What did the contract for the baseboards say would be installed. And how would it be protected in the bathrooms?

I'd tall him to replace it with something that can stand normal use in a bathroom

"Mop" to some people means slosh on a bucket of water and move it all around with a mop. To others it means apply small amounts of water with a damp mop.

We were OK with the contractor installing LDF baseboards. The contractor (and someone else we know) mentioned to us that the "mopper" NOT slop water against LDF because it could expand like particle board. We do not use THAT much water, but still...

We wanted to check whether anyone else on GardenWeb had had such an experience or had heard of one.

Why were you OK with LDF for baseboards in the bathroom? I'd insist on wood or tile in case the 'stuff that happens', (i.e. leaks, spills, overflows) happens.

This post was edited by randy427 on Fri, Aug 16, 13 at 11:06

"We were OK with the contractor installing LDF baseboards."

And now you're not. Pardon my candor, but you were being cheap with the contractor and you got what you paid for. He made the same profit on the cheap basebords as he would have with real wood, or tile. He left the decision up to you, even though he advised against it. You made a cheap decision, and now you'll see what kind of value that offers.

"We wanted to check whether anyone else on GardenWeb had had such an experience or had heard of one."

Experience with cheap vs. value? Yes, constantly. This is common. Many people think cheap is a value, they're dead wrong.

Or do you mean experience with cheap materials getting wet and decomposing? Yes, just about as often as I encounter cheap people. Usually they blame somebody else for their problems. For example, they blame the contractor for using bad materials. That's why I don't work with certain products. If I were your contracor, the choice to use LDF would not even come up.

The decision to use LDF turned out to be a valid one.

The baseboards have been painted with semi-gloss and where they meet the floor has been sealed with an unobtrusive ribbon of silicone sealant to guard against mop water.

P.S. - the post submitted by aidan_m above would have been reported as abusive and abrasive, if GardenWeb offered that option. The molding profiles offered in LDF are more numerous than what are offered in real wood, and that was the overriding reason for choosing LDF. The wife is happy with the profile, installation and look of the project.

This post was edited by M_T_M on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 22:32