If the tile is installed level, the baseboard should sit on it just fine, though you would want to caulk it to make a smooth transition. An Monica's right, baseboards are pretty easy to replace if they did get ruined. But if you had an overflow bad enough to ruin the baseboards, you'd be fixing a lot more than the baseboards (i.e., vanity, carpet in the room that the water flowed into, etc.). We have wood baseboards in all our bathrooms.

Susan, in your laundry room, I'd probably go with cove. I'd have it installed abutted up to the wall and floor tile. peteinsonj, cove would take the place of field tile where the floor meets the wall so, no it does not create any extra grout joints. And, as palimpsest said, it eliminates the 90 degree floor-to-wall transition allowing for an easier surface to clean. Schools, hospitals, cafeterias, restaurants, even doctor's offices use cove tile and, you'll even find cove baseboard (for commercial carpet installations). Cove is also used in many residential shower floors (including mine) as well as counters. Again, I'd suggest anyone doing a new shower to take a look at cove and consider it's wonderful benefits. Generally, it does cost a little more (than field tile) in my opinion, worth every penny :) it's not too hard to find cove that will coordinate nicely with the rest of your design. For instance, I know daltile makes a lot of choices in cove.

The vinyl will be adhered to a thin plywood subfloor that's going over the thicker plywood subfloor. (Sorry, flooring's not my thing so I don't know all the technical names). I called the flooring store to see what the designer said. She and the flooring guy both said that caulk at the base of the tub is fine; it's what to do about where the floor meets the tiled walls that confounds me now. The flooring guy wants to put up vinyl cove base, which my husband and I both hate. The flooring store lady said just have him caulk it and then find a base moulding we like and install it when we find it. Method of installation would be to use "liquid nails" to glue it to the existing tile. This makes me a little happier since at least it won't be the vinyl cove base. Ick.

Amen, Glenn. I started when I was 12 helping Dad on weekends and evenings when Mom worked. At 15, I helped during evening weekends, and summer vacations (and getting paid!) when he went out on his own. At 17, I went to the Armstong School of Resilient Installation to learn all that I could, which was before certifications. They confirmed shool completions back then but didnt "certify" as they do now. All my life I have been taught on the job and Dad pulled me aside when other co-workers and his bosses did things inappropriately to save time and cut corners, telling me this isnt the way you should do this, but we do what we have to when we work for someone else. Every facet from pattern scribing inlaid resilient sheet in a room full of pipes and old radiators, all the way down to professionally and expertly installing vinyl/rubber cover base corners. Nothing was too big or too small to do right. At 21, me and Dad had a falling out in business. He had his own busienss now doign commercial and residential subcontract work and was becomming like so many others we laughed at and despised for doing shoddy work to make a buck, then I went out on my own. I am not maligning my Father. I love Him and he taught me pretty much evrything I know, but I couldnt do the work he was asking me to do anylonger when I knew it wasnt right. He had changed. Business had changed him. Money and time was becomming more important that job quality. Business certainly isnt easy, but a time comes when it's either right or its wrong, with little middle ground. Whhen professionals hit that crossroad, then take the wrong path, it changes them, and each time they elect that improper path, it makes the next crossroads easier and easier to take the wrong path, until the day comes that money and time means more than giving people who trust use with their work a professional job. I am an advocate of installer and buiness educataion no matter how they go about obtaining it, whether that be on the job, through a mentorship, union apprentiship, manufacturer or distributor training session, or certification. If certifications are the only way they can get proper training, they shoud go get it. Consumers need to step up and make a fuss when anything isnt exactly how they want it to be. We live in a low cost wallmart and home depot world, where as long as the price is right, they can live with almost anything. As an employer, I instill in my men and women the same installation and customer service values my Dad originally instilled in me, and I demand that on every job. I believe much of the talent has moved to the commercial spectrum too. Its where the money is at. Interesting you should say that (about commercial work getting the good men). When I left Dad, I went all commercial for about 10-11 years before we started opening up stores. Did alot of traveling and made alot of money. Now we bring those values and quality to the residential sector. In the end if something isnt done right, it doesnt matter why.