12 tips on how to choose a plinth for the floor + photo

Contents

1. №1.How to choose the color of the plinth?
2. №2.What can be made floor plinth?
3. №3.Wooden plinth: pros and cons
4. №4.Veneered plinth
5. №5.MDF-plinth
6. № 6.Hard plastic plinth
7. №7.Flexible plinth
8. №8.Ceramic plinth
9. №9.Metal skirting
10. №10.Cork plinth
11. №11.Choosing the size of the plinth
12. №12.Plinth and interior style

Floor plinth is, at first glance, a real trifle, the choice of which few people pay due attention. Nevertheless, the perception of the interior depends on this detail, because the impression is created from the small things .In order not to act intuitively, let us figure out how to choose a baseboard for the floor, so that the matches the room as precisely as possible in width, color, type of material, shape and style of .Professionals in interior design pay a lot of attention to plinths, perceiving them not only as a functional detail covering the gap between the floor and the wall, but also as an important element of space, like a door or window. It is time to reveal the secrets of selecting the right floor plinth used by designers.

№1.How to choose the color of the plinth?

At first we pay attention not to the form or the material of the plinth, but to its color, therefore this parameter is always given the greatest value. There are several approaches to the choice of plinth color:

• under the color of the flooring - the classic and most common method that allows the plinth to merge with the floor. The chance to spoil the interior is minimized, so the method is recommended to all those who fear bold contrasting solutions. It is allowed to use the plinth one or two tones lighter or darker than the flooring. This option is great when a massive board, parquet, laminate or linoleum is used in the room;
• under the color of the walls .This option is only possible if the walls are painted or plastered with in one color .It is advisable to choose a baseboard already when the coating is applied and dried, otherwise you can not guess with a touch;
• for the color of interior doors, but in this case, the height of the plinth should be the same as the width of the door trim. Often this method is used when it is necessary to organically fit into the interior door, which does not match in color with the walls, furniture or floor. To make it quite good, you can make the color of the window frame, doors and baseboards the same;
• a contrasting shade , which does not repeat the color of the floor, the color of the walls, or the color of the doors. In order to properly combine, at first glance, incompatible shades, you must have a delicate sense of taste. You can take white skirting , which recently are in high demand. No matter how it was there, it is better to create a project for the future interior and try different shades in advance in a special program. There are very easy to use programs.

№2.What can be made floor plinth?

The second most relevant and important issue when choosing a floor plinth is the issue of its material. In this case, it is best to build on the flooring material:

• wooden skirting suitable for parquet flooring and solid wood flooring, floorboard, laminate;
• MDF-plinth and veneered plinth suitable for parquet and laminate;
• PVC plinth is the cheapest and most popular option, often used with linoleum, tile and carpet;
• ceramic skirting not so long ago became available in a wide range, it is well combined with ceramic tiles.

№3.Wooden plinth: the pros and cons of

Despite the emergence of many new materials, captivating its high performance, the tree remains on top of popularity. In addition, it is difficult to imagine that the wooden floor was decorated with plinth of non-natural material. Valuing a tree due to its many advantages :

• durability;
• environmental friendliness;
• strength;
• excellent appearance;
• ease of installation.

Disadvantages :

• high price;
• sensitivity to temperature, high humidity, which imposes restrictions on the use of the material( for kitchens and baths it is not suitable, but there is an array of wood is used very rarely).

Installation of wooden plinth is usually carried out on self-tapping screws with flat heads, sometimes use screws with dowels. The tree is easily cut at any angle, easily attached to the base and removed, amenable to repair. It is important that the wall is perfectly flat, otherwise the wood is quickly deformed, and there is no need to talk about any aesthetic appearance. It is also not recommended to use liquid nails for mounting: in case of a change in moisture in the wood, internal stress can be created, which will tear off the wall and baseboard, and part of the wall covering.

wooden plinth is chosen from the same breed from which the floor finish is made, and it is desirable to choose the baseboard simultaneously with the choice of finishing material. As for wood species, pine will cost the least, more expensive oak and linden, less commonly used ash, alder, teak, cherry, walnut, birch. Fans of exotic and non-standard solutions can turn their attention to merbau or dusii wood. If the plinth is suspiciously cheap , pay attention to its quality: some manufacturers offer products glued together from three longitudinal layers of wood.

The section of a wooden plinth can be different, as the form and width. Today it is even possible to manufacture baseboards to order , if it is necessary that they exactly repeat the bends and other difficult spaces of the room, but this is a pleasure from expensive ones.

If you plan to open the baseboard with varnish or wax, remember that wood can change its color. To approximately understand what the result will be, you can wet a part of the surface of the raw plinth with a sponge.

№4.Veneered plinth

Veneered plinth has a structure similar to floorboard. In it, only the top layer is made of valuable wood( walnut, oak, bamboo, pear, etc.), and the base is made of pine or spruce wood. The advantages and disadvantages are the same as those of pure wooden baseboards, but the price is slightly lower than the .Hue and surface relief can be anything. By the way, today veneered and wooden baseboards are equipped with a cable channel for laying electrical wires.

No. 5.MDF-Plinth

The plinth made of MDF is the golden mean in terms of price and quality of .In terms of properties, the material is almost as good as a tree, and in some respects it is even ahead of it, and at the same time it is much cheaper. MDF-plates are made of sawdust, which are pressed under the influence of high temperature and pressure together with urea resins. It turns out durable and not hazardous to health material that does not emit harmful substances into the air. On top of the plate can be painted, laminated film or veneered with a thin layer of natural wood, so the appearance is very diverse.

Advantages:

• resistance to moisture and temperature extremes;
• UV resistance;
• anti-static;
• ease of installation and maintenance;
• relatively low price.

Disadvantages:

• strength and mechanical resistance is much lower than that of wood, but higher than that of plastic.

Experts say that MDF-plinth can be mounted on liquid nails, but it is better to use special clamps that are screwed to the wall. At the expense of similar fastening the plinth can be removed and reused. The slight flexibility of the material allows it to be fixed to slightly curved walls.

Sometimes is found on the shelves of shops. LDF-plinth .The LDF-plate is manufactured using the same technology as MDF, but has a lower density: 450-650 kg / cm3 for LDF versus 650-850 kg / cm3 for MDF.

№6.Hard plastic plinth

More than half of all those who begin to think about which plinth to choose, ultimately stop on the plastic version. On the shelves of stores of such products is much more than wood or veneered, because the plastic plinth looks very good, and is cheap .Such skirting boards are made of expanded polyvinyl chloride, the product can have any color and relief, so it will be easy to choose the necessary option, but these are not the only advantages of PVC plinth.

Benefits:

• low price;
• resistance to moisture and decay, so this plinth can be used in the bathroom and in the kitchen, as well as feel free to wash without fear of the consequences;
• resistance to UV rays and temperature extremes;
• the presence of cavities inside the baseboard, allowing you to hide the mass of cables.

Disadvantages :

• unnatural;
• low durability;
• low mechanical strength.

The plastic plinth consists of the mounting and front part of the .The fastening part is mounted to the wall with self-tapping screws, therefore the front side remains smooth. Between the mounting and front part there is enough space in which electrical engineering wires can be placed, sometimes there is enough space for television cable only, and sometimes can be placed in the baseboard with a whole bunch of wires, and also divided by partitions for convenience. At the ends and in the corners use special plugs, when choosing them pay extreme attention, since they often differ in color from the baseboard itself.

For the carpet flooring, there is a special plastic baseboard that looks like an L-shaped strip into which to cut the tape cut off from the carpet. As a result, it is possible to completely mask the baseboard.

№7.Flexible Plinth

If there are many curvilinear and non-standard forms in the room, then there is no better option than a flexible plastic plinth. In order for the material to acquire unique properties, the production slightly modifies the spatial structure of the polymer threads, but in order to preserve these properties, the plinth should be stored in special packaging. Often a flexible plinth is produced in the form of a long tape, which allows for installation with virtually no seams.

Advantages of :

• plasticity and the ability to take the necessary form;
• moisture resistance and ease of care;
• resistance to temperature extremes.

Disadvantages :

• relatively high cost;
• installation complexity.

Installation consists of installing a carrier profile, on top of which a flexible face is mounted. It is preheated in warm water or under the influence of hot air until it becomes plastic. After that, it can be fastened to the fastener segments and wait until it hardens itself, taking the necessary shape.

# 8.Ceramic plinth

A couple of decades ago, when decorating a room decorated with ceramic tiles, the plinth was made by hand, cutting the same tile into pieces. It was not always possible to get a smooth edge, therefore the look of such a plinth was not particularly aesthetic. Today, the ceramic plinth often comes with tile, it has exactly the same color as the base material, and differs only in size, and its width is made so that you can dock the seams. Of course, you can choose a plinth of a completely different color and another party. A curved baseboard plinth is often used between the wall and the bathroom.

The advantages of the :

• durability;
• is resistant to moisture, sunlight, temperature extremes, therefore it is an ideal option for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways;
• shape and size;
• mechanical strength.

Installation of ceramic baseboards should not cause difficulties - the process resembles the laying of ceramic tiles. Mounted plinth on glue, nailed light rubber or wooden mallet. The seams are masked with waterproof grout.

№9.

Metal Plinth aluminum, stainless steel and brass can be used to make the baseboard, but anodized aluminum is of course more common.

Main advantages:

• high strength and durability;
• beautiful appearance;
• resistance to mechanical damage, changes in humidity and temperature;
• wear resistance;
• presence of a cavity for laying cables.

Of the deficiencies of the , one can note the high cost and compatibility of not all materials. The aluminum plinth will look fine with tiles, porcelain stoneware, self-leveling floor and commercial linoleum. Most often, the material is used in public spaces, but is also suitable for kitchens and bathrooms, will complement the high-tech style in the interior.

# 10.Cork plinth

Cork plinth is not the most common option. Made from cork bark, this is a completely natural material, harmless to health, great for those rooms that used cork flooring or cork wallpaper. The color gamut is limited, the price is high.

# 11.

plinth size selection The plinth height can vary from 3 to 15 cm , and the choice of a specific parameter depends on the size of the room and the height of the ceilings:

• for small, low rooms( with a height of about 2.5 m) is better to choose thin 3-5 plinthscm, and the color should preferably repeat the shade of the walls so that the baseboard seems to be a natural continuation of them;
• for rooms of average height( about 2.7 m) will suit skirting with a height of 4.5-7 cm, the choice of which is the widest;
• in spacious high rooms is not recommended to use narrow skirting - it is better to opt for high slats, which will be either contrasting or in the color of the floor covering.

No. 12.Plinth and interior style

In order to choose the right plinth, it is necessary to take into account the interior style:

• The classic style of involves the use of high baseboards made of wood or MDF, with a noticeable relief. All wooden shades, especially dark, and also white color will approach;
• minimalism implies the use of the simplest plinth, with a smooth surface, usually white. Material: MDF, metal, less wood and plastic;
• high-tech is a shiny metal baseboards, plastic or MDF;
• for country style is characterized by an abundance of roughly treated solid wood, and baseboards are no exception;
• for style modern style with its ornate forms perfectly fits a flexible plastic baseboard.
  
  

Floor plinth is installed in the final of the finishing works, after the installation of floor and wall coverings. However, even before the start of the renovation, it is necessary to at least in general outline what color, shape and size the baseboard will be - the final version is better to choose after all the finishing has been done and the final shades of the floor and walls will be visible.