How to choose a plinth for laminate flooring, installation

Laying a plinth on a laminate flooring is not a difficult task and even a beginner can easily cope with it. One of the finishing touches in the formation of any interior is the plinth. Such a seemingly inconspicuous detail is indispensable in any room, because without it, the impression of inferiority in the design of the interior decoration of each building is created. After laying any floor, including laminate, installation work on the baseboard becomes inevitable.

Why do you need a plinth?

The plinth is nothing more than a decorative element of the floor covering.

It hides all defects made when laying the floor.
Camouflages laid cables or unaesthetic joints, gaps formed between floors and walls.
Performs a decorative function.

When installing the plinth elements, do not use excessive force in tightening the screws.

How to choose a plinth for laminate

The plinth provides a holistic and finished look to the interior, hiding the joint between the floor and the wall. To understand how to choose the right plinth for laminate flooring, you need to understand the features of this accessory and the floor covering itself. What matters is the material of manufacture, the color and size of the plinth, and its design characteristics.

What materials are skirting boards made from?

Skirting boards for laminate are made of wood, MDF, PVC and aluminum. Which skirting board is better for laminate with such variety? Our experts advise buying MDF and PVC skirting boards. They are best combined with laminate flooring, stylized wood and are easier to match the laminate in color and texture. The quality and design features of the floors should be taken into account. Plastic skirting boards are more compatible with linoleum. But they can also be successfully used together with laminated coatings. If you are thinking about which skirting board to choose for a laminate of an atypical design (for example, stylized as leather or stone), pay attention to skirting boards with the same non-standard decor made of plastic or MDF.

What are the sizes of skirting boards?

When choosing a plinth, height, thickness and length matter. The height of the plinth starts from 58 mm (standard varies in the range of 58-6 mm), length - from 2400 mm, thickness - from 10 mm. The height of the plinth is selected depending on the size of the room. The smaller the area of the room, the smaller the baseboard should be in height. In our catalog, choosing the right size takes a matter of minutes: just mark the desired parameters in the filters at the top of the catalog page.

Accessories for skirting boards

Skirting boards with cable duct and elastic band

In addition to the usual models, solid throughout the entire thickness, there is also a plinth on sale with a cable channel - a special hole for wires. This solution allows you to disguise electrical wiring (for example, from a computer, household appliances). To hide uneven walls, use a special leveling rubber band on both edges of the plinth.

Corner plugs and thresholds

End caps, corners and fasteners are purchased separately. Also don't forget to purchase thresholds. Depending on the material of the baseboard, it can be mounted using self-tapping screws, glue, clips or dowels.

How to choose a skirting board by color

Now a few words about how to match the baseboard to the laminate by color. A universal option is to choose accessories that match the shade of the floor covering. Less often, skirting boards are matched to the color of the walls. Recently, a solution has often been used when light coatings are combined with dark baseboards that match the color of the door or furniture. When the lighting changes, the appearance of the design also changes.

The choice of laminate and accessories should be made in natural daylight. The same shades of materials from different manufacturers may differ slightly. Therefore, it makes sense to buy laminate and skirting boards made by the same company.

Also on our website you can find out other useful information about building materials and the features of their use, for example, which is better: linoleum or laminate, how to lay laminate with your own hands, etc.

Rules for choosing floor plinths

In order for the plinth to fit harmoniously into the floor design and correctly perform its functions without disturbing the structure of the floor covering, it must be selected correctly.

Which skirting board is better for laminate flooring?

Wooden plinth for laminate

Modern materials are gradually winning the sympathy of buyers more and more firmly, but the long-proven wooden border for the floor has still not lost its relevance.

It is made from pine, spruce and oak wood. This type of floor molding is characterized by:

high strength;
environmental friendliness;
looks great and expensive.

The wooden floor border perfectly matches the texture of the laminate. It does not have very high moisture resistance, but it can be increased by using various protective coatings, for example, varnish. The dimensions of the floor wooden molding have a large scale: the height can range from 30mm to 200-300mm; The width is often standard 15-25mm.

Flaws:

It should be remembered that floor molding, made of wood, does not bend. If in the room where the plinth is laid there are uneven or rounded surfaces of the wall, difficulties arise during installation, the plinth may not fit tightly to the wall, i.e. there will be an unsightly gap between it and the wall;
There are few models of this type with a cable channel on wide sale. If its presence is mandatory for you, it is possible to make a custom border;
quite high cost.

Advice:

When choosing a plinth, carefully inspect it. The surface should be smooth, without protruding ends of the fibers. If the product is poorly sanded, it is most likely made from unseasoned wood.

Plastic skirting board

This variety is becoming increasingly popular due to its good performance characteristics.

Plastic molding is made from polyurethane, duropolymer, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and is characterized by low cost.

it is very easy to maintain and has an aesthetic appearance;
has the ability to imitate a huge variety of surfaces, for example, it can have a “wood” look;
this type of plinth can withstand temperature changes well;
has good water-repellent properties.

This makes it possible to use it in almost any room: in the bathroom, toilet, kitchen, hallway. The sizes of the plastic floor panel are varied: height - from 40 to 150 mm; width - from 14 to 24mm; length is usually 2.5 m - most convenient for installation and transportation. The most common size: 23*60*2500 mm.

The only drawback:

fragility.

Flexible plinth

It went on sale quite recently. Very good for rounded borders of walls and floors. It is able to take the desired shape, smoothly bending around rounded interior objects, for example, a column. A flexible floor border is made of plastic, changing its structure at the level of atoms and molecules. To prevent the material from losing its properties, it is stored in special packaging. After installation, the plinth will harden under the influence of air and retain its given shape.

As a type of plastic molding, it has good water-repellent properties.

Flaws:

high price;
Requires installation skills.

Laminated

Laminated molding basically contains MDF (finely dispersed fraction), and is covered with a decorative film on top. Simple and easy to use.

the material is environmentally friendly; no harmful resins are used for its production;
has a wide range of designs, it is easy to match it to any floor color: wood, stone, gloss.

Laminated borders are often offered as a set for laminate flooring, making it easier to choose the ideal combination. This type of plinth is characterized by its affordable cost, ease of maintenance and moisture resistance. It has one drawback:

fragility (instability to mechanical damage).

Plank material

Proper selection of the material from which the plinth is made will help to hide all flaws in the floor installation as efficiently as possible.

For laminate, skirting boards are mainly used from materials such as:

Polyvinyl chloride

PVC skirting boards are most often used for laminate flooring. Thanks to its rich color range, chic choice of textures and convenient fastening system, it is significantly superior to skirting boards made from other materials. The polyvinyl chloride skirting board is flexible, which makes it possible to easily use it for flooring on uneven walls, making their “waves” invisible, and can also easily bend around built-in gypsum plasterboard structures of round shapes with a large diameter.

The planks are pressed tightly against the wall, and the floor ends up looking very neat. It’s a good idea to find out what you need to lay laminate flooring.

Attaching the baseboard with glue is important if the floor covering is not a temporary option and is installed for many years

The width and dimensions of PVC plinths can be very diverse; the choice of plinth width depends on the height of the ceilings in the room: the lower the ceiling, the thinner the plinth should be selected.

Important! In rooms with low ceilings, a wide baseboard will look rather ridiculous.

Also, PVC plinth can be used to hide the seam when joining the laminate with another floor covering when installing a combined floor.

Wood-based materials

Laminated MDF skirting boards are also one of the most popular decorative options for laminate flooring, giving it a finished look. MDF is a little more expensive than plastic, but it looks quite effective. The only drawback of chipboard plinth is its fragility.

It is important to choose a color that perfectly harmonizes with the color of the laminate

Natural wood

Wooden veneered plinth is used least often for laminate due to its high cost. You can use solid baseboard. For example, pine will cost much less than rare wood species, performing the same decorative functions for flooring.

Main selection criteria

When choosing a skirting board, there are several main points to consider.

Size

Now there are a variety of options on sale - from the smallest to large and massive. The choice of size should be made in accordance with the height of the ceilings in the house:

If you use a small thin plinth in a room with a high ceiling, it will visually distort the geometry of the room. In this case, it is better to choose a wide baseboard that is attached only to the wall.
In a small room with low ceilings, thin baseboards will look good, as they will continue the walls, visually elongating the room in height.

Joint width

There must be a gap of at least 10 mm between the wall and the laminate. But as practice shows, this figure turns out to be much higher. Therefore, before purchasing, carefully measure all the indentations so as not to make a mistake.

Texture

As a rule, all skirting boards have their own texture, and it should be combined with the floor covering. The plinth should not look foreign in the room, so as not to spoil the entire impression of the room.

Important! Whatever option you choose, first of all check the quality; there should be no flaws, chips or other damage on the front surface.

Skirting colors

The most harmonious choice of decor for laminate flooring is a plinth made of PVC or laminated MDF, imitating the structure of wood. Wooden laminated plinth or uncoated natural wood plinth is also suitable.

It is important to choose a color that perfectly harmonizes with the color of the laminate. If light-colored material is laid, a dark veneered plinth or plinth imitating the colors of natural dark wood will look very elegant. Also, edging made of any white material will look great on a dark laminate floor. This article will be useful on the color of the laminate.

The most harmonious choice of decor for laminate flooring is a plinth made of PVC or laminated MDF, imitating the structure of wood

By color

If you are afraid of making a bad choice, then select the baseboard according to the color of the laminate. But to create a unique design, it is better to use tones that are slightly darker or lighter than the floor covering. The baseboard, which matches the tone of the floor, blends in with it and does not visually attract attention. The color of the plinth can be matched to the tone of the walls.

If wooden doors are installed, then the baseboard can be matched to the trim. For such a solution to look harmonious, the trim and baseboard must be the same thickness and size.

Recently, designers have begun to use white skirting boards. It can look beautiful if you consider many factors such as the color combination of the walls, floors and furniture. Perhaps, before choosing a plinth for laminate, it is better to sketch the interior in a special architectural program and experiment with colors. This is due to the fact that the contrast in the colors of the laminate and baseboard is a rather bold decision. How successful it will be depends on the thoughtfulness of all the details of the repair.

Installing skirting boards from different materials

Even when purchasing a plinth, you need to check its contents.

The set should include:

corners;
end caps;
fastening elements.

Skirting boards made from different materials are attached in different ways:

using dowels;
glue;
self-tapping screws

None of these mounting options will cause damage to your laminate flooring.

Attaching the baseboard with glue is important if the floor covering is not a temporary option and is installed for many years.

Using the clips included with PVC and MDF plinths, it is more convenient to mount models without additional cavities for cables. This installation technology is suitable for a room with perfectly smooth walls, since otherwise the baseboard will not hold firmly. When fastening, it is necessary to maintain a distance between the clips of 300 - 500 mm. The clips themselves are attached to the wall using self-tapping screws.
Models of skirting boards, which have gutters for cables, are laid together with the laying of communications that need to be hidden by the skirting board. The cable location should be below the level of fastening the clips with self-tapping screws.

Important! After laying the baseboard along the entire perimeter of the room, it is not recommended to lay cables in it.

Installation of the plinth, regardless of what material it is made of, always starts from the corner of the room and is done in a clockwise direction.

Marking the locations of screws for fastening is done after installing the base of the plinth.
Next, holes are drilled, a plinth is installed, and self-tapping screws are screwed in, after which the strip is mounted.
Installation of the connecting element is carried out before fixing the subsequent overlapping element. When all structural elements are installed, end caps are installed on all baseboards.

Important! When installing plinth elements, do not use excessive force in tightening the screws. PVC skirting boards can be dented and dented, while wooden or MDF skirting boards can crack or become deformed.

Choice of colors

Before purchasing a product, you need to think about how to match the baseboard to the laminate by color. Then you won’t be able to spoil the design of the room, and the finishing material will merge with the floor surface (see).

With contrasting tones, there is a possibility that the appearance of the room will change for the worse.

If you are buying an expensive floor covering that you plan to use for a long time, then it is better to choose a universal shade. In this case, you will be able to avoid difficulties when you want to change the design.
With a light door, it is advisable to purchase products that have a similar tone, if there is a dark floor (see). In the opposite situation, products can be of any color. That is, light laminate and dark baseboard have a right to exist.
The basic rule is that the interior should contain only two main tones, otherwise some element will fall out of the interior of the room.
Contrasting colors are best used in large rooms. However, it should be remembered that the transition must be noticeable and clearly expressed.

An example of a bad combination! If the home has a light brown floor edged with white around the perimeter, then installing a bluish door can visually reduce the cost of the entire interior.

Useful tips

It is better to cut off excess material not with improvised means, but with a grinder.
With perfectly smooth walls, you can fix the baseboard using liquid nails.
When purchasing a skirting board, you must check the color match of the additional components to the purchased slats.
To avoid unnecessary costs or shortages of material, you need to carefully calculate the required quantity before purchasing.

Laying skirting boards on a laminate flooring is not a difficult task and even a beginner in the construction business can easily cope with it. The main thing is to know the technology of its installation and the features of fastening in different ways. This material will tell you about the installation of plastic skirting boards.