Shoe Molding At Bottom Of Tile Wall

This molding often gives the appearance of a small protruding shoe at the bottom of the much taller baseboard.

Shoe molding at bottom of tile wall.

Yet when you look at shoe molding from the side you can see that its height is greater than the length that it protrudes from the wall. Instead of quarter round use something with a more interesting shape like shoe molding. Baseboard molding installations are very often finished off with an additional thin piece of molding called quarter round or shoe molding that covers the gap between the bottom of the baseboards and the floor. Tool to cut baseboard and shoe molding.

You should fasten shoe molding using an 18 gauge finish nailer with 1 inch nails. Using shoe mold allows you to caulk between the tile and the baseboard without the caulking showing and covers up any slight imperfections and unevenness between the flooring and the boaseboards. Shoe molding is often attached to the bottom of the baseboard to conceal these small gaps. A true base shoe is taller than it is wide enabling it to conceal a large vertical gap without appearing chunky.

Shoe molding should be tacked to the baseboard not the floor which inhibits floor expansion beneath the shoe molding. Although this molding serves no structural purpose it does provide a more uniform transition between the floor and wall. The only caveat to installing shoe molding is that the bottom of the baseboard must be flat to accept the molding. For example if you want to install standard inch high shoe molding the lower.

16 gauge nails are likely to split shoe molding and will be more easily visible on the small surface. Shoe molding at first glance appears to be the same as quarter round. Use it in the right proportions. As long as the shoe mold matches the baseboards not the flooring it looks more finished.