In architecture, a baseboard (also called skirting board, skirting, mopboard, floor molding, or
base molding) is usually wooden, MDF (medium density fiberboard, which is a mix of sawdust,
wood chips, and binders or glues), or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall.
Most baseboards are 1/2 to 1 inch thick and 3 to 8 inches tall. Baseboard is typically gauged in
size by its relationship to crown and casing. Most baseboards are made out of pinewood or
MDF. Pinewood is more durable and resistant to moisture. MDF baseboards can stain or swell
easily if they are in contact with moisture for any length of time. If the baseboards are MDF
and they are stained and/or swollen, take photos of the baseboards and recommend removal
(see photo on right below). If the baseboards are made of real wood, then they are generally
restorable, per S500–2015, if contacted by category 1, 2, or 3 water—yes, even category 3,
although you will need to carefully remove the baseboard to be able to remove the affected
drywall and clean the baseboard and the sill plate properly. The baseboards can be reinstalled
after drying and cleaning. Wood materials can be cleaned in most instances, unless they have
lost structural integrity.

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With category 1 or 2 water, wood baseboards can generally be dried in place without
removing them. The exceptions would be if there is a vapor barrier preventing drying inside the
wall assembly, if the water damage originated in that wall and the wall is an exterior wall with
saturated insulation, if the wall needs to be opened up due to materials not drying properly, or
if there is blown-in or spray foam insulation behind it. The good thing about wood baseboards
is they can be removed carefully and reinstalled, although it is best to dry them in place, if
possible. At Code Blue’s two IICRC-approved ASD flood houses, we dry the drywall walls
with no vapor barriers and wood baseboards in place every time. We have removable panels,
so after drying is complete, we can prove to the students inside the wall and behind the
baseboards is dry with no problems—all in three days. You can read about our Structural Drying
Experiment in R&R Magazine, where we proved you can dry inside exterior wall cavities (sill
plates, framing, fiberglass batt insulation, gypsum board, and baseboard) all in place in three
days). R&R Magazine Article January 31, 2017

Remember, it is critical to take sill plate readings behind and under the baseboard
utilizing a penetrating moisture meter and long probes, like the hammer probe or paddle
attachments, daily.

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