# Vinyl baseboard always looks like shit. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010 "2012-09-07T16:59:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/1 "2012-09-07T16:59:55Z")
It really does…almost every single installation I come across looks like crap. Especially in the corners. Gappy corners, bad cuts, ugly joints. Is it because it seems easy, so people with no fucking clue how to do anything figure they can throw it up there? It just occurred to me that the neatest, most professional looking installation I have ever seen was actually done by my mother, in one of their bathrooms. Now I’m trying to think of other things that almost always look like they were installed poorly. Vinyl siding looks like shit a lot of the time, particularly the trim, channels, fascia, etc. You see a lot of ugly caulk seams and end caps on granite (or manufactured stone) vanity tops. I’ve seen an alarming number of places where somebody stained a deck rail or whathaveyou, and dripped stain all over the concrete sidewalk. Did they think they’d just wipe it up at the end? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/2 "2012-09-07T17:06:16Z")
My sister got cork flooring put in, and it looked like shit from the first day. It was a whitish cork - I think that makes a difference. Go with natural wood-coloured cork flooring if you want cork, I guess. 🙂 You’re right about vinyl baseboards - they really do look crappy and cheap, any time I’ve seen them. Very institutional. ---
**Author:** ![President\_T\_Toilet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@President\_T\_Toilet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_T_Toilet)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/3 "2012-09-07T17:25:17Z")
I personally hate those stupid fake plastic window shudders on houses. Seriously what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/4 "2012-09-07T17:30:44Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Is it because it seems easy, so people with no fucking clue how to do anything figure they can throw it up there? That’s my excuse. The one time I “remodeled” a room, I was selling the house and wanted to save money. I did it myself, quickly, and it looked like shit. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/5 "2012-09-07T17:33:16Z")
I strongly dislike vinyl baseboard too. Even worse is no trim at all. Sometimes they just wrap sheetrock around doors and windows. No trim. I’ve also seen them skip baseboard if there’s thick carpet to hide the floor crack. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/6 "2012-09-07T17:35:36Z")
Vinyl fences look ghetto and shitty, and they’re really not as durable as wood. I don’t understand why people would pay _more_ for a product that’s inferior in every measurable way. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/7 "2012-09-07T17:38:01Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > I personally hate those stupid fake plastic window shudders on houses. Seriously what’s the point? Ooooh, absolutely second this. You know, even if you _have_ to have cheap looking shutters, they should be of an appropriate size that one could believe that they would cover their windows. It’s stupid to see 8 foot wide picture windows with 18 inch shutters on either side. > [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > Vinyl fences look ghetto and shitty, and they’re really not as durable as wood. I don’t understand why people would pay _more_ for a product that’s inferior in every measurable way. Vinyl does look like crap, and it bends and sags. But I do like the look of PVC fencing..especially when it’s a professional install and runs nice and true along a country road. _insert mental imagery of horses, wildflowers, and dragonflies here_ Freakin’ expensive, though. ---
**Author:** ![Coustralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Coustralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coustralee)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/8 "2012-09-07T17:45:24Z")
i actually had to look it up, never really seen it here, looks like the kind of stuff they have in hospitals where they’re bashing beds into doors and walls all the time ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/9 "2012-09-07T18:10:05Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > But I do like the look of PVC fencing\Freakin’ expensive, though. PVC fencing is becoming (actually, has become) the default standard for middle and working class neighborhoods on Long Island it seems, and the pricing isn’t too bad. Everywhere you look, either the matte-finish white (occasionally almond) of vinyl fencing, or the metallic grey & green plastic of chain-link fencing. What wood fencing I see on private property is either old wood not very well cared for (usually out of plumb), or that light tan criss/cross stuff from Home Depot. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/10 "2012-09-08T18:46:51Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > I personally hate those stupid fake plastic window shudders on houses. Seriously what’s the point? We had some of those on our last house - it was a very boring looking house, and the shutters broke up the boredom. > [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > Vinyl fences look ghetto and shitty, and they’re really not as durable as wood. I don’t understand why people would pay _more_ for a product that’s inferior in every measurable way. I thought vinyl fences lasted longer than wood - I’ll have to do some research before I put any vinyl fencing in. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/11 "2012-09-08T20:38:41Z")
> [@Coustralee](#): > > i actually had to look it up, never really seen it here, looks like the kind of stuff they have in hospitals where they’re bashing beds into doors and walls all the time Yeah, people really put that in their house? ETA: Upon reflection, I seem to recall having seen it in a few people’s kitchens along the toe kick under the cabinets. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/12 "2012-09-08T20:47:01Z")
**Vinyl Turnips** look like shit too, and are also smelly. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/13 "2012-09-09T02:00:49Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Vinyl does look like crap, and it bends and sags. But I do like the look of PVC fencing..especially when it’s a professional install and runs nice and true along a country road. _insert mental imagery of horses, wildflowers, and dragonflies here_ Freakin’ expensive, though. PVC fencing looks bizarre out in the country. It’s too bright and clean and the edges are too perfectly square. I like a nice post-and-wire fence or a plain wood fence with horizontal rails. The PVC stuff does look nice in town. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/14 "2012-09-09T04:48:50Z")
My cousin and I ended up having to totally renovate his mom’s bathroom this summer. The house is old and the budget was tight but we did a ton of work to build a solid finished product. Wasn’t a gem at all but it was much better than when we found it. We left our younger cousin to do the vinyl self-adhesive floor tiles and the vinyl baseboard (old old tile walls, we sort of had no choice on this). He did a great job on the floor and relatively decent job on the baseboard but he didn’t miter the corners and they look absolutely awful. Especially that corner under the vanity where your eye just goes right to when you’re on the pot. The shower we built looks shitty as hell and some bits of the old tile still needs replaced but all I think about when I think about that bathroom is that big old ugly baseboard corner. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/15 "2012-09-10T13:47:43Z")
Vinyl baseboard? As in plastic skirting board? People put that in their houses? Americans are weird and I won’t listen to anyone that says differently. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/16 "2012-09-10T14:09:31Z")
I put the vinyl baseboard in the kitchen of our old house. It took a long time to get it set right, and to get the corners right. It was on a recessed kick plate under the cabinets, which helped hide the top of the vinyl strip, a big problem area with this stuff. It came out looking ok, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I used up almost an entire roll (at least 20 feet) doing about 12 feet altogether. Wood molding with a good coat of enamel paint would have looked better, cost less, and been easier to install. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinyl-baseboard-always-looks-like-shit/634010/17 "2012-09-10T17:00:13Z")
Vinyl cove base, which is what you’re all discussing here, is tricky to install, especially on outside corners. I put in miles of it when I worked for the city Housing Authority because it was cheap and easy to replace when the tenants bashed things into the walls. I also installed it in a kind of unique installation at a friend’s tiny cabin where the bathroom \*\*was \*\*the shower. The walls were waterproof and there was a drain in the center of the bathroom floor right in front of the toilet. There was a plastic cover that you flipped down over the toilet paper and off you go. Other than the above situations, I’d not install it in a residence.