Baseboard Calculator

Baseboard linear meters calculation

Linear meters = room perimeter − openings, where openings means door widths plus any floor-to-ceiling windows. Take a 4 × 3 m room with a perimeter of 14 m and one 0.80 m door: 14 − 0.80 gives you 13.20 m. Then add 5–10% for the cuts you'll make at the corners. On materials, cheapest to dearest: PVC is the budget option, moisture-proof, around R$ 8–15/m; MDF sits in the middle with a painted finish at R$ 15–35/m; solid wood is the premium pick, varnished, R$ 40+/m. For height, 5 cm reads minimalist, 10 cm is the classic most people use, and 15 cm suits grand rooms with high ceilings. Baseboards ship in bars of 2.40 m or 2.90 m, so round the bar count up and leave room for cut waste.

Applications and standards

The baseboard works as a finish between floor and wall. In renovations it can also hide electrical wiring when you use the grooved PVC type, and it protects the wall from the knocks of a mop, furniture, or vacuum. For floor installation in Brazil, the reference is NBR 15577, covering ceramic tiles. Whether you match the baseboard to the floor or to the wall comes down to style: matching the floor makes the room look bigger, while matching the wall lets the floor stand out.

FAQ

Glue or finishing nails? On straight walls, reach for PU adhesive or grab adhesive. On irregular masonry, go with finishing nails from a brad gun. Either way, keep screws off visible baseboards.

Install before or after painting? Wait for the final coat to go on, then install, so you don't end up with stains. To finish, run silicone or acrylic caulk in the gap between baseboard and wall.

What about door frames? It doesn't run underneath them. The baseboard stops against the door frame, which is why you subtract the door width from the perimeter.