofit (installed like Hardie-Plank) which produces a more modern, crisp appearance.

Funf Dreisig

 

[ceo012384]

Thanks for all the great ideas, guys. Since I don't have a very large space, I think the price might not be too unreasonable if I were to use the aluminum diamond-plate baseboards mentioned above and just use clear caulking to seal it all up. I haven't made up my mind 100% yet, but that's the direction I'm leaning right now.

It may not be the most economical per linear foot, but due to the small space the overall cost wouldn't be too bad.... and it would look friggin' SWEET!

Will update regarding choice.... and any more ideas would be welcome

 

[indyjps]

1x4 painted with tractor enamel with a heavy bead of caulk underneath would be very economical.
The synthetic deck boards would also look well but cost more.