I recently noticed a strange issue with the baseboard in my basement. It's a hundred-year-old house, and while our dehumidifier keeps the space dry, there's a known moisture issue outside that I'm working to fix. The previous owner added small wooden spacers all around the vinyl baseboard, creating a consistent half-inch gap. I'm curious about what their intention was, especially since the walls stay dry during rain.
3 Answers
Honestly, I just gave up on trying to understand what people were thinking when they did stuff like that. It’s a mystery!
It sounds like that plastic trim is doing more harm than good! They might have misunderstood some advice. I'd recommend replacing it with regular baseboard right up against the wall. If you're worried about water issues, just elevate the new baseboard by about 1/8 inch to allow any moisture to escape without getting trapped.
A gap like that can actually be beneficial. It's often recommended to leave a little perimeter gap for floor expansion due to temperature changes. Those spacers should ideally be removed after installing the floor, but it seems like they missed that step!