Mdf baseboards

[Wing It]

Luckily, I was told by a new assisted living home customer that all of its baseboards are basically cardboard and soak up moisture. I would have been screwed had they not told me. Have any of you run into problems with baseboards wicking moisture? How do you know they are mdf?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea they are crap. We've shrank a few drying them on WDR losses.

Collateral damage.

 

[Wing It]

Would hwe cleaning provide enough moisture to cause issues with them or do they literally have to be soaked?

 

[Desk Jockey]

Soaked but you know how people can be. I'd take pictures prior to cleaning, just in case they claim a problem with them after. I'd also stay far away from them, not because I think you'd shrink them but because you could scratch the picture of wood glued to foam.

 

[HydroDude]

From a water loss ...

 

[Desk Jockey]

McKinley that's the worst I've seen. I usually see them split at the joints but man, thats bad!

 

[HydroDude]

Yeah, it was lil wet...

Needless to say the wall had to be demoed to dry the SOLE plate and wall Studs...

We also had to demo the ceiling below to gain access to the floor joist and the SILL plate upon the concrete foundation wall...

MC of the window SILL was slightly elevated...

 

[Shane Deubell]

Luckily, I was told by a new assisted living home customer that all of its baseboards are basically cardboard and soak up moisture. I would have been screwed had they not told me. Have any of you run into problems with baseboards wicking moisture? How do you know they are mdf?

Assume the worst, dont flood floor with water and stay 1/2 inch off baseboards. Residential is not made water tight enough for a lot of water, most anyway.
Half of these jobs are installed by uncle rico...

Personally never had it happen but have heard it happening 100 times.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Needless to say the wall had to be demoed to dry the SOLE plate and wall Studs...

Soul plate ehh?

Check the Sill plate while you're at it!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yeah, it was lil wet...
View attachment 5343
Needless to say the wall had to be demoed to dry the SOLE plate and wall Studs...
View attachment 5344
We also had to demo the ceiling below to gain access to the floor joist and the SILL plate upon the concrete foundation wall...View attachment 5345

That was a lot of water! Efflorescence an issue?

What did you do to the floor? Tent it? Or did any water get past the grout?

 

[HydroDude]

It was a challenge, the tile and sub floor took awhile to dry...once everything was opened, dried right out... we had like 50 axails and 10 lgrs on this loss for 10 days.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Would hwe cleaning provide enough moisture to cause issues with them

unlikely if talking carpet cleaning
Different story if sloshing lots of water when cleaning tile though.

little more concern there.
little to no concern carpet cleaning


..L.T.A.