Floor baseboards for the bathroom: tips on choosing and installation rules

Floor plinth is a necessary decorative element that hides the gaps between the wall and the floor, thus forming a transition line from one surface to another. Floor skirting for the bathroom should play not only a decorative role, but also comply with the requirements of practicality. In adverse operating conditions, the material must be protected from water penetration. Tips for choosing and rules for mounting the baseboard will be discussed in more detail in this article.

Floor plinths are not used in all rooms. When the decoration of the wall and floor is made with high quality and without gaps in the junction areas, it is quite possible to do without this decorative element. But in the case of a bathroom, this approach would be wrong.

Water leaked into the gap contributes to the formation and spread of fungus and mold, which can lead to damage to the finish room. In addition, dampness in the bathroom will only contribute to the spread of insects that love moisture (for example, centipedes and woodlice). Also, not sealed joints will eventually accumulate dirt, which is not the best way affect the appearance of the bathroom.

Temperature and humidity conditions in bathrooms have their own distinctive features.Regular water treatments, as well as washing and drying clothes significantly affect the humidity level. In the absence of good ventilation, the microclimate in the room most of the time will be unfavorable, which may not in the best way affect the condition of the finishing materials. For this reason, special requirements are placed on the baseboards for the bathroom floor.

The plinth should have the following qualities:

• The product must have high water resistance.
• Resistance to temperature changes. The material should not be deformed from adverse temperature and humidity conditions.
• Equally important are high strength and resistance to mechanical stress.
• Chemical inertness Bathrooms need regular cleaning to avoid the appearance and spread of harmful microorganisms. The plinth in such a room should be resistant to various means of household chemicals.
• Material resistance to corrosion and rotting is required.

All floor baseboards, designed for bathrooms, differ in material and appearance.Each type of product has its advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when choosing the appropriate option. Let us dwell on each type of material in more detail.

Ceramic baseboards will be the ideal option in a room with tile trim. The cost of such products is quite high, which is justified by the high technical characteristics of the material.

The process of making ceramic skirting does not differ much from the production of tile. High-quality clay is compressed, glazed and baked under high temperature conditions.

Allocate the main advantages of ceramic baseboards:

• high level of moisture resistance;
• resistance to fungal growths and molds;
• resistance to dirt and ease of care;
• no deformation in conditions of adverse microclimate in the room;
• high hardness and strength;
• esthetic appearance;
• long service life, which can be more than 15 years without losing the original appearance and properties;
• environmental friendliness.

However, ceramic skirtings also have some drawbacks. To small minuses include:

• high cost;
• brittleness (in spite of the fact that ceramics is a hard material, with a point mechanical impact, the coating may crack or crack).

Plastic skirting is made from polyvinyl chloride. This version of the products is quite popular, as it combines good quality and low price.

PVC floor plinths are of several types:

• for coatings of linoleum and carpet;
• universal models that are well combined with all materials.

PVC-based outdoor decorative items have several advantages.

The main advantages of such plinths:

• ease of attachment;
• low cost;
• moisture resistance;
• good elasticity;
• resistance to household chemicals;
• resistance to fungi and mold;
• not subject to rotting;
• wide range of products in various shades.

Do not forget about some of the shortcomings of products from polyvinyl chloride.

Among the minuses are the following nuances:

• Products of white color and other light tones turn yellow with time.
• When installing the plinth, you must use special plugs and corners, which affects the appearance of the finish is not the best way. Even if the fasteners are perfectly matched in color, their presence will still be noticeable.
• The material does not have high strength.

Polyurethane plinths have fairly high technical characteristics, which makes it possible to use them in rooms with adverse operating conditions.

The advantages of such products include:

• Long service life. The material does not lose its properties and appearance for 30 years.
• Resistant to moisture.
• The material does not absorb unpleasant odors.
• It is resistant to high and low temperatures.
• Ease of installation.Due to the flexibility and plasticity of the material, the plinth is quite simply attached even in case of unevenness of the walls and the floor. In addition, cutting tools will not require special tools - all work can be done with a regular knife.

• The plinth is easy to clean.
• Products are resistant to chemicals.
• A wide range of products of various forms and textures allows you to choose the right option for any interior. Polyurethane can also be painted with almost any kind of paintwork material.

Metal skirting is made from aluminum. Due to the high quality and excellent performance, such products can be used in rooms with high humidity.

Aluminum skirting has the following advantages:

• corrosion resistance;
• wear resistance;
• heat resistance;
• ease of attachment to glue or using special fasteners;
• attractive appearance;

• high durability (the plinth will not break and will not foul even from large loads on the surface);
• resistance to most types of household chemicals;
• water tightness;
• good flexibility (the product can be used to finish surfaces of complex shape).

For the manufacture of baseboards most often used such natural stones as marble and granite. Planks from natural materials are distinguished by sophistication. In addition, the marble and granite baseboards on the technical characteristics are many times greater than similar products from other materials. Natural stone has a high level of strength and durability.The production of marble in the production of covered with a special water-repellent composition that prevents water from penetrating into the structure of the material. Granite slats are resistant to chemicals and are not susceptible to deformation from moisture and temperature extremes.

The disadvantage of products from natural stone in the first place is the high cost. However, for a small-sized bath, the cost of the finishing material will not be as big. Another disadvantage of the product are some installation difficulties. To work with natural material will require special devices that allow you to cut the plinth without damaging it.

To a separate type of floor plinths include self-adhesive PVC models. Such a model is an elastic flexible tape, on the reverse side of which an adhesive layer is already applied. Installation of such a product is very simple and does not require much effort, time and cost for additional fasteners or glue. Self-adhesive baseboard well protects joints from the penetration of water and dirt. The disadvantage of this material is a short lifetime.

When choosing a floor plinth, you must first take into account the color of the floor in the bathroom. To form a smooth transition from floor to wall, you need to use strips of the same color as the flooring. To make the transition line more clear, you must use contrasting or at least shades that differ by several tones. When choosing the right color, you can also focus on the tone of the walls.

Many designers are of the opinion that floor strips should not be very different in color from the floor and walls. It is recommended to create a smooth transition from one surface to another with the help of a similar in tone skirting. Using a plinth of certain colors, you can visually change the size of the room. To visually increase the height of the ceiling, you must use strips to match the walls. To the area of ​​the bathroom visually became larger, install the baseboards in the color of the floor.

When choosing a floor plinth, it is important to consider not only its material, color and design, but also its height.

To pick up a product of a suitable parameter, it is necessary to consider such indicators as:

• room area;
• ceiling height;
• room shape;
• prevailing colors in the interior.

Putting the plinth on the floor is not at all difficult. The straps are fastened mainly with glue or with fasteners. The process of fixing the plinth largely depends on what material it was made of.

Regardless of the type of product, the surface must be well cleaned and degreased before finishing. It is also worth remembering that the base must be not only clean but also dry. For fixing most types of baseboards used special glue.

Ceramic strips are fixed on the adhesive composition for tiles. You can also use silicone sealant, but it will not give a reliable grip. Before you begin to fix the border, the plinth must be measured and cut. Cutting is carried out using an angle grinder with a diamond disc. To form joints in the corners of the room, the edges of the corner borders must be filed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Installation of baseboards of other materials has a similar principle. The difference lies only in the tools used and fasteners. To install metal models, special fasteners are produced (clips and strips). Aluminum products can also be mounted on liquid nails.

Feature in work with polyurethane levels is ease of cutting of material. To obtain the required length of the segments do not need to use the grinder - all the work can be done stationery knife. Such plinths are fixed with special glue that does not contain solvents.

For more reliable mounting of plastic models it is recommended to use dowels and screws. This method of installation is more time consuming, but it is better than fixing with glue. The joints and corners are masked with the help of special plugs to match the material, which usually come with the plinths.

On how to dock skirting, see the following video.