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The debate rages on: Should shoe match floor or baseboard?

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Discussion starter · #23 ·
Morning Wood said:
Try to avoid using shoe at all.
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I work on old homes and people are looking to match the original look. So much painted base though after all these years many think that's how it's supposed to look, and the shoe has been replaced with a floor refinish or 3.

In new work I do like to avoid using shoe and will scribe my base where needed.
 
#26 ·
I like oak shoe matching the floor. I think that looks the sharpest.

I've have not done but a few old school houses where I worked the shoe is run right into the floor. So the floor is continuos up to the baseboard. And it's rabetted. It has to be an 1-1/4" radius.

If I do a wood floor I use an oak shoe matching the floor rabbetted behind new baseboards.

If I do a vinyl, laminates, then it's painted pine. On the top of baseboard.

Sometimes it's just baseboard. The last one I did that, small bathrooms, instead of vinyl base....what a regret... Too much curve in the walls and the floors... I scribed out as much 3/4" in 8'.

I think shoes look great, the Scotia style, not the 1/4 round so much. The 60's and 70's stopped using them. But they really complete the look.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
On this job I had just enough 1/2 x 6 Fir base leftover to rip down to make some little custom shoe. All the trim is square, so the shoe is now square, with the same 1/8" eased edge. Dropped it off for the painters to clear coat while they do the rest, then I'll pin it in.
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
rusty baker said:
In the houses from the 1800s here, floor, base and shoe all were made to match. Many are being restored that way.
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Here those houses seem to be oak floors and fir everything else. Some unique homes though. Gumwood, mahogany, etc. I seldom work on homes that old though.
 
#30 ·
Porterfarm said:
If I do a wood floor I use an oak shoe matching the floor rabbetted behind new baseboards.
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I’m wondering if this is specific to Connecticut because in a lot of moulding catalogs the shoe that sits under rabbited base is called “CT shoe.” I prefer the one that curves back in before hitting the floor and creates a shadow line vs the one that hits the floor at the sharp point of the curve. I’ve used both, though.
 
#32 ·
I'm fond of this look. 8" base with a 1-1/2 sideways cap. The GC puts the outlets in the base-it's clean. I did the floor and tile

ceilings were all 10'-12' on this job, so the tall base worked well.

otherwise, I prefer painted shoe and never 1/4 round. I've only seen 1/4 round stain grade-shoe wouldn't be as bad.
 

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#37 ·
rusty baker said:
Back in the 80s and 90s, we were covering those beautiful wood floors with carpet...ugh.
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Earlier than that. Many years ago everyone had hardwood floors.
But people stayed dressed until bedtime. When lounging became popular people realized that those nice looking floors seemed cold. (Of course energy was cheap and insulation was expensive at that time as well).
So now that has turned around. All homes are heavily insulated so the floor covering isn't as big of a deal.
Area rugs, heated floors etc. have changed opinions as well as lifestyle.
And the baseboard needs to be matched, not the floor or it looks like you ran out of trim.
 
#40 ·
That's a good one too! I've used that one before, just not as readily avaible to me.

I will get a pic of the Scotia that starts flush with floor and goes behind the base. Late '40 early '50s house traditional, built by an old school builder. It's at one of my regular clients, but not scheduled for anything currently so maybe Abit. I will be at the neighbors for awhile so there's that...

EricBrancard said:
Porterfarm said:
This the one readily avaible to me that I use.
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That's the common one. The other style rolls back in before hitting the floor.

https://www.brosco.com/uploads/Literature/BroscoBOD/2018BOD.html#page=696


That's a good one too. It curves back.

When I get back to one of my clients I'll get a picture of theirs. That one is a full Scotia running flush from the floor to under the base. Like the floor is continous.
Maybe Abit before I get there though.

I had another client with a mid fifties ranch. That one had bullnose plaster rolled on to the door jams and the base boards were 3/8" ply fastened to the bottom plate with the plaster stopping on top with a square edge. No shoes, too contemporary for that. I redid a few bathrooms rebuilding that detail. I always wanted them to paint the base black...they since have moved on...

Love millwork details.
U
3/4 of the way down the page on the left, B-2007
Click to expand...
 
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